BAR BOULUD
You’ll notice the new restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel has a New York feel and that’s because it was first conceived for the Big Apple by French chef Daniel Boulud. But it ended up in London after Boulud’s almost three decades of living in the great American metropolis where he was awarded three Michelin stars. In the British capital he serves his signature French dishes accompanied by an excellent list of French wines.

THE MOUNT STREET DELI
A strong contender for the title of best Italian coffee in town, the Mount Street Deli is a new destination for any time of the day. It’s perfect for breakfast early in the morning, for people-watching in the afternoon, and to pick up something to eat later on (there are daily specials, salads and sandwiches). The coffee beans come from a family in the coffee business since the 1940s, and coffee lovers will tell you there is a unique taste to it.

SOLANGE AZAGURY-PARTRIDGE
It has shops in New York, Los Angeles, Singapore, and now it has a new address in London’s New Bond Street. The fine jewelry of Solange Azagury-Partridge is on display under a signature mirror ball and around other features designed by the jeweler.

SKITSCH
London’s first Skitsch showroom brings together original high-end design by over 30 world-renowned designers. The new space looks and feels like a gallery which together with its own collection also presents pieces from other contemporary design brands.

ACNE
The new London boutique of Swedish fashion brand Acne is much more than a shop, it’s also a true gallery filled with art. Next to the label’s denim collection are murals, drawings and sculpture by international artists which together create the retailer’s largest store in the world.

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CARETTE
25 Place des Vosges
Carette is a legendary patisserie and it recently opened a second home in the urban wonder that is the Place des Vosges. Fashion designer Givenchy’s newphew, Hubert de Givenchy, designed the new space, mixing Art Deco and Louis XIII details. It’s a classically elegant space, although most choose the tables placed outside facing the square. Indoors or on the terrace you can enjoy the chef’s signature club sandwich or simply have coffee or tea in true Parisian style.

HUGO & VICTOR
40 Boulevard Raspail
If Carette gets you in the mood to try other local patisseries, look for the new Hugo & Victor, a luxurious space for mouth-watering cakes and chocolates. They’re created by Hugo Pouget who has worked with Michelin-starred chef Guy Savoy, mixing a variety of flavors which change every season. Also of note is a curious wine selection to go with the pastries.

LA PÂTISSERIE DES RÊVES
111 Rue de Longchamp
The third patisserie on your list should be the new Pâtisserie des Rêves, a second branch to continue to offer the chef’s creative interpretations of classic French pastries. To accompany them there is a great selection of freshly squeezed juices, and you can try them all inside or at the small terrace.

KONG
1 Rue du Pont Neuf
We already recommend it in our Paris Restaurant Guide, but this 7-year-old bar and restaurant is hot again, thanks to a new terrace for summer 2010. Designed by Philippe Starck, it features paintings by Luis Urculo next to Louis XVI furniture around which you can dine, drink, and spend the night in the open air.

B&B ITALIA
35 Rue du Bac
Contemporary design has a new home in Paris via Italy. This new store on the Left Bank offers pieces by Antonio Citterio and Gaetano Pesce among other Italian designers, displayed on three floors. Although everything is from Italy, a French touch was given in the space’s design by Jean-Marie Massaud.

SLOTT GALLERY
12 Rue du Chateau Landon
More design is found at this new gallery, opened to become a creative think-tank in the city, where artists meet and work on new projects. The first exhibition opened last December and it’s now the new place to look for out-of-the-ordinary creations by emerging talent.

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BRASSERIE ROSSIO GOURMET
The just-opened Altis Avenida Hotel faces two of the city’s main squares, so naturally the top floor was reserved for the restaurant in order to serve fabulous views along with fabulous food. Just like in the hotel rooms, the décor of the restaurant is contemporary but slightly inspired in the 1940s, the decade of the building’s original construction. On the menu you have a selection of classic French dishes under the direction of Michelin-starred chef José Cordeiro, and you can enjoy them on the terrace when the sun is out, bringing you even closer to the views.

FLOWER POWER FOOD
One of Lisbon’s coolest flower shops, one you can always trust for the most special flower arrangements for someone special or a special event, is now also a café. Of course the café space is decorated with plants for a fresh and relaxed ambience, all very laid-back and perfect for a light meal. You can choose a dish of the day, salads, or sandwiches, all for less than 10 euros, or go for just a glass of wine accompanied by Portuguese cheeses. A small area with gourmet products allows you to take the finest ingredients to cook at home.

