Eckbert Zwo

Not long after moving here, we discovered Eckbert, a humble, unassuming restaurant then located on the corner of Maybachufer and Bürknerstraße in Kreuzberg.  Strolling past on a chilly autumn night, we were drawn in by the simple but cosy candlelit interior. Inside, the welcome was just as warm as the ambience, and while the food itself was at the time pleasantly exotic and unfamiliar, there was something about the warmness of that place and the friendliness of the staff that made me feel instantly at home.

The traditional German food is, admittedly, comforting too. Vegetarians are catered for in the form of Pfannkuchen, a German version of pizza, but much healthier, with a thin, crispy base and creme fraiche topping and a choice of other accompaniments such as leek or apple.  The stars of the show, though, are the spectacular meat dishes, such as the organic beef goulash and bio bratwurst. Seasonal specialities are also well covered: watch out especially for entire menus dedicated to asparagus (late spring) or Pfifferlinge (chantarelle) mushrooms (mid-summer) creatively served in every culinary form imaginable.

My favourite item on the menu by far is their homemade Serviettenknödel.

Serviettenknoedel image Copyright: "Takeaway"

 A type of traditional German dumpling made using breadcrumbs that are twisted into a napkin (Servietten) with herbs and spices and then boiled before being baked or fried. Served with a rich Jäger or creamy mushroom sauce with or without meat, this dish is heaven on a plate at any time of year.

Eckbert moved to Görlitzerstrasse 53 two years ago to a larger but no less gemütlich venue and remains, for me, a trusty old friend who never disappoints.

Written by local Berlin resident Natalie Holmes

Amsterdam Fashion Week

Are you a fashion victim? Do you know something about Dutch designers?
If the answer is no, then I suggest you come to Amsterdam during fashion week. You do not need to be a journalist or a VIP to get in touch with the new local trends and find some accessible shopping opportunities. Fortunately ‘Amsterdam Fashion Week’ allows all kinds of people to discover more about the fashion scene in Holland. Take a look at the website http://www.aifw.nl/ and look at the Downtown programme and chose which things you are interested in and you can go around the city and discover fashion exhibitions, pop up stores, photography shows and much more. I was able to discover some really nice shopping places and some great new designers too.

Wardrobe#1

What I liked most was the Wardrobe#01 concepts tore. When you enter the shop (before 31st January) at the Magna Plaza mall on the 2nd floor,  you see a sophisticated place with a lot of different choices from Dutch designers collection and a lot of talent around you. The store is owned by the brand Melangetrois.: 2 young female designers with a passion for simplicity with a keen eye for detail! The concept behind is to recreate the perfect wardrobe for a woman: accessories, jeans, coats, shirts, bags. Everything a woman should have in her closet! I loved the idea and I loved the way it was developed. There are many labels exposed and you will have the chance to discover the new talents on the Dutch scene. Have a look at www.fashionnl.com to discover more about the brands.

Shop of Cool

What I found especially exciting was the Mini Shopping Centre of Cool: this small store in the Amstel area, hosted a really original exhibition of illustrations by artist Annebel Evers: through her particular eye, she reproduced her vision of the most famous designers in the world: Armani, Fendi , Chanel and  many more.

Another highlight for me was the exhibition of jewellery by Johanneke van Helden. You can see her 3D vision in her necklaces and you will remain astonished by the beautiful detail and the originality of shapes.

Shop of Cool

Check out http://www.minishoppingcenterofcool.nl/ and you can get more information about the shop and its concept and the artists. Have fun during the next Amsterdam Fashion week and discover for yourself this wonderful world of Dutch designers!

Written by : Fabrizia Sbrega

The Darling - Vintage Shop Amsterdam

If you are in Amsterdam and you want to avoid the most commercial places when shopping, the place to be is: The 9 streets. ( De Nagen straatjes). Lose yourself in the delightful and peaceful small and narrow routes spreading between Prinsengracht and Herengracht and you will find yourself in a trendy neighbourhood where you can not only enjoy unique fashion pieces but also interior designer stores, restaurants, cafés and much more.

