By John Thackray So, I touched down in SUNNY Cork at 19:00 local time, dashed to get my hire car and the upgrade to a brand new Jeep with 4,000km on the clock was a nice start though I didn’t have time to faff to get the radio working… I checked into my accommodation justContinue reading “A 30 hour Irish Assignment: Guinness and Chipper Food at the cliffs of Ballycotton – PART II”
Tag Archives: Drink
A 30 hour Irish Assignment: Guinness and Chipper Food at the cliffs of Ballycotton – PART I
The greatest thing about living in Europe is that budget airlines exist – so you can find a return flight to another country less than 3 hours away for under €60. You can fly to Venice for a day to fill up on genuine pasta, or skip over to Morocco for a few hours toContinue reading “A 30 hour Irish Assignment: Guinness and Chipper Food at the cliffs of Ballycotton – PART I”
Spanish Wine Outings
Just an hour outside of Valencia… Valencia was often known for its cheap bulk wines, but it has already blossomed into one of Spain’s most interesting wine regions. Rehabilitated long-forgotten local grapes like the red Mando and the white Verdil are coming back to life, with the rediscovered use of amphoras. You will find interestingContinue reading “Spanish Wine Outings”
Restaurante Albacora (Valencia) Review
Restaurante Albacora in the Marina of Valencia, Spain, is a hidden gem that is tricky to get to if the pedestrian bridge isn’t open. But it is so worth it!! We started off with ‘Carpaccio de Gambas’ which is a seafood version carpaccio with fresh flavours beautifully presented – and some homemade bread. ‘Crujente deContinue reading “Restaurante Albacora (Valencia) Review”
2023 was an up and down year
2023 was an exciting year in terms of destinations. And finding things different to your expectations. The seven panelists travelled to far-flung destinations like Japan, Columbia, Canada, Brazil, the USA from their bases in Spain, Austria, Cyprus, the UAE, Australia and South Africa. They also revisited foodie favourites like Italy, France and Germany. Some previousContinue reading “2023 was an up and down year”
2023 Top 3 Winner: LONGTABLE RESTAURANT, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Longtable Restaurant at Haskell Vineyards in the Cape Winelands of South Africa, has won an international Thacks Award for ‘Best Brunch in the Cape Winelands’. Longtable Restaurant offers exceptional food, warm service, and stunning views that make it a must-visit for anyone in the Stellenbosch Cape winelands area. During our visit, we had the pleasureContinue reading “2023 Top 3 Winner: LONGTABLE RESTAURANT, Stellenbosch, South Africa”
2022 Top 5 Winner: THE KNYSNA OYSTER COMPANY, Cape Town, South Africa
“I love oysters. My panelist profile picture on the panelists page attests to that!Nothing is better than a good oyster: fresh, plump and creamy.But alas, nothing is worse than a bad one either: dehydrated, thin, stale, sandy and shelly. Many times price is not a good indicator of quality. So getting a good oyster canContinue reading “2022 Top 5 Winner: THE KNYSNA OYSTER COMPANY, Cape Town, South Africa”
Son Restaurant (Bordeaux) Review
Ranked a #1 Restaurant in Bordeaux, Son indeed delivers a treat and is sold as a ‘sophisticated restaurant presenting innovative cuisine amid elegant surroundings’. This is an award winning and credible dining experience with a great ‘value for money’ €25 lunch menu and a €65 five-course dinner menu for what it is. Though when weContinue reading “Son Restaurant (Bordeaux) Review”
2022 Top 5 Winner: THE ROYAL OAK, Balmain, Australia
A perfect Sunday afternoon chill session – more than a pub but one of Balmain’s oldest and best-known pubs. For the perfect setting to recharge for the week ahead, look no further than The Royal Oak in Balmain.It’s no secret that Australia has a fantastic pub culture, but the challenge to finding the best pubContinue reading “2022 Top 5 Winner: THE ROYAL OAK, Balmain, Australia”
2022 Top 5 Winner: RUST EN VREDE RESTAURANT, Stellenbosch, South Africa
As far as international comparisons go, Rust en Vrede Restaurant on the stunning Rust en Vrede wine estate near Cape Town, under the fine management of superb chef Fabio Daniel, has already won multiple awards in 2022 since winning the Thacks Awards 2021 Top International Eatery award: and their ‘Estate Experience’ is an appreciated benchmarkContinue reading “2022 Top 5 Winner: RUST EN VREDE RESTAURANT, Stellenbosch, South Africa”
Thacks Awards 