LARGO
An inexpensive meal at Flower Power Food allows you to save to splurge at the new Largo Restaurant. It’s found right by the city’s opera house, with an interior by Miguel Câncio Martins, the Portuguese designer who created the interior of Paris’ Buddha Bar. The owner is Miguel Castro e Silva, one of Portugal’s most acclaimed chefs, here presenting a menu of contemporary Portuguese and international cuisine. The prices are not the cheapest in the city, but the top quality of the food and the sophistication of the space and service certainly justify them.

MANIFESTO
Another star chef with a new restaurant is Luis Baena, a talent developed next to some of the world’s biggest culinary names such as Paul Bocuse. His restaurant is in the Santos Design District and has a fitting interior revealing a stylish pop/Warholian look. The creative menu is whatever the chef is inspired to prepare, but always blending his Portuguese and international know-how.

PORTAS DO SOL CAFÉ
One of Lisbon’s most beautiful viewpoints is now even more attractive since the opening of Portas do Sol Café. It’s on the terrace of the same name and serves light meals to the beat of a cool, chill-out soundtrack during the day, and drinks to the sounds of live DJs on Friday and Saturday nights. But here’s a warning: the views and ambience will make it hard to leave.

ROSSIO WINE BAR
End your day with a glass of Portuguese wine as you overlook the bustling Rossio Square from the windows of this new bar inside the renovated Internacional Design Hotel. Or you may choose a cocktail instead, either before or after dinner, as the hotel’s restaurant is right on the other side of the room. The menu spans all continents and uses organic products.

TEASE
The coolest shopping street of Lisbon’s Bairro Alto district now has an equally cool café for you to take a break. The big “tease” here are the cupcakes, which are irresistible as soon as you set your eyes on them. In a city so rich in pastries, cupcakes are only now becoming popular, and that’s in no small part thanks to the “Sex and the City” series. The interior is small but decorated in such a glamorous pink/red-hot style that Carrie Bradshaw would certainly approve. Whether or not “Tease” achieves the success of New York’s “Magnolia” with long lines at the door only time will tell, but considering that one of the owners is also behind one of the city’s hottest cocktail bars (Cinco Lounge, recommended in UCityGuides’ Lisbon bars guide), you can say this has a recipe for success.

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Valentine’s Day may be over but that doesn’t mean the gift of chocolate to someone you love or to yourself should have to wait another year. In London you can have a sweet day every day at the new William Curley patisserie in the Belgravia neighborhood. Curley is an award-winning chocolatier and this is his second shop offering his signature chocolates, cakes, and biscuits. There is also space for a “dessert bar” where you can watch the contemporary desserts be made in front of you.
But before you start thinking this is just a place for after a meal or an afternoon off your diet, note that it also serves mouth-watering breakfasts complete with pancakes and — what else?! — hot chocolate.
Where: 198 Ebury Street, London
Phone: (+44) 20 7730 5522

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Usually museum or gallery cafés serve as places for refreshments or a light meal after a visit to the exhibitions.  They are in most cases a complement to the art experience and not destinations in themselves.
However, Saatchi Gallery in London is an exception. Its annex, Gallery Mess, now offers a café, restaurant, and bar open throughout the day while also being an exhibition space itself. It’s used for the works of artists featured on the gallery’s website which can be admired as visitors savor equally artfully-presented food.
The menu is the responsability of one of the country’s best event caterers and there is something different for breakfast, a light lunch, and dinner.  Only fresh seasonal ingredients are used in the daily specials, and you may have them inside or at the outdoor tables.

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Instead of announcing something new as this blog usually does, today we’re highlighting one of Tel Aviv’s best cafés not yet part of our Tel Aviv city guide. It’s a French and Austrian-inspired patisserie offering mouth-watering cakes, hand-made chocolates, and savory pastries using top quality ingredients in their recipes brought straight from France by the chef. His name is Alon Goldman and although he was born and raised in Israel, he lived in France for six years where he studied at a pastry school in Paris and worked in the pastry teams of Michelin-starred restaurants. Before his return to his home country, he also spent a year in New York as head pastry chef of “Taboon” restaurant, only to finally be back in Israel to fulfill his dream of opening his own pastry shop.
Mazzarine first opened in 2005 but has since then branched into a couple of locations which you should check out when you’re in Tel Aviv, whether you’re looking for a special breakfast or a light meal. The branch at Montefiore Street (at number 42) is especially attractive, thanks to its delightful courtyard.

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