Le Drugstore Restaurant & Bar (Paris, FRANCE) ★★☆☆☆

We got into Paris around late afternoon and after a quick check-in at the hotel, we wasted no time kicking off our journey in the City of Light with stops at some of the top attractions including Pont Alexandre III and Place de la Concorde. As it was getting dark very quickly, Champs-Élysées would be our final destination of the day. Of course, a trip to Champs-Élysées would not be complete without hanging around the iconic Arc de Triomphe.

In a desperate search for a late dinner venue, we looked no further than the nearby Publicis Drugstore directly overlooking the Arc de Triomphe at the Place de l’Étoile end of the Champs Elysées.

Champs-Élysées has long been a gastronomic wasteland from one end to the other with many restaurants labelled as tourist traps. We were hoping that Le Drugstore Restaurant & Bar would be an exception though, as the place was still buzzing on the ground floor of this famous shopping and entertainment complex at 133 Avenue des Champs-Élysées.

Sea scallops were served on a bed of creamy risotto and green peas. This was decent but the risotto was a little bland and I thought it could be a bit more cheesy.

Less successfully was the linguine topped with prawns and tomatoes. Like the risotto, the linguine was really lacking flavors. Some seasoning and perhaps a buttery or creamy sauce would've helped a lot.

We weren't expecting a lot out of this meal but even with our low expectation coming in, we were utterly disappointed with the overall experience. Apart of the quality of food, I thought the service was also slow to a crawl. It was difficult to enjoy this after a hectic travel day from Copenhagen.

Food Rating: 4/10

Price: €€€

Address: 133 avenue des Champs-Elysées, 75008 Paris, France

Closest Metro Station: George V

Tel: +33 (0)1 4443-7900

Hotel Opéra Richepanse (Paris, FRANCE)

Following our long trip exploring Scandinavia, we flew to Paris en route to catching our flight back home. Since our stay in the City of Light will be a very brief one, we decided to choose a hotel closer to the main attractions. Tucked away in a quiet street close to Église de la Madeleine, Hotel Opéra Richepanse would provide the accommodation for our lone night in Paris.

An old-fashioned hotel lobby, we knew exactly what to expect from our room.

The decor looked pretty tired and although the place was clean, it could really use a facelift with some modern touches here and there.

The bathroom was fairly standard. Not much surprise there.

If there was one thing that was worth mentioning about this stay, it was the French window and balcony overlooking.......well, nevermind.

Rating: ❤❤

Price: €€€

Address: 14 Rue du Chevalier de Saint-George, 75001 Paris, France

Closest Metro Station: Madeleine

Tel: +33 (0)1 4260-3600

Website: www.richepanse.com

Brewpub København (Copenhagen, DENMARK) ★★★☆☆

We wanted something a little different for dinner on our last night in Copenhagen and were lucky to find Brewpub København on our way back to our hotel.

Located on Vestergade near the main square (Rådhuspladsen), BrewPub København is a brewery company that also doubles as a bar and restaurant. The restaurant is situated inside a historic 17th century architecture providing an atmospheric setting for a relaxing dinner.

 

There are different brewery equipment put on display at the entrance. Feels like we are walking into a brewery museum!



During the summer months, the beer garden is open for drinks and dinner.



The menu consists of a wide selection of beer-themed dishes which prove to be quite a unique culinary experience for us.

I started the night off with a langoustine in a light curry and berry emulsion.



That was soon followed by a beer battered fish and chips.



Milk-fed veal cutlets with baby carrots and asparagus in a special beer sauce was next.



In case you are wondering whether they have any beer themed desserts in the menu. Yes, they do! Here's their beer cheesecake to wrap up a pretty innovative dinner.



After dinner, a visit to the famous Tivoli Garden before we pack our bags. Copenhagen, we will definitely miss you~






Food Rating: 4.5/10

Price: €€€

Address: Vestergade 29, 1456 København, Denmark
Tel: +4533320060 
Website: http://brewpub.dk/en/

Badstuen Brasserie & Bar (Copenhagen, DENMARK) ★★★☆☆

It's going to be a very busy day for us in the Danish capital. Right after breakfast, we got off to a fast start checking out a number of places behind our hotel including Wallmans Circus Building. Then, it was time to visit Strøget, Copenhagen's main shopping street which is one of Europe's longest pedestrian streets with a wealth of shops, from budget-friendly chains to some of the world's most expensive brands.

