Ting is one of those addresses that we wish we could keep to ourselves, but at Littlebôboon we just love to share good spots with our readers.

Ting is located on the 35th floor of the Shard building as it is part of the Shangri-La hotel. As anyone would expect, the quasi-360° view from the restaurant is breathtaking.

For our lunch on July 15th, 2019 we were seated by the window where we could see the tower of London and the London bridge.

At Ting, they have one of the best lunch deals in London as far as we know. For 35£ we had a three-course menu

(starters + main dish + dessert). We know that at Shangri-La food and beverages are being taken seriously so we were

confident there would be more than the view.

The food  at Ting could be called fusion or modern European with an Asian twist from starters to dessert, each dish was very good and beautifully dressed and presented, even the mini-burger for our kid was very good and perfectly cooked. The side dishes (Tandoori Hispi Cabbage & Green Beans) we ordered to go with our main dishes were flavorful and delicious.

The cocktails and mocktails were  great, the wine list and the Champagne list were amazing, eventhough a little too pricy in our opinion, for lunch time.

The service was welcoming but a little bit disoriented and slow.

Ting was a great find and for sure next time we find ourselves in London we shall definitely book a table by the windows.

If you wish a more intimate venue for dinner, Hide Above is definitely your place. Hide restaurant is extravaganza in every sense with three levels: ground level is like a sophisticated bistro; Hide Above, on the first floor, offers the gastronomy experience; and finally, the wine cellar level is perfect for after dinner parties or cocktails and drinks before dinner.

We chose Hide Above to celebrate a double birthday on July 13th 2019. We did not expect to see a huge crowd and yet each level of the restaurant was full; even the two private dining rooms were taken.

We said to ourselves it’s full and noisy, it must be good and we were notdisappointed. Hide Above offers a tasting menu of seven dishes for 115£. By London standards it seems reasonably priced.

We started with what they calle “Vegetables; Flesh & Bones and Bread & and Broth” every single amuse bouche was very good. Four dishes stood out in our menu: the “Nest egg”, which is the chef's signature dish; the amazing “Cornish lobster” ; the “Roast Herwick lamb” and the “Green olive and olive oil ice cream”. All the produce and ingredients were irreproachable and the cooking was skillful and artful, however it was not so for every dish as the “Cured Scottish salmon with barley & seaweed” was surprisingly bland.

The wine list at Hide Above is exceptional, one of the most if not the most incredible wine list we've had to see so far. It has around ten thousand bottles you can browse on an iPad and an additional paper ledger with at least four pages of wines by the glass and ten pages of half bottles. Most of the bottles were available at Hedonism Wine shop nearby and the rest at the cellar of Hide.

The service was efficient and in tempo, with a multitude of accents from the four corners of Europe like in the Babel tower.

Our dining experience at Hide Above was one of a kind. The restaurant is beautiful (that staircase!), the food is pretty good and it seems that the executive chef, Ollie Dabbous, is not one to shy away from taking risks.  Nevertheless, the place might be a bit intimidating for some who would prefer a more sober and quieter eatery.

Hide

85, Picadilly

London, W1J 7NB

Uinted Kingdom

Tel: 020 3146 8666

www.hide.co.uk/restaurant/above

Joris Bijdendijk at the Rijks restaurant is probably one of the most talented chefs working in the Netherlands right now. His restaurant, Rijks, is located just off one of the entrances of the Rijks museum.

The restaurant is almost as beautiful as the museum, very spacious, with a magnificent and imposing bar and a nice outdoor terrace. The entrance is decorated with shelves of glass jars some filled with fruits, vegetables and others with more unusual items...

On our visit for lunch on Monday June 10th, we were seated by our hostess in front of large french doors in the big rectangular room. She handed us the menu from which we could choose either three dishes for 42 euros or four dishes for 52 euros. We opted for the three-course set and ordered two excellent virgin cocktails for starters and a surprising Dutch white wine d’Aan de Breede Beek Johanitter 2016 to follow.

