Restaurants New York - Cucina & Co

This is a self-service place in the Rockefeller Plaza. The food is not too bad if you want something quick and your in the area.

I tried some asian chicken with rice. I thought it was great that they offered the choice of brown rice. The price is ok value for money $10.62.

Restaurants New York - Macelleria

This is a simple, but I would say a rather authentic italian Restaurant in the middle of the trendy Meatpacking District of New York.

We tried the chicken diavola and the linguine white clams (both $18). There was not too much of a wait which often happens in this area and the food came quickly. Most waiters were italian which added to the authentic flare.

Restaurants Vienna - Harry's Time

This is a restaurant in the heart of Vienna. It is 5-10 minute walk from Stephansplatz (right opposite the MAK-Contempory Museum of Applied Arts.

They cheap lunches like a risotto for 6,90 Euros. Drinks are on the more expensive side: apple juice with water 3,20 Euros. I find it a good deal for lunches, but am not sure if I would go in the evening. It is a mixture of Austrian and Italian food.

Dr Karl Lueger Platz 5

A-1010 Vienna

Restaurants London - Osteria dell'Arancico

This is a place you go mainly for the wine list. The food is simple, rustic yet modern.

It is definitely not on the cheap side (around 20 GBP for a main course). I would say the quality of the food is not so consistent and that is the main reason that I would hesitate to recommend it.

Otherwise, it is a nice change from the usual pubs in London. However be ready for a little hike to the closest tube station.

383 King's Road
London SW10 0LP

www.osteriadellarancio.co.uk

Restaurants Vienna - Regina Margherita

This is an elegant italian restaurant with an outside patio in the summer. It is in the Palais Esterhazy which is a nice setting and is central (not far from the Graben).

They have everything from simple Pizza (around 10 Euros) to Vitello tonnato (10,90 Euros) which is a delicious starter with sliced veal covered with a tuna sauce.

Regina Marrherita

Walnnerstrasse 4 / Palais Esterhazy

1010 Vienna

www.barbaro.at/regina_margherita.php

Restaurants London - Khan's (very recommendable)

Khan's is a simple Indian restaurant in the Bayswater area which is cheap and tasty. Simple in the sense that there are no frills.

I like all their chicken curries, especially the ones with tomato and that are creamy. I also like the freshly squeezed Mango, Banana and orange drink they make!

Main dishes are around 5.15 GBP

13-15 Westbourne Grove

Bayswater, W2 4UA

+44 20 7727 5420

www.khansrestaurant.com

Restaurants Sao Paulo - Figeuira (recommendable)

Figeuira, centrally located, it is within close walking distance from the main shopping area of Sao Paulo - Oscar Freire.

A huge tree in the middle of the restaurant patio is just the beginning of what is impressive here! They have beautiful drippy candles on thick wooden stands. This is not only a place for a nice setting, but also for outstanding food.

I started the meal with a delicious freshly squeezed pineapple juice. Then they serve a large plate of a variety of Italian nibbles: mozzarella balls, sun-dried tomatoes, grilled aubergines, a mushroom dip and some fish. All the flavors fit together perfectly.

As a main dish I chose the Argentinian Chopper with a shrimp and tomato sauce which was accompanied by mashed "Aipim", which is a stringy cousin of the potato. The other two who were with me at the restaurant tried the beef which I heard was divine and certainly filling.

The bill was around $50 USD per person. This is not a cheap place to eat, but certainly worth a visit.

A Figueira Rubaiyat

R. Haddock Lobo, 1738

Sao Paulo - SP, 01414-002, Brazil

www.rubaiyat.com.br

Restaurants Sao Paulo - Due Cuochi (very recommendable)

We went to a delicious Italian restaurant in the Itaim Bibi area. It seems popular for business lunches and looks a bit formal, but the atmosphere is not.

I tried the spaghetti with shrimps and a pesto sauce. My companion had the lamb with risotto, which was cooked to perfection. The rice was not overcooked with a lovely flavour of good Parmesan.