One of my favourite shops is The Darling. It is a vintage shop where you can find nice clothes and some quirky necklaces and bracelets. The space is divided in to 2 floors: as soon as you enter you will find the clothes and accessories collection but if you go the first floor you will have the chance to enjoy a cup or three of coffee or a delicious cupcake and mouthwatering Macaroons.

If you are a vintage lover, I am sure you will also find time to enter Zipper. This store has a huge collection of all kinds of vintage accessories and clothes and you can smell something really authentic. You can find items of the 50′s, 60′s, 70′s and 80′s and some of them are from big brands such as Nike, Levi’s, Adidas. The shop is very colourful and you can feel a good vibe when you enter.

The Pompadore - Vintage Shop Amsterdam

My suggestion is to walk around the 9 streets and discover off the beaten track areas where you’ll find some eccentric shops & beautiful restaurants. You will enjoy visiting the Gamekeeper, an expert in all kinds of games from all over the world. Your kids will love it. If you walk a bit you can observe an explosion of colours in the E.Kramer window, a candles store of all shapes!

If you are exhausted and you want to take a break and you are a pastry fan, take a seat in the luxurious Patisserie Pompadour. The interior design is from the 18th century and it is the perfect frame to this delicious and elegant tearoom. Find your favourite tart or pastry and enjoy the beauty of the place. Get lost in these streets and you will not regret it!.

Article & Photos by : Fabrizia Sbrega

Having lived in Berlin for the last three festivals, I can vouch for the accessibility of the event.  While some of the premieres are predictably tough to get in to, there are plenty of opportunities to catch some excellent films, both newcomers and old classics.

Berlinale/Photographer: Peter Kreibich/ Copyright: Berlinale

The festival shows about 400 films each year and is comprised of various sections. The Competition is the main event for international premiers, and Panorama focuses on new indie and art house releases. Perspektive Deutsches Kino is a section dedicated to emerging homegrown talent, and Generation showcases productions for younger audiences.  The Forum is for more avant-garde entries; Berlinale Shorts features a great range of experimental short films.  Berlinale always delivers excellent material in the fringe Retrospective category, tickets for which are some of the easiest to come by.

In addition, foodie film fans would do well to keep an eye on the Culinary Cinema section, as Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick explains: “We show films that stimulate the appetite. Afterwards, we serve food prepared by top chefs who have been watching the films themselves. During dessert, there is a talk about the issues the film raised. In the late screenings, by contrast, we often show films that rather spoil one’s appetite as they look closely at the often disastrous state of food production.” Clearly one for anyone interested in sustainability and the environment, too.

The Homage section this year is dedicated to the luminous Meryl Streep, and audiences will be treated to a cross section of her work from 1979’s Kramer Vs. Kramer to recently released and critically acclaimed The Iron Lady.

Tickets can be purchased online or at participating venues, usually at the beginning of February, so watch this space.

Written by Natalie Holmes

Arguably, this is an event that could only have emerged in Berlin, a city whose musical and artistic legacies are as unique as they are profound.

Realigning My Thoughts On Jasper Johns by JK Keller (Transmediale)

Entitled In/compatible, Transmediale 2012 is themed around “investigating the productive and destructive sides of incompatibility as a fundamental condition for cultural production in times of crisis.” In an era of flux, the programme rejects a return to ‘business as usual’, incorporating, for example, discussions entitled Isolation and Empowerment after Web 2.0, Crashed Economy: Debugging and Rebooting, and Porn, Patriotism and Paranoia on the Chinese Internet.

The exhibition vernissage is called Dark Drives: Uneasy Energies in Technological Times. Reflecting on the darker side of our ‘technologised’ lives, curator Jacob Lillemose features work from a range of artists including William S. Burroughs, Chris Cunningham and Aphex Twin, Art 404, and JK Keller.

Another highlight is the Joshua Light Show, a groundbreaking, psychedelic liquid light show, resident at New York’s famous Fillmore East in the late sixties and early seventies. The light show provided backing for legendary performers of the time, including Frank Zappa, Janis Joplin, The Doors, and Jimi Hendrix. The Joshua Light Show has enjoyed a revival of late, sparking renewed interest, mainly within the art world. Their renewed luminous spectacular will be accompanied by Supersilent on Wednesday 1st February, Oneohtrix Point Never on the Friday and Manuel Göttsching on the Saturday.

