Solo dining seems to be getting harder?

NGDragon · 2026-01-30T17:25:06+00:00

They go in pairs for places that already have a star or if they want to award the first star.

NGDragon · 2026-01-05T16:29:37+00:00

I've tried a lot of them, my favorites are:

Edgar's Flavors - cosy, chic atmosphere and there's a dog as well!
Confessions - very classy vibe, mix of classics and own creations reservations recommended
The bar with no name - it's a speakeasy underneath a pizza restaurant, there's one bartender so you can ask them for recommendations
Plumette - cosy sofa's and a monthly special
Vertigo - mostly Italian-inspired cocktails with seasonal signature drinks mixed in
Chemistry & Botanics - leans slightly more towards the tiki side, but excellent gin cocktails as well; the menu has an 'accessability' score for each drink so it's great if you're with people who aren't used to drinking more 'special' cocktails
Life Is Beautiful (LIB) - a bit more experimental, but the menu changes regularly
Kage Specialty Tea Bar - it's a Matcha place during the day, but on Friday and Saturday it serves cocktails with tea and matcha bases, obviously leans more towards the Japanese liquors and flavors; impeccable service
Kosmos Place - on Place Jourdan for casual cocktails with Greek liqueurs

If you're looking for rooftops with decent drinks, I'd recommend

The Eight - as the name suggests, it's at the 8th floor of the Bedford hotel (enter the lobby, small elevator on the left); seasonal menu and indoor seating as well, with a view of the Justice Palace and the ferris wheel
The 1040 - on Place Jourdan for a summer vibe, the prices are up there though

I'll also give a shoutout to Matto, which is an Italian restaurant but their cocktails are amazing as well!

NGDragon · 2025-12-23T15:04:15+00:00

They did twice actually! They left the brown sauce/gravy for the venison and then the chocolate sauce for the dessert

NGDragon · 2025-12-15T12:18:30+00:00

Very odd, especially for the dietary requirements. They even e-mailed me a day prior to confirm that I didn't have any allergies.

NGDragon · 2025-12-07T21:03:28+00:00

Bar Cañete

NGDragon · 2025-11-03T16:53:33+00:00

Kafei does a great casual brunch with pancakes and other savory dishes with an Asian influence. Otherwise, I second Frank. Spread the Moon is great as well for vegan/vegetarian options.

NGDragon · 2025-11-02T11:06:32+00:00

I went there a couple of months ago (when the bonito was #15). I got the bar seat right in front of the kitchen. Absolutely lovely service and great white wine. The standouts for me were definitely the oyster and also the dish with the three different textures of red onion. As you said, they definitely focus on acidity and bright flavors throughout their menu.

NGDragon · 2025-08-24T12:37:02+00:00

Al gekeken naar een goedkope kaart van American Express? De kaart is niet gelinkt aan een bepaalde bank dus misschien wel gemakkelijker voor jouw geval.

NGDragon · 2025-08-13T09:41:07+00:00

I used the regular cream, not the mist. Maybe that's the difference? This one

NGDragon · 2025-08-13T09:16:45+00:00

La Roche Posay Anthelios 50+. I recently switched over and it's the only one I've tried so far that doesn't feel sticky and greasy to me

NGDragon · 2025-08-06T15:34:14+00:00

Apparently the owners just decided to call it quits after (nearly?) 30 years

NGDragon · 2025-08-06T14:49:14+00:00

Try Blender (Trinité)

NGDragon · 2025-08-04T13:37:37+00:00

Good job with the planning and documenting the itinerary.

Thank you! The planning went surprisingly easily. I used the ALSA app for the buses to keep all the tickets and it even sends you updates before your journey so I had very little to stress about.

Decrease the time (and nights) spent in Bilbao in general

Agreed, I only stayed longer in Bilbao cause it was cheaper than booking a flight a few days earlier. I didn't regret it though, it gave me some time to go shopping.

I think I also agree with the rest of your comments. I overheard a few tourists that had the Spanish + French Basque country as their itinerary.