They also serve a delicious salad with greens and some dips with red olives as a free starter.

It is not on the cheap side, but good value for money.

We paid $25 per person.

Due Cuochi

Rua Manuel Guedes 93

Itaim Bimbi - Sao Paulo

Tel 11 3078 8092

www.duecuochi.com.br

Restaurants Ottawa - Mezzanotte

This is a good italian restaurant for a little bit more formal night out.

I tried the large square ravioli filled with lobster meat over a rose sauce. The flavours were light and although it was a creamy rose sauce it did not feel very heavy.

50 Murray Street

Byward Market, Ottawa

Ontario K1N 9K1

Tel. 613-562-3978

www.mezzanotte-bistro.com

Restaurants Morelia - Emilianos

So what are the Restaurants like in Morelia ... I do not want to compare the italian food here with Austria, since Austria has excellent italian Restaurants, which are super hard to beat.

I think the Emiliano's is a nice place to hang out with friends. They have a lot of mexican dishes such as arrachera and guacamole or shrimps (deep fried like tempura with a cocktail sauce). These dishes were all very tasty and even the Pizza tastes fine. I was pleasantly surprised this time because last time I tried their pesto dish I was I guess a little disappointed because I felt like having a dish with basil, but they did not have basil and replaced it with cilantro which of course tastes completely different.

We paid around 15 USD per person.

Emilianos

Artilleros del 47 No.1643

Morelia 58260

Tel 443 315 1035

Restaurants Charleston - Blossom

This is a restaurant with lot of fish choices as well, but with an italian touch.

They have a nice seating area outside which I enjoyed greatly. Usually I get cold easily, but the temperature in Charleston is pleasant this time of the year. Deliciously warm summer evenings with a very slight breeze.

Since this is a coastal town, I thought I gotta try as much fish as I can! They had a special - again with a local white fish with a lemon citrus butter and a delicious risotto. This time the risotto was made with chorizo, asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes which was around $28.

Blossom

171 East Bay Street

Charleston, SC 29401

www.magnolias-blossom-cypress.com

Torino, Italy - Mare Nostrum (very recommendable)

Mare Nostrum is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. Like all good restaurants they have a short menu: four starters (antipasti), first courses (primo piati), second courses (secondo piati) and desserts (dolce). It's a fish and seafood restaurant, the dishes are simple, but tend to have a twist, as you would expect from an excellent Italian restaurant. The grappa at the end is complimentary. The atmosphere is friendly and casual, somehow the place would work for anything from a business meeting to a romantic date. Having sampled several dishes I can only say that everything is excellent, and the menu changes, so go and be surprised.

Prices are reasonable for such a restaurant: The full menu is €50. First courses are around €15 and second courses a little above €20.

Mare Nostrum - via Matteo Pescatore,16
Torino - tel. 011.839.45.43

Chiuso la domenica

www.ristorantemarenostrum.it

Restaurants Vienna - Il Sestante

This is a favourite of many Viennese people. The Pizza's, especially the simple Margarita is very delicious (with real mozzarella). A lot of Pizzerias today do not use mozzarella due to saving costs, however it makes a notable difference.

This is is also a restaurant where one can sit outside in the summer. The tables are just outside the Maria Treu church which is a pretty setting. The Restaurant's interior decor is very simple and surely not for a romantic date, but it is certainly a place to go with friends and family.

The Pizza's and pasta cost around 10 Euros each.

Maria Treugasse 7/2, 1080 Vienna

Tel. 402 98 94

www.ilsestante.at

Restaurants Mexico City - Italianni's

This is an Italian chain in Mexico City. If one wants a change from Mexican food, it is a nice alternative. But coming from Vienna, where Italian food is delicious, this is an average restaurant.

I had a simple bolognese which was good and the service was ok. 