From our amazing amuse-bouche (candied pears sprinkled with pistachios and ginger) to our delicious desserts (Dutch strawberries ‘Vlaai’ & kiwi on tapioca, vanilla and coco) through the ceviche of grey mullet, glazed veal sweetbread to the slow cooked short rib, every single dish turned out to be extremely flavorful, original and masterfully cooked. Joris Bijdendijk is a master of sauces and broths.

The wine list is very eclectic and cosmopolite, with a great selection from France to the Netherlands and from Spain to New Zealand, on par with the cocktail list.

The service was warm, welcoming, relaxed and professional. The young staff from the kitchen came to the table to present their dish.

Rijks restaurant is a gem of a restaurant for lunch or dinner, very good and (almost) as beautiful as the Rijks museum itself. Not to be missed when in Amsterdam.

RIJKS

Museumstraat 2

1071XX Amsterdam

Holland

Tel : +31 20 674 7555

http://www.rijksrestaurant.nl

The last time we were in Amsterdam was in November 2004, the high end dining scene then was not as rich and interesting as today.

This time we came to Amsterdam to discover a whole new generation of chefs who started to shake up the culinary scene in the Netherlands in general and Amsterdam in particular.

One of the chefs we wanted to discover was Egon Van Hoof whose restaurant MOS in Amsterdam has one star in the Michelin guide. We had selected MOS not only because of the sweeping view across the water but also for the tasting menu proposed by the chef.

After a long walk from the Central station to this new dock called U-Dock we crossed a beautiful bridge to reach MOS, where we were greeted by a young maître d’ that seated us on the second floor with a beautiful view across the river.

Egon Van Hoof himself came up from the kitchen to present the menu and dishes. We decided on the four-course menu for 60 euro with a supplement of 15 euro for 10 grams of caviar on our main dish: celeriac in “beurre noisette” roasted with lobster, chicken sauce and bonito.

Every single dish was masterfully cooked and presented. The ingredients were seasonal, the combination of flavors were greatly arranged. His cuisine was representative of the dutch culture: openness, diversity and multicultural.

The wine list was excellent: we started with a Premier Cru of Champagne Doyard and followed by an Italian white wine, a Vernaccia Di San Gimignano 2018.

The service was professional, dynamic and efficient as it should be. We could have done with a bit more warmth - and smile - , though.

MOS is a perfect spot to dine out in Amsterdam because it successfully combines great food, great view with an informal and familial atmosphere.

MOS

Udok 185,

1813 Amsterdam

Holland

Tel : +31 20 638 0866

www.mosamsterdam.nl

Rahi means traveler in Hindu.  Besides perfectly fitting our approach to life, it is also a modern Indian bistro serving artisanal Indian cuisine by Chef Chintan Pandya.

Chef Pandya used to be the head chef at Junoon (one Michelin star) where we ate once three years ago, then he left to open his own restaurant in Greenwich Village.

Contrary to Junoon, which was more sophisticated, chic and expensive, Rahi is the bistro version, accessible and affordable for younger crowd.

For our lunch on Saturday, November 3rd, 2018, we all chose the set menu (starters + mains) at 22 USD, but guests can also opt for the three-course deal (starters, mains & desserts) at 29 USD.

The Eggplant Barta, charcoal smoke, onion and cumin was highly perfumed and a delicately spiced, but the killer starter dish was the Edamame Artichoke Chaat, spinach chips, tamarind and pomegranate: crispy, light, perfectly cooked and well-balanced, a real delight.

Their selection of Nans was terrific : Butter Naan, Garlic Naan, Malai Paneer Naan and Booti  Wali Naan.

The drink list was short, but had a good selection of local and Indian beers as well as an incredible Kaffir Mango Lassi.

 The service was young but dynamic and charming.

Rahi may not have the same sophisticated and exclusive atmosphere as Junoon, but the food was quite good, more affordable and lively.

Rahi

 60 Greenwich Ave,

New York, NY 10011, USA

Tel: +1 212-373-8900

www.rahinyc.com