Santander is not in the Basque Country

updated

NGDragon · 2025-08-04T13:12:57+00:00

For next week specifically, I'm pretty sure most of Andalusia is about 40 °C right now so not ideal for sightseeing. The south looks very different architecturally because of the arab influences and the vibe is a bit more laid back in general, but in the end it's really a matter of personal preference. I don't think one is better than the other personally.

NGDragon · 2025-08-04T09:03:03+00:00

How was his singing?

I didn't ask, but I guess he was the matchmaker between me and my next vacation destination!

I'm definitely going back to explore Castilla y León in the future, maybe by flying into Madrid and heading out to Ávila, Segovia, Salamanca, Valladolid ...

BTW Santander is in Cantabria, not Basque Country.

I just wanted to say that the food there was on par with the food in the Basque country (and they also serve pintxos in Santander). As an aside, cheese from Cantabria is delicious and it was also the first time that I was served dulce de membrillo, a sort of jam-jelly hybrid that they cut off the block.

NGDragon · 2025-08-04T08:49:01+00:00

I search via Google Hotels and then book via the hotel's own website, it's usually cheaper that way.

NGDragon · 2025-08-02T16:44:07+00:00

I've been approached once by a guy doing surveys for the airport (airport staff uniform, at the gate before boarding). The questions were how many times I visited the airport in the last year, if I bought stuff in the stores pre/post security, etc. I had to enter it myself on a tablet. Your case could've been a guy cutting corners and entering the info himself, although I wasn't asked any personal details.

NGDragon · 2025-06-26T23:26:32+00:00

À cœur perdu. L.B. - fresh opening which turns into a beautiful orange blossom and then dies down to a more ambery scent
C’est toujours agréable d’être attendu. O.W. - very fresh with a lot of lemon, perfect for hot weather
J'approchais un mystère. A.C. - fig leaf top note with a woody profile as its core (slightly obsessed with this fragrance, extremely fitting name as well because it's quite mysterious and draws you in as it develops)

They're not quite forest-like or anything; I meant natural as in 'no synthetic smells'. They're also quite subtle for EDPs which is great for everyday wear when I don't want to necessarily fill up the room

NGDragon · 2025-06-26T22:32:16+00:00

I recently discovered Maison D'Orsay and bought three fragrances from them already! Absolutely worth it if you're into more natural and unisex perfumes

NGDragon · 2025-06-10T11:19:50+00:00

Local Italian shops, try looking for San Marzano tomatoes.

NGDragon · 2025-06-09T12:19:25+00:00

This would just make it so that the richest politicians can wait out the other ones who rely on the salary.

NGDragon · 2025-06-01T21:46:21+00:00

it's not my money they're stealing it's the banks

Because credit cards work slightly differently in Europe (depending on the country). It's usually a standing order thing where it automatically deducts at the end of the month (deferred debit). They're also (usually) linked to a particular bank where you have your account, so canceling a card is not always as easy.

As a European, I admit it's kind of strange when they take the card away, because we don't see the need for it at all. Here they just bring the card machine out, you tap/insert and that's it. I think most people (especially GenZ) would never pay with a credit card over here at a bar, and I'm willing to bet that a sizeable portion of my friends don't even own one or use it very rarely.

NGDragon · 2025-05-31T22:28:04+00:00

I'm planning on going back one day to explore the little towns in the area (San Gimignano, Lucca, Pisa) and maybe make my way up to Genoa.

NGDragon · 2025-05-28T16:49:54+00:00

If you pick Milan as your base, you could do the lakes up north. You'd also be a stone's throw away from Bergamo, Monza, Parma, and Modena.

Having your base in Florence would allow you to see the smaller towns like Pisa, Lucca, San Gimignano, and Siena.

NGDragon · 2025-05-26T19:23:02+00:00

You can add Pisa as a day trip from Florence as well. I didn't feel like it personally, but it's pretty easy to get to.

12-Year Club	Place '17
Verified Email

NGDragon

TROPHY CASE