We noticed that this is a place where a lot of locals like celebrating their Birthdays. In the hour that we were sitting there, 7 Birthdays were being celebrated.

www.italiannis.com

Restaurants Los Angeles - Il Moro (recommendable)

This is a yummy Italian Restaurant in West LA. 

The fried frutti di mare platter is delicious. Even though I am usually not a fan of a batter, but this batter is very light. I also had the Spaghetti allla Carrettiera (Spaghetti sauteed with green olives, porcini mushrooms, chicken sausage and Bolognese sauce) which tasted outstanding. All the dishes we tried were super delicious, but this one is certainly worth come again for.

The service is very friendly and unpretentious.

This is a modern restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere. I particularly liked the beautiful outdoor patio which was very relaxing.

Pasta/Risotti cost around $20.

11400 West Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064

Tel: 310 575 3530 Fax: 310 575 4911

www.ilmoro.com

Restaurants Playa del Carmen Mexico - The Glass Bar (recommendable)

Every time we go there the food and service are consistently good.

This is a little bit more fancy restaurant. They bring a tiny (5cm wide) starter, which are compliments of the house. In one occasion they brought a beef tatar creation; in the end they brought a platter of tiny cookies, coffee truffles and other cookies.

We had a nice Arugula Salad, Spaghetti with a simple tomato sauce and a Risotto with shrimps. All the dishes are simple, but with fresh ingredients and a delicious flavour.

Another time we tried a lentil soup with crabs and balsamic vinegar, which was very filling, as well as delicious. It was a nice idea to add the balsamic vinegar - it gave the dish a nice twist. The tortellini with beef and a pumpkin sauce was a straightforward dish (hardly any spices), but worthwhile.

This place also has a nice selection of wines and Prosecco.

The service is very good. They immediately see when one has finished a dish and take away the plates. One never has to look for the waiters to come, which frequently happens in Playa del Carmen, since there are always a lot of tourists.

We spent around 375 pesos per person for a starter and a main course (exchange rate at the time was around 15 pesos per dollar, so in dollars it was cheap at $25).

Calle 12 No.218

Esquina 5 Av NTE Col. Centro

Restaurants Madrid - La Tagliatella

La Tagliatella is located in the financial district of Madrid.

This place has a large choice of freshly made pastas which you can mix and match with numerous sauces.

We had: 

Taliarine with Tartufo e funghi

Pappardekke pepe nero with pesto rosso panna

I found the pasta delicious. I would say above average and could perhaps even compete with the delicious Viennese Italian restaurants, which are known to be quite good. 

We spent 17 Euros per person, which was a bit of a rip off for pasta. Had we known that one can share the pasta dishes, it would have been a reasonable price.

La Tagliatella

General Peron 40

Tel. 91 556 90 46

www.trastevere.es

Restaurants Vienna -Danieli (recommendable)

Great Italian food - I particularly like their risotto! Not overcooked, light with a perfect blend of fresh ingredients.

The ambience is exactly how you would imagine an Italian Restaurant. I particularly like the area beneath the glass roof.

Perhaps a tiny bit posh. A lot of people go there for business lunches or dinners.

Good value for money. 30 Euros per person.

Danieli

Himmelpfortgasse 3

1010 Wien

www.danieli.at

Restaurants Chicago - Cafe Spiaggia (recommendable)

Cafe Spiaggia is located conveniently at the end of of Michigan avenue - the main shopping area in Chicago.

Great classic Italian dishes. It is not cheap, but the waiters are very friendly and attentive. Charming setting!

The Wood roasted mushrooms with yellow polenta were delicious. The butternut squash filled pasta with brown butter, sage and Parmigiano is also worth trying - a nice blend of light flavours. The Arctic Char with braised lentils - maybe it is a matter of taste, but in our opinion the lentils did not fit so well with the fish.

They have an extensive wine list. Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Brut - light, dry, approachable and good value for money in a Restaurant.

Our overall impression was great.

Approximately $45 per person excluding wine.

2nd Floor
980 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 280-2750

www.cafespiaggia.com