DO & CO Restaurant (Vienna, AUSTRIA) ★★★☆☆

We took a devastating blow when we found out that Michelin starred Steirereck was closed throughout our entire stay in Vienna. But it was the Christmas holiday, we could not have hoped for such a miracle to happen. Scrambling to come up with a replacement, we eventually found an interesting alternative in the DO&CO Restaurant.

The DO&CO Restaurant is located in the boutique hotel DO&CO hotel Stephansplatz with a picture perfect view of the St. Stephan's Cathedral. We arrived at the restaurant a few minutes before the opening hours and the host of the restaurant was very attentive in directing us to the DO&CO Lounge downstairs for a quick drink first.

Both the DO&CO lounge and restaurant boasted a wonderful view of the neighbouring St. Stephan's Cathedral and were equally impressive with their chic interior design. Although they might not have the same reputation and caliber as Steirereck, their offering of international cuisine including Japanese (sushi), Chinese (wok style), Middle East (kebab) and traditional Viennese dishes was something to look forward to.

We started ourselves off with two fusion dishes - pan seared goose liver with foie gras creme brulee and then the melon caviar and were pleasantly surprised with their fine quality. The Viennese-style dishes such as the boiled beef classic Austrian style were however a bit disappointing.

Despite the inconsistencies between different dishes (possibly from different kitchens), we did enjoy this lovely meal very much. There were some well deserved marks added to this experience due to the ambiance, outstanding service and incredible view of St. Stephan's Cathedral.

Dining room area

Entrance to the DO&CO Hotel.

Pan seared goose liver & goose liver creme brulee

Boiled beef classic Austrian style

 

 

 

Food Rating: 6.1/10

Price: €€€

Closest Metro Station: Stephansplatz

Address: Stephansplatz 12, 1010 Vienna, Austria

Tel: +43 1 5353969

Website: www.doco.com

Hotel Bellevue (Český Krumlov, CZECH)

We arrived at Hotel Bellevue very late at night so didn't get a very good look at it until the next morning after breakfast.



Formerly known as Hotel U Města Vídně situated in the heart of Český Krumlov, Hotel Bellevue will be our accommodation during our stay in the picturesque town. 

We gathered around the breakfast hall really early in the morning. It felt as if we had not slept at all last night when our alarm clock sounded.

Following breakfast, we went back to our respective room to pack our bags and put them out our room for collection.

That's when we finally got some time to check out Český Krumlov. It was Boxing Day and obviously, everyone in town slept in after the Christmas celebration late last night.

We didn't have the time to go up to the castle but did take a few photos by the river.

This has to be one of the highlights of the trip. Situated along the Vltava River, Český Krumlov offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside and well-preserved medieval architecture, making it a picturesque destination for tourists from all around the world.

Rating: ❤❤

Price: €€

Address: Latrán 77, 381 01 Český Krumlov 1, Czech Republic

Website: www.bellevuehotelkrumlov.cz

Tel: +420 380 720 177

Grand Restaurant Pupp (Karlovy Vary, CZECH) ★★★★☆

We followed the footsteps of James Bond, the famous British agent to this unidentified town in Montenegro and our mission, to locate the mysterious Casino Royale. Lo and behold, there it was !

This is really not Montenegro. It is in reality Karlovy Vary, a picturesque town and one of the largest spa town in the Czech Republic.

As it turns out, the beautiful neo-baroque building that was called "Hotel Splendide" in the 007 film was actually Grand Hotel Pupp, a 5-star hotel dating back to 1701.

We had the pleasure of sitting right here, exactly where Bond sat with Bond girl, Vesper Lynd. How special was that!!! It's Christmas day and dining in this palace-like vibe made it even more intriguing.

Our Christmas lunch started off with a small amuse bouche, a lightly seared prawn served with a cream sauce and dill. That was a simple dish but perhaps we were starving at that moment so we found it very tasty.

Next up was my deliciously creamy lobster bisque with a few shrimps on top.

The cream of wild porcini mushroom was also equal to the task. Very rich flavored and creamy texture.

My main course was squid-ink risotto with prawns (again?) and squid rings. It came with a creamy white sauce that looked strikingly similar to the one from the amuse bouche. Not the best presented dish in the world but nevertheless got the job done (We were fairly hungry, remember?).

Jelloman had the crispy duck from the old Czech recipes. The sauce was a bit too watery but the duck and the potato cakes were both fine.

 

Service has been excellent the moment we walked through the doors. We felt like royalties from start to finish and the fact that we were dining inside such a prestigious dining room on Christmas day made it extra special. 

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: €€€

Address: Grand Hotel Pupp, Mírové Náměstí 316/2, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
Tel: +420 353 109 111
Website: www.pupp.cz