The Brown Cow | London

For some reason this amazing pub never made it onto OLBB. Probably because I went here before OLBB was founded and did unfortunately never come back until recently (because there was a lot to check out in between and I do not come in Fulham that often…) So well, just the kind of place that I love. It is an easy place. You’ll have a great ale at the bar while waiting for your brown wooden table with candles. The food is traditional pub food with some real good game dishes (the food is actually fantastic!). The interior is cozy but spacious. They have quite some tables and the pub is also open for brunch! 676 Fulham Road, London | +4420 7384 9559 | Tube; Parsons Green | £££ | Map | Website

Cafe Lennep | Amsterdam

Great place in a great city and exactly the kind of place I love. Cafe Lennep is a brown cafe with an industrial twist and reminded me a lot of New York; Brick walls, industrial lamps, wooden tables, high stools and candles. The cafe is quite spacious and they have tables outside so the place is a good option if the weather is nice. To start the evening we had a draugt beer (I choose B.Z.B… really good) and a sharing platter. Best sharing platter I had in long time. We were sitting at the bar next to the chicken grill so I obviously had to pick Poussin as my main dish… Didn’t regret that either. The Poussin was juicy and tender and so was my friends Rib-eye. On top of all this I found the staff super nice and friendly.
For the not-live-in-Amsterdam readers of our blog the restaurant is located in Oud West which has a lot of nice pubs and restaurants. Jacob van Lennepkade 334, Amsterdam | Tel: +31 20 233 5201 | Tram 1 (Jan Pieter Heijestraat/Kinkerstraat, 7, 17 (Jan Pieter Heijestraat/Overtoom) | Website

The Crown Hotel | Amersham, Buckinghamshire

A huge recommendation for anyone after a break from hectic London but wanting to avoid the hassle of a long journey and traffic jams. The Crown is a typical English country pub hotel located in the Old Town of Amersham – at the very end of the Metropolitan line (!) which means all you need is your Oyster card and about an hour from Central London to get there. The old town has a couple of really cute shops, a few great lunch spots (we loved the Grocer) and lots of opportunity to get out into the country. The reception at The Crown can help with hiking maps and trails in the area and there are also bikes available for guests. The room we stayed in was decorated by stylist Ilse Crawford – she’s been involved with Soho House’s Babbington House etc. The design was still authentic but with a contemporary cool & cosy vibe. Apparently the Courtyard Suite 101 was featured in Four Weddings and a Funeral.. There are a few places around for dinner, but you can also decide to stay at the hotel. A full on breakfast is included with your nights stay. Oh, and don’t forget your wellies! Rooms start at £165. 16 High Street, Amersham, Buckinghamshire | +44 (0)1494721541 | Website | £££

Hillgate Pub | London

A good local pub just off Notting Hill Gate, and not touristy! I have been living in Notting Hill for a couple of years now and only discovered the Hillgate this weekend. It’s a very spacious and charming pub with quite a few outdoor tables. Although I wasn’t blown away by the food, I felt I had to post about their Snug Bar which is their semi-private room for groups of 10-20 (12 max for dinner I would say). I celebrated my birthday on Saturday afternoon and really enjoyed it. Good vibe, sweet space, easy going staff and the location is super easy for all the guests (2 mins from Notting Hill tube!) 24 Hillgate Street | +4420 7727 8566 | Website | ££

Henry Public | NYC

Visited Brooklyn for the first time when I was in NY and was taken to this small bar / restaurant and just thought I needed to mention it, because even though I only stayed for a short while (like half an hour haha), it was a very nice bar!!! And we write about nice things!! I didn’t have dinner here (we went to the amazing ABC Kitchen afterwards – see other post) so I can’t comment about the food.. I still choose to write about it because it’s a great place to go before dinner. The decor is old school cool; Wooden floors and bar, seating booths, wallpapers in the back, dusty portraits on the wall, books on shelves and a ‘crisping’ fireplace. Very cozy for a chilly evening.
329 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY | +17188258630 | Underground: R to Court St; 2, 3, 4, 5 to Borough Hall |Opening hours: Mon–Thu 5pm–2am, Fri 5pm–4am, Sat noon–4am, Sun noon–2am |$$ | Website | Map

Houston Hall | NYC

My 2 favourite New Yorkers took me to this place and I absolutely loved it. It’s basically a new Beergarden style place in the middle of the West Village. It must have been an old garage before, it’s huge! In any case, they’ve made it look really cool, and it keeps me coming back for more. The vibe is easy. Everyone shares long tables with each other, and they show sports on Sunday afternoon. We enjoyed the Bloody Mary’s so much we basically finished the entire supply. I suspect it may have something to do with the little bits of cheese and olives they add to them. So good! Alternatively you could opt for GIANT beers. Foodwise, the Pot Stickers are delicious. This place is great for after dinner drinks or as an all day hangout. 222 W Houston St (between Bedford St & Varick St) | West Village | (212) 675-9323 | Website | $$

The Orange | London

One of the best places in London to go for a lazy and boozy Sunday brunch. It has a shabby chic vibe and they serve the everything you’d hope for including a perfect Sunday Roast, typical English dishes like scotch eggs, but also soups and pizza’s. Oh and I’d definitely recommend the Bloody Mary’s! Great for groups, as you can reserve long tables. But also a good option if you’re around Sloane Square and feeling hungry. They always keep tables available for walk-ins. Dinner is fun too and prices are reasonable. 37 Pimlico Road | Tube: Sloane Square | +44(0)207881 9844 | Website | ££

The Spotted Pig | NYC

Inspired by the English Gastro pub and looking actually quite a lot like an English pub you may wonder why I choose this place to have dinner in NYC.. Probably because I was with a group of 5, amongst which 3 VERY British guys and I thought they would appreciate this place… Well, they did…! I really liked this gastro pub; it’s super buzzing and cozy and they have a nice bar upstairs where you can wait for your table as they don’t take reservations. The whole place is covered in curiosities hanging on the walls (mainly all pigs…) and they created adjacent spaces which makes the restaurant less spacious but at the same time very cozy. I was told the Burger is amazing but didn’t have it as I already had a burger 4 hours earlier… Anyway, I choose to have mackerel as a starter and fish stew as main.. Both very good. 314 W 11th St  New York (on the corner of Greenwich St.| Underground; Christopher St – Sheridan Sq | +12126200393 | $$$ | Map | Website

Troubadour the Cafe

I haven’t been to this place for about 3 years but I used to go here a lot. I guess I moved house and there were too many new places to check out. However, I always loved this place. It has a really funky decor and is cozy at the same time. There are hanging all sorts of fun vintage objects on the walls and ceiling and they have happy hour every evening from 4.30pm until 7.30 (2 for 1 cocktails). In the warmer months they also have a garden for which they don’t take reservations. This place is also nice for a cup of coffee during the day or breakfast! They are open from 9am to midnight…  263-7 Old Brompton Road | Tube: West Brompton or Earl’s Court | +4402073701434 | £££ | Website

Polpetto

In the past couple weeks I have visited all sister restaurants of this place already. So I thought; why not go here to finish what I started?
This tiny, cozy restaurant is located above a traditional English pub in Soho called The French House. Just like Polpo and Spuntino, you can’t make a reservation but I think it’s worth the 45 minute wait. You can pop down to the pub and have a few beers while you wait.  They make a note of your phone number and text you when your table is ready so you can also go for a stroll in this buzzing area.
The menu consists of small dishes just like the other two restaurants. I didn’t realy like the beetroot pizza, but all other dishes I ordered where fun, simple, original and delicious. 49 Dean Street, Soho, London  | £££ | +4420 7734 1969 | website