The 1+km stretch covers streets like Frederiksberggade, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet, and Østergade and runs from City Hall Square all the way to Kongens Nytorv square.

We didn't realize it but by the time we finished taking pictures and videos, it was already 1:30pm; and we have yet to have lunch. Looking around the century-old buildings on Vimmelskaftet, we were so relieved to spot Badstuen Brasserie & Bar on the first floor of one of those buildings which was still open for business.

Badstuen is a French brasserie in the afternoon and bar at night. They boast a nice view of the pedestrian street from the window seats but we decided to sit at a quiet corner for some privacy.

Jelloman was all too happy to have found a few things she liked from the shops on the pedestrian street.

Reindeer carpaccio, parmesan chips, balsamic, mustard – This was a dish that we didn't see often in Hong Kong so Jelloman decided to jump all over it. The reindeer carpaccio had this nice moist and chewy texture to it and I thought the balsamic and mustard really helped to minimalize the gamey flavors. It would have been perfect if there was a bit of crunch added to the mix (pine nuts?). 

Chestnut velouté, scallop, peanut, raspberry – While Jelloman went with the reindeer carpaccio as her starter, I had the chestnut velouté myself. The silky smooth chestnut soup was nicely matched with pan-seared scallops and crushed peanuts; and I loved the raspberry compote and ganache there to bring some lovely acidity to the dish. A very well-balanced starter with a strong mix of flavors.

Roasted spring chicken, seasonal vegetables – We shared a main dish together and this roasted spring chicken turned out to be a rather decent choice. It was tender and juicy, working well with the carrot, purple onion, asparagus, leeks and assorted peppers.  

This was a very nice meal in a relaxing atmosphere but it's time to move on. Next up, 

Helligaandskirken (or Church of the Holy Spirit) which is located right across the street. It would be followed by a visit to the iconic Nyhavn at the waterfront area. Should be a lot of fun! 

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$$

Address: Vimmelskaftet 47, 1161 København, Denmark

Closest Subway Station: Rådhuspladsen / Gammel Strand

Hotel The Square (Copenhagen, DENMARK)

Oh my goodness, it was long long drive from Oslo but we finally made it to Copenhagen. As planned, we dropped off our rental car and for the next couple of days, we would solely rely on our feet.



The Square, a 4-star hotel right across the street from Copenhagen's iconic city hall square and city square, provided our accommodation for the next two days and I was so pumped up about this stay.

But that didn't start off on the right foot. Check-in was very slow thanks to a group booking from the cruise and we ended up getting our keys fairly late.

Like most hotels in Northern Europe, our room was pretty small but to make it worse, it was dark even with all the lights turned on thanks to the dismal weather out there in the last couple of days.

The bathroom was also a tad small. Yeah, I am judging it based on Asian standard of course!

For a hotel known for being trendy and stylish, it just didn't wow me with its design.

Breakfast was included but it was always super crowded. In order to avoid the folks from the cruise, we had to wake up a little earlier just to get ourselves a table.

Rating: ❤❤❤

Price: $$$

Address: Rådhuspladsen 14, 1550 København V, Denmark

Closest Subway Station: Rådhuspladsen

Tel: +45 33 381200

Website: www.thesquare.dk

Sanguine Brasserie (Oslo, NORWAY) ★★☆☆☆

Opened in April 2008, the Oslo Opera House quickly becomes one of the city's most stunning modern architecture. It is not only the home to The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet but also and the national opera theatre. 

From the outside, it certainly looks like a giant spaceship sitting on the edge of the harbour!



After checking out both the exterior and interior of the opera house, it was almost dinner time and we decided to pay the Sanguine Brasserie a quick visit. Housed in the lobby of Oslo’s new opera house, Sanguine Brasserie is a casual eatery serving a cuisine largely influenced by French, Italian and Spanish cooking. 



Our first dish was half a dozen fresh oysters.



That was followed by a simple Caesar salad with chicken fillet.



My one and only main course was a roasted pork loin with mashed potato and beetroot.

