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”

A TALE OF 2 EQUALLY GOOD PIZZA EXPERIENCES IN SPLIT (Croatia) – Restaurant Reviews

A bucket-list trip to Croatia recently included 3 nights in Split between a jam-packed itinerary of Dubrovnik and Hvar with some island hopping to follow. Not too far from Italy we heard that the pizza in Croatia was just as good and although geographically close to Italy, we strangely didn’t see any Italian wines toContinue reading “A TALE OF 2 EQUALLY GOOD PIZZA EXPERIENCES IN SPLIT (Croatia) – Restaurant Reviews”

2022 Top 5 Winner: TASHAS, Abu Dhabi, UAE

I had read of Tasha’s excellent food and luxe coastal vibes and so made my way out to Al Bateen, expecting to find the place in a mall. What I found took my breath away. Tashas stood apart on a small island, surrounded by sea, overlooking the exquisite… The atmosphere, design and general management ofContinue reading “2022 Top 5 Winner: TASHAS, Abu Dhabi, UAE”

2022 Top 5 Winner: CHARLES STREET KITCHEN (CSK), Sydney, Australia

Every time I visit this vibrant cafe, I am always delighted – the food is great, the service wonderful and best of all the owner, Calvin is always ready to welcome you and your pooch! Charles Street Kitchen is a Korean-inspired Australian fusion cafe with an all-day menu for those days when you want lunchContinue reading “2022 Top 5 Winner: CHARLES STREET KITCHEN (CSK), Sydney, Australia”

2022 Top 5 Winner: THE CAMPAIGN ROOM BISTRO, Musselburgh, Scotland

The fabulous The Campaign Room Bistro at Carberry Tower, is locally-known as a positive spoil and with good reason… Using the very best, fresh, local and seasonal Scottish produce, a selection of mouthwatering lunches and dinners are presented beautifully. The ambience is relaxed and warm with attentive, friendly staff. The drive out to the venueContinue reading “2022 Top 5 Winner: THE CAMPAIGN ROOM BISTRO, Musselburgh, Scotland”

2022 Top 5 Winner: LEO HILLINGER WINESHOP & BAR, Vienna, Austria

After a week in three cities in Croatia in September three of the panelists parted ways: one went on to do some wine stomping in Spain a week later while another jetted off to Slovenia, then two reunited in time for a quick stop to Germany into October, but the same three panelists then reunitedContinue reading “2022 Top 5 Winner: LEO HILLINGER WINESHOP & BAR, Vienna, Austria”

2022 Top 5 Winner: MEDITERRANEO, Hvar, Croatia

Croatia is a bucket-list destination for many, especially after Game of Thrones made some of the city sights a must-see destination to fans and we noticed mostly American visitors in the narrow city streets of Dubrovnik, Split and Hvar. The days of being known as an affordable destination are however over, and with Croatia setContinue reading “2022 Top 5 Winner: MEDITERRANEO, Hvar, Croatia”

2022 Top 5 Winner: CONSONANCE, Bordeaux, France

When you stumble onto a classy wine bar establishment with super-friendly service and you aren’t hungry but can’t stop ordering their tasty menu treats, you know you’ve stumbled upon the next Thacks Awards winner! Whilst the word Consonance means ‘agreement or compatibility between opinions and actions’ our opinion has been that we need to takeContinue reading “2022 Top 5 Winner: CONSONANCE, Bordeaux, France”

Post Pandemic Cruising: On the Disney Magic in Europe

Is a Disney Cruise holiday worth it beyond 2022? What you need to know and be prepared for. From being imprisoned in a windy port for 2 days solid then being offered an open bar which caused a fight; to the magical detail of Disney, a Thacks Awards panelist had 3 very different cruise shipContinue reading “Post Pandemic Cruising: On the Disney Magic in Europe”

Vinorte Wine Bar (Valencia) Review

For something to be featured on Thacks Awards, it needs to be good. And ‘Vinorte’ in Valencia won’t disappoint!Last night two of the panelists and their friends stumbled upon this gem. And we’ll be back… very soon. We had a 21:30 dinner show reservation nearby and it turned out that the highlight of our eveningContinue reading “Vinorte Wine Bar (Valencia) Review”