Slivovica is a Serbian grape brandy and it’s the drink of choice of the locals in Kotor, Montenegro, where we’re staying for two weeks. Despite having grown up drinking my Russian grandfather’s homemade vodka, which we called ‘tractor fuel’, nothing prepared me for the burning sensation in my throat from the first tasting of Slivovica. … Read more
The secret was out about the French wine tasting experience at Ô Chateau long ago. Despite its inclusion in a dubious list of “private Paris” experiences that “hover below the normal tourist radar”, according to The New York Times, Ô Chateau has long been in the guidebooks. At the time of writing, it was #5 experience … Read more
This Serendipity recipe makes a quintessentially Paris cocktail from the world’s greatest bartender, Colin Field, of Bar Hemingway at The Ritz. Made with fresh mint, Ritz Champagne, Calvados, and apple juice, Colin says it’s “France in a glass.” It’s also a refreshing cocktail that’s perfect to sip in Paris in spring or summer. It’s not … Read more
As much a part of the French look as a striped sailor’s shirt or foulard (scarf), the baguette is something of a fashion accessory in Paris, tucked under an arm, poking out of a shopping bag, or sharing a bicycle basket with a posie of flowers and the weekend newspaper. Given this, we decided to … Read more
A Paris food tour of the fashionable Haute Marais neighbourhood, where artisanal food producers are creating innovative products, gives us a taste of ‘the Bobo palate’, the French capital’s ‘bourgeois-bohemians’, and the gourmet foods and specialty food shops currently on trend in the French capital. We’ve long believed that exploring the food of a destination … Read more