 

The food here was below average but more disappointing was the overall service which was cold and unwelcoming.




Food Rating: 4/10

Price: €€€

Address: Kirsten Flagstads plass 1 N - 0105 Oslo, Norway
Closest Metro Station: Jernbanetorget
Tel: +47 2142-2142
Website:www.brasseriesanguine.no/en/The-restaurant/

Theatercafeen (Oslo, NORWAY) ★★★★☆

I love to visit cafés with a lot of historic background. Angelina (Paris), The Wolseley (London) and Bewley's Oriental Café (Dublin) are just a few of the many famous cafés I had the pleasure of visiting over the years and now I can add Theatercafeen to the list.



Situated in the 5-star Hotel Continental in Oslo, Theatercafeen first opened its door back in 1900. Because of its location across the street from the National Theatre, it has quickly become a meeting spot for influential members of the Norwegian art and culture scene.



A true Viennese-style grand café with vaulted ceiling, marble pillars, black banquettes and art nouveau chandeliers. It doesn't get any more charming than this.....




A trip to Theatercaféen is not complete without trying their namesake fish soup. This is very creamy like an American style seafood chowder.



King crab salad with avocado, croutons and balsamic was another refreshing way to start the meal at this prestigious institution. 



The steamed blue mussels came highly recommended by our server so we got an order of it as well.



My main course was seafood medley with all kinds of fresh seafood including scampi, scallop, mussels, crayfish and cockles simmered in a white wine sauce that came with a hint of lime. See how generous the portion was!







Food Rating: 6/10
Price: €€€
Address: Stortingsgaten 24 - 26, 0117 Oslo, Norway
Tel: +47 2282-4050
Website: www.theatercafeen.no

Café Cathedral (Oslo, NORWAY) ☆☆☆☆☆

Following the conclusion of our 7-hour drive from Stockholm, we finally made it to Oslo, the capital city of Norway. It was already 8PM when we dropped off our luggage at the hotel so we figured it's better to just have a quick dinner nearby.

After a quick visit to the cathedral, we spotted Café Cathedral on our way out and that's where we decided to have dinner tonight. Big mistake!

It took us a good 15-20 minutes because no one cared enough to take our orders (The waiters and waitresses all saw us waving at them). That was ridiculous. Apart from the poor service, I thought the food was pretty crappy. I can definitely cook a better pasta than that.



The salmon burger was slightly better but again, any home cook could do a better job than that.

It took 45 minutes for our dishes to arrive and 15 minutes for us to wash them down with coke and fanta. What a waste of time!

Food Rating: 2/10
Price: €€€
Address: Dronningens gate 27, 0154 Oslo, Norway
Tel: +47 2233-0035
Website: www.cafecathedral.no

Thon Hotel Oslo Panorama (Oslo, NORWAY)

Thon Hotel Panorama is centrally located in a peaceful and quiet part of central Oslo. It appeared to be a pretty decent choice due to its proximity to a number of main attractions in Oslo including the Opera House and Cathedral.



Speaking of quiet, we didn't really run into too many hotel guests during our stay other than the breakfast session.

Some of the Tripadvisor reviewers raved about the spacious living room and the fact that most of the rooms came with a balcony but none of these really scored any additional points for us.

For me, comfort is paramount when it comes to choosing a hotel. The level of comfort can make or break my overall experience. Having said that, I thought that the bed, mattress and pillows were all slightly below average quality.

The bathroom was actually not bad. It was small but more than functional.

We decided that we wanted more exercise so we thought about running up and down these stairs after breakfast......just kidding!

Speaking of breakfast, the one offered here was by far the worst from this Northern Europe trip of ours. Other than a few cold cuts, there weren't many items that were worth a look. And to make it worse, the staff did a terrible job refilling the plates. That was awful.

We didn't have a lot of good things to say about Thon Hotel Oslo Panorama other than that it's in a great location and it's quiet and peaceful. That's about all I would remember about this place.

Rating: ❤❤❤

Price: $$$

Address: Rådhusgata 7B, 0151 Oslo, Norway

Closest Subway Station: Jernbanetorget

Tel: +47 23 310800

Website: www.thonhotels.no/hoteller/norge/oslo/thon-hotel-panorama