The theme for CTM this year is ‘spectral’, and aims to “explore the current reemergence of all things ghostly and dark in experimental music, avant-pop, and art.”  In addition to collaborative projects at the HKW, CTM will be hosting a comprehensive music programme at some of the city’s top venues, including Berghain, Horst, Kater Holzig and HAU.

With creative collaborations spread across the city like a spider web, a new pre-festival partner programme, Vorspiel, will be taking place on 26th to 29th January, the weekend before Transmediale and CTM.  The project provides an exciting insight into independent art, music, and media spaces throughout Berlin, including Ghosts Off the Shelf, an intriguing exhibit by curator and architect Thibaut de Ruyter at Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Bethanien.

Prices for the festivals vary depending on how many events you want to attend. Full ticketing options are available at http://www.ctm-festival.de/ctm-festival/tickets.html and http://www.transmediale.de/festival/tickets

We have 1 x 2 tickets to give away to see Joshua Light Show support Neothrix Point Never in Berlin on Feb 3rd. Email: win@be-my-guest.com.

Written by local resident Natalie Holmes

Bread & Butter fashion trade show in Templehof Airport

The theme is High Fidelity, inspired by the aim of constant improvement, and this year they are turning the volume up to 11 to celebrate “Ten great years of maximum fun and profit: outstanding brands, creative presentations, astonishing art and business concepts, the most unique and inspiring venues, breath-taking music acts and thrilling nights, and service on the highest level.” – B&B organisers.

The organisers’ eye for brands along with a canny selectivity makes this a sought-after event for businesses and consumers alike, and has solidified their reputation as one of the most important occasions on the fashion calendar. Back at the immense Tempelhof airport – its home since 2009 – the show fill feature hundreds of brands and designers from across the world in categories from Sport & Street to Style Society.

Written by Natalie Holmes

New Years Eve 2011 Berlin - Hyun Lee - Flickr

If your idea of excitement involves less risk but equal exhilaration, there are plenty of organised pyrotechnic displays; the most popular and iconic of which will be at the Brandenburg Gate. Whatever floats your boat, New Year in Berlin should be spent outside on the street. Most of the clubs don’t open until 1am and – in typical Berlin fashion – will continue through until the last person leaves.

Clubbing is, of course, only one of a huge variety of New Year events. The local phrase for Happy New Year is Guten Rutch, or ‘good slide’. Here are some of our festive picks across the board to ensure your slide from 2011 into 2012 is suitably smooth:

The Berlin Philharmonic
Sir Simon Rattle conducts this immensely popular concert, which starts at 5:30pm with an introductory presentation. Tickets cost between €70 and €220 and are available from the box office in person or by calling 0049 30254 88999 (sold out online).

Smile in 2012 at Prince Charles
One of Berlin’s newest, hippest joints, Prince Charles is a former swimming pool turned quadratic emporium of cool where Berlin stalwarts Made to Play records will provide the main attractions. Round Table Knights and Oliver $ are joined by a quality line-up as long as your arm, ensuring the €25 entry is money well spent. For some pre-club dinner close by, try Max und Moritz, a traditional restaurant serving Berlin specialities old and new.

Hippie New Year at Ritter Butzke
Headliners Frivolous and Stimming will both be playing live at this immense venue, a converted factory and low-key alternative to celebrated Berlin powerhouse, Berghain. Start the night as you mean to go on at nearby Admiralbrücke for a midnight congregation and street party with famously frivolous fireworks.

Berlin’s largest indoor party at the Culture Brewery
If you, like many others, find the pressure of organising New Year occasions too much, there’s a selection of packages that include the lot so you can focus on enjoying the evening. Prenzlauer-Berg’s Kulturbrauerie is an old converted brewery, now encompassing a range of separate indoor and outdoor venues. The annual extravaganza will feature 30 live bands and DJs over 15 locations and a spectacular firework display at midnight. Tickets cost from €29 from any of the participating venues or the box office on 0049 30443 1551, and there is also an additional all-inclusive meal option at Palais.

Wunderkammer at the Chameleon Theatre
Australia’s answer to Cirque de Soleil has received rave reviews, leaving audiences awestruck by both the original curation and world-class performances. The afternoon performance, which begins at 4pm on New Year’s Eve, still has spaces left (from €42 per ticket) and is the perfect way for families and groups of friends alike to start the celebrations. Prepare to be blown away long before the first firework fuse is lit.

Written by local resident Natalie Holmes

Inside & Out You have just spent a great few days in Edinburgh, have arrived at the airport early, and its been one of those lucky days when you wiz through check in and customs. Why not kill some time Inside & Out, a convenient little beauty salon located in the waiting lounge of Edinburgh Airport. Enjoy a quick manicure (15 minutes) or an express pedicure (30 minutes) and get away from travelling induced stress for a while. Inside & Out also have a salon at Haymarket station – just in case you desperately need a massage before a long train ride.

Chamomile has been voted beauty salon of 2011 by the Scottish health & beauty awards, and with reason. This enchanting spa is located in the swanky West End, and decorated in an 18th century boudoir style, making any girl feel like a princess as she walks in. Chic and relaxed at the same time, Chamomile is a great place to get a massage, a (wonderful) facial, or a manicure, alone or with a friend, especially if you want to enjoy some tea and cupcakes after a treatment. Check out their websites for special offers.

Zen Lifestyle One of the best chains in the UK if you want to get pampered or are looking for some more serious cosmetic treatments, Zen provides the highest standard of quality. Edinburgh counts three addresses, in Old Town, Bruntsfield and the latest addition in New Town. Step out of the city’s Scottish weather for an hour or so, and let yourself taken care of by the nicest and most professional of beauticians, who will adapt all treatments to your needs, making it an unforgettable experience. Everything at Zen is soothing, comforting, and smells divine – its actually pretty difficult not to fall into content sleep on the heating beds. There are treatments for men and women alike, and look out for special deals.

The Ocean Rooms Spa This fancy spa is actually part of the Caledonian Hilton Hotel, located in the West End. All Ocean Rooms treatments use very high end products, and guarantee an immensely satisfying spa experience. The Ocean Rooms is recommendable for anyone interested in a head to toe pampering, as they offer many packages, some of them lasting all day and including a light lunch – ideal for celebrating a special occasion. For the ultimate spa experience, go to The Ocean Rooms.

Written by local resident Camille Soulier

Spiral Staircase - Amstedam's Openbare Library

Firstly, it has a floor surface of 28,500m, which makes it the largest public library in Europe. As soon as you enter it you can see a huge modern space and you wonder if it is truly a library. Do not expect ancient wooden shelves with dusty books. You will find a white internal design with trendy furniture and peculiar shapes. As soon as you enter the library, on your right-hand side is a piano and it can often happen that you hear some nice music played by a visitor. But do not worry there are 6 other floors where you can sit and enjoy your book without any disturbance!

On the ground floor there is a space dedicated to your children. They can read, play and use mini Apple Mac computers without any charge. On every floor you can enjoy free internet. You have 2 options: If you have your own computer you can register and get a password for the WiFi connection (without paying any extra fee) or you can use one of the 600 computers located everywhere!

Curved Shelves - Amsterdam's Openbare Library

There are 6 floors. Every floor has a different shape and function. There are many relaxing areas and you can enjoy a beautiful view of the whole city looking through the big windows. On the 7th floor you can find the famous Dutch chain La Place, a self service restaurant full of international choices. There is a beautiful panoramic terrace where you can enjoy your food in sunny days. On the first floor you can find restaurant Vapiano, Italian dishes on the south side of the library.

Close to the Openbare Bibliotheek there is the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, the music conservatory of the city. The modern architecture equipped with large windows at the front allows you to observe, while you are reading your book the library, many musicians playing different instruments in their study room. It is really exciting and you can breathe an artistic and young environment everywhere. If you decide to move to Amsterdam you can apply for the annual card of the Bibliotheek: you can borrow books for free – DVD’s and audio Cd’s for just 1 Euro – and you can keep them for a week.

Don’t miss this wonderful place if you visit the Dutch capital, I am sure this is something unique!

If you want to have more information about the Openbare Bibliotheek click here.

Written by Fabrizia Sbrega

Leith Shore

The vibrant area around the shore is as home to some great independent pubs and restaurants.  Seafