A few days ago we returned from our honeymoon. We had some amazing experiences, a lot of great meals and a few disappointments. In this post I’ll focus on our favorite experiences:
**DiverXO ***** – **Madrid**. It´s hard to choose my favorite 3 star from the trip, for me DiverXO and Jorndaer were a level above any 3 stars we’ve ever been. I might give DiverXO a slight edge for its unique and interesting flavor profiles. Almost every dish was delicious, potent flavors and different textures. Desserts weren’t bad but not on the same level of the savory courses, at the end the petit fours did deliver a great finale, these petit may have been only surpassed by Frantzén’s.
Daviz wasn’t there or didn’t come out to the tables. Bryan, our somm, was amazing and so was the rest of the team, warm, joyful and attentive. This was the last meal of our honeymoon, literally before going to the airport, and couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
We drank two 2 amazing champagne bottles (recommended by Bryan) a 2020 Elise Bougy ‘Les Coullemets’ Grand Cru for 210 and a 2012, Benoit Marguet, “Sapiece” for 420 and 3 extra (white, red and sweet) glasses (each) for the last courses.
Food was 900€ for 2 and the 2 bottles + extra glasses were 880€. Total for two 1,780
**Jordnær***** – **Copenhaguen** I might give DiverXO the edge for its uniqueness or because the flavor profiles were refreshing and to our absolute liking but Jordnær was pure perfection, the first bites were the best amuse course we’ve ever had, the 2 following courses were delicate and subtle and rest of the meal was perfectly balanced, amazing produce with absolutely gorgeous plating (had to refrain from filling this post with their courses). Eric wasn’t there but Tina was delightful, as so was the rest of the team!
We started the meal with two good glasses of champagne, a Pierre Paillard Les Parcelles which was around 45€ and a glass of Marie Courtin Presence for 65€ and followed by 2 great bottles of champagne, Gabriel’s recommendations within our budget was a Dhondt-Grellet Grand Cru Cramant, Blanc de Blancs for 270€ and a lovely 2015 Benoit Lahaye Grand Cru Extra Brut Millesime for something similar. Finished with a couple of sweet wines for desserts, one of them made one of the best dessert pairings we’ve ever had, maybe tied with of Jordi/Josep Roca dessert pairings, this pairing is currently served with one of their pairings.
**Lido84* – Garda** Probably my favorite meal of the trip. The hospitality we received here was unbelievable, gorgeous location and some of the best pastas we’ve tried on our trip. We went 2 times, one for dinner and one for lunch. For dinner we had the menu “FLUCTUATIONS A Surprise” and for lunch Menu 4 e ½, the first one offered more courses and the latter fewer courses with more substantial plates, both were amazing but the lunch was our favorite and offered a better pace in our opinion.
Niko, the sommelier, is such a cool dude. He recommended a cpuple amazing and affordable Franciacortas, a 2019 Castello Bonomi Cru Perdu for like 60€ and Trait d’Union Il Pendio for 70€, with some great glasses of Barolo 2019 di Luigi Oddero. Chiara and Andrea were also amazing. For dinner we went with the longer menu + the cacio e pepe so it was 400€ for two and with the alcohol the bill ended up being a bit over 500€, and for the lunch (+ the cacio’s again) the total bill came under 500€ for two. This is the level of fine dining I enjoy the most.
Lido84 feels like a restaurant where the staff and owners really seem happy to be here that carries over to the service and food. Much love to Giancarlo and Riccardo, we really appreciate what they’ve created here.
legionpichon
**Part 2**
**Hisa Franko***** – **Kobarid** I came with the standard expectations of a 3 star and was greatly surprised, food was at the level one expects from a 3 star but most of the courses felt comforting and homey, first time had something like this. The drive there was lovely, as our stay at their hotel, I really enjoy staying for the night whenever it’s possible, it gets us in such a good, relaxed mood and helps us enjoy the experience even more. Ana Ros wasn’t present but the kitchen was still on point, and the pacing of the meal was absolutely perfect for us, there was never a moment when it felt rushed or dragging.
We ordered 1 traditional wine pairing and 1 bottle of Les Fortes Terres 2018 from Moussé at a pretty decent 160€, I really like the price/quality Moussé brings to the table and loved the champagne but my wife and I agree that the pairing was definitely the better choice here, her glass was topped up a couple of times (once when she asked for more). Service was warm and even though the food at some other 3 stars we tried may have been better, I can’t shake the feeling that Hisa Franko is on my top 3 *** meals. The breakfast included in our stay was lovely. Would gladly return.
**Frantzén*** – Stockholm** Not much to add here, this sub loves Frantzén and now we partake on that sentiment. Some of the tastiest courses we’ve ever had in our lives, cozy concept and the warmest service. It’s hard to think of tastier food than this. Lisa de GM was amazing! So was Magdalena. Maybe the best service we’ve had at a 3 star.
We began the meal with two glasses of champagne a 2020 Georges Remy Blanc de Noirs for like 45€ and Jacques Selosse Initial for like 85€, both were topped during the amuses :). For the lunch we ordered 2 bottles of champagne, I asked for one Les 7 by Laherte Freres and Tobias our somm recommended a lovely Oudiette Rosé d’Infusion which paired amazing with the second part of our meal. We liked the king crab course so much that we asked our waitress if my wife could repeat, she gladly asked the kitchen but they couldn’t as food was extremely limited and apologized (which of course wasn’t needed) for not being able to accommodate our request
Near the end my wife asked for a sweet wine and Tobias gave us the best sweet wine we’ve ever tried, a Keller 2014 Nierstein Hipping Riesling Auslese, we had 2 glasses each. In the end the damage came to a bit under 2,000€ for the two of us, and it was well worth it. While I liked food at Jordnær a bit better my wife preferred Frantzén, no reason to fight, both are one of the tastiest 3 stars we’ve tried.
legionpichon
**Part 3**
**Podere Belvedere** **– Tuscany** Easily the most interesting meal of our honeymoon. Thanks to u/FunkyAmarant and Italia Squisita for this one. A 40 minute drive from Florence, tucked in a somewhat remote location, Podere Belvedere’s location is beautiful and peaceful, you can stay for the night but we already a full itinerary and couldn’t do it.
One can feel the passion that Edoardo Tilli emanates. This was more than a lunch, it felt like we partook in ritual beautifully crafted by Edoardo. If you are adventurous, I can’t recommend Podere Belvedere enough, it was magical.
We drank a Savignola Paolina Ora Chianti Classico which paired perfectly and finished with some glasses of Chianti Rufina Riserva 2019. The final bill came under 500€ for two. A Michelin star is missing here.
**L’Antidoto** I may have have listed L’Antidoto at the bottom here but make no mistake, Mirko Pelosi is Capo #1, we really fell in love with Mirko’s cuisine and style. I believe he’s been cooking at the wine bar L’Antidoto for a bit more than a year now, casual place with a few tall tables but Mirko is a magician, he runs the kitchen with the help of one other cook, he likes the thrill and and intensity of it.
After one month in Italy Mirko’s food was really refreshing. He works with amazing local produce, his cooking is bold, used different textures with the perfect amount of acidity and umami. Before our dinner ended, we knew we had to come back so I pulled the phone and grabbed the last table available for our last day in Rome.
We had 2 bottles of natural wine and enough food for 4 people, the bill for two came under 250€, as steal is you ask me.
On our 2 month trip these meals were the ones that stood out the most so I put them in a category of their own. We’re grateful to have experienced them all.
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWVWVW
Nice pictures. What camera?
abirdnamedturkey
Wow! What a dreamy, delicious honeymoon.
AloneFunny5516
How did you make all the reservations ? Was it quite easy or you had to try multiple time ?
Mysterious_Scene7169
Beautiful photos and reviews! Now I’m curious what the disappointments were.
FoolishDancer
Thank you for sharing all this! What a wonderful honeymoon!
r3097934
Great shots btw!
Ashamed_Fig4922
What a gorgeous selection, ma boy! Bravissimo.
I also adore you went for a good mix of more iconic places and lesser known gems. Love Lido 84!
rzrike
Great photography, and I love a restaurant comparison post (which is often much more informative than hearing about a restaurant in a vacuum). Also appreciate you including meal prices!
11 Comments
**Part 1**
A few days ago we returned from our honeymoon. We had some amazing experiences, a lot of great meals and a few disappointments. In this post I’ll focus on our favorite experiences:
**DiverXO ***** – **Madrid**. It´s hard to choose my favorite 3 star from the trip, for me DiverXO and Jorndaer were a level above any 3 stars we’ve ever been. I might give DiverXO a slight edge for its unique and interesting flavor profiles. Almost every dish was delicious, potent flavors and different textures. Desserts weren’t bad but not on the same level of the savory courses, at the end the petit fours did deliver a great finale, these petit may have been only surpassed by Frantzén’s.
Daviz wasn’t there or didn’t come out to the tables. Bryan, our somm, was amazing and so was the rest of the team, warm, joyful and attentive. This was the last meal of our honeymoon, literally before going to the airport, and couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
We drank two 2 amazing champagne bottles (recommended by Bryan) a 2020 Elise Bougy ‘Les Coullemets’ Grand Cru for 210 and a 2012, Benoit Marguet, “Sapiece” for 420 and 3 extra (white, red and sweet) glasses (each) for the last courses.
Food was 900€ for 2 and the 2 bottles + extra glasses were 880€. Total for two 1,780
**Jordnær***** – **Copenhaguen** I might give DiverXO the edge for its uniqueness or because the flavor profiles were refreshing and to our absolute liking but Jordnær was pure perfection, the first bites were the best amuse course we’ve ever had, the 2 following courses were delicate and subtle and rest of the meal was perfectly balanced, amazing produce with absolutely gorgeous plating (had to refrain from filling this post with their courses). Eric wasn’t there but Tina was delightful, as so was the rest of the team!
We started the meal with two good glasses of champagne, a Pierre Paillard Les Parcelles which was around 45€ and a glass of Marie Courtin Presence for 65€ and followed by 2 great bottles of champagne, Gabriel’s recommendations within our budget was a Dhondt-Grellet Grand Cru Cramant, Blanc de Blancs for 270€ and a lovely 2015 Benoit Lahaye Grand Cru Extra Brut Millesime for something similar. Finished with a couple of sweet wines for desserts, one of them made one of the best dessert pairings we’ve ever had, maybe tied with of Jordi/Josep Roca dessert pairings, this pairing is currently served with one of their pairings.
**Lido84* – Garda** Probably my favorite meal of the trip. The hospitality we received here was unbelievable, gorgeous location and some of the best pastas we’ve tried on our trip. We went 2 times, one for dinner and one for lunch. For dinner we had the menu “FLUCTUATIONS A Surprise” and for lunch Menu 4 e ½, the first one offered more courses and the latter fewer courses with more substantial plates, both were amazing but the lunch was our favorite and offered a better pace in our opinion.
Niko, the sommelier, is such a cool dude. He recommended a cpuple amazing and affordable Franciacortas, a 2019 Castello Bonomi Cru Perdu for like 60€ and Trait d’Union Il Pendio for 70€, with some great glasses of Barolo 2019 di Luigi Oddero. Chiara and Andrea were also amazing. For dinner we went with the longer menu + the cacio e pepe so it was 400€ for two and with the alcohol the bill ended up being a bit over 500€, and for the lunch (+ the cacio’s again) the total bill came under 500€ for two. This is the level of fine dining I enjoy the most.
Lido84 feels like a restaurant where the staff and owners really seem happy to be here that carries over to the service and food. Much love to Giancarlo and Riccardo, we really appreciate what they’ve created here.
**Part 2**
**Hisa Franko***** – **Kobarid** I came with the standard expectations of a 3 star and was greatly surprised, food was at the level one expects from a 3 star but most of the courses felt comforting and homey, first time had something like this. The drive there was lovely, as our stay at their hotel, I really enjoy staying for the night whenever it’s possible, it gets us in such a good, relaxed mood and helps us enjoy the experience even more. Ana Ros wasn’t present but the kitchen was still on point, and the pacing of the meal was absolutely perfect for us, there was never a moment when it felt rushed or dragging.
We ordered 1 traditional wine pairing and 1 bottle of Les Fortes Terres 2018 from Moussé at a pretty decent 160€, I really like the price/quality Moussé brings to the table and loved the champagne but my wife and I agree that the pairing was definitely the better choice here, her glass was topped up a couple of times (once when she asked for more). Service was warm and even though the food at some other 3 stars we tried may have been better, I can’t shake the feeling that Hisa Franko is on my top 3 *** meals. The breakfast included in our stay was lovely. Would gladly return.
**Frantzén*** – Stockholm** Not much to add here, this sub loves Frantzén and now we partake on that sentiment. Some of the tastiest courses we’ve ever had in our lives, cozy concept and the warmest service. It’s hard to think of tastier food than this. Lisa de GM was amazing! So was Magdalena. Maybe the best service we’ve had at a 3 star.
We began the meal with two glasses of champagne a 2020 Georges Remy Blanc de Noirs for like 45€ and Jacques Selosse Initial for like 85€, both were topped during the amuses :). For the lunch we ordered 2 bottles of champagne, I asked for one Les 7 by Laherte Freres and Tobias our somm recommended a lovely Oudiette Rosé d’Infusion which paired amazing with the second part of our meal. We liked the king crab course so much that we asked our waitress if my wife could repeat, she gladly asked the kitchen but they couldn’t as food was extremely limited and apologized (which of course wasn’t needed) for not being able to accommodate our request
Near the end my wife asked for a sweet wine and Tobias gave us the best sweet wine we’ve ever tried, a Keller 2014 Nierstein Hipping Riesling Auslese, we had 2 glasses each. In the end the damage came to a bit under 2,000€ for the two of us, and it was well worth it. While I liked food at Jordnær a bit better my wife preferred Frantzén, no reason to fight, both are one of the tastiest 3 stars we’ve tried.
**Part 3**
**Podere Belvedere** **– Tuscany** Easily the most interesting meal of our honeymoon. Thanks to u/FunkyAmarant and Italia Squisita for this one. A 40 minute drive from Florence, tucked in a somewhat remote location, Podere Belvedere’s location is beautiful and peaceful, you can stay for the night but we already a full itinerary and couldn’t do it.
One can feel the passion that Edoardo Tilli emanates. This was more than a lunch, it felt like we partook in ritual beautifully crafted by Edoardo. If you are adventurous, I can’t recommend Podere Belvedere enough, it was magical.
We drank a Savignola Paolina Ora Chianti Classico which paired perfectly and finished with some glasses of Chianti Rufina Riserva 2019. The final bill came under 500€ for two. A Michelin star is missing here.
**L’Antidoto** I may have have listed L’Antidoto at the bottom here but make no mistake, Mirko Pelosi is Capo #1, we really fell in love with Mirko’s cuisine and style. I believe he’s been cooking at the wine bar L’Antidoto for a bit more than a year now, casual place with a few tall tables but Mirko is a magician, he runs the kitchen with the help of one other cook, he likes the thrill and and intensity of it.
After one month in Italy Mirko’s food was really refreshing. He works with amazing local produce, his cooking is bold, used different textures with the perfect amount of acidity and umami. Before our dinner ended, we knew we had to come back so I pulled the phone and grabbed the last table available for our last day in Rome.
We had 2 bottles of natural wine and enough food for 4 people, the bill for two came under 250€, as steal is you ask me.
On our 2 month trip these meals were the ones that stood out the most so I put them in a category of their own. We’re grateful to have experienced them all.
Nice pictures. What camera?
Wow! What a dreamy, delicious honeymoon.
How did you make all the reservations ? Was it quite easy or you had to try multiple time ?
Beautiful photos and reviews! Now I’m curious what the disappointments were.
Thank you for sharing all this! What a wonderful honeymoon!
Great shots btw!
What a gorgeous selection, ma boy! Bravissimo.
I also adore you went for a good mix of more iconic places and lesser known gems. Love Lido 84!
Great photography, and I love a restaurant comparison post (which is often much more informative than hearing about a restaurant in a vacuum). Also appreciate you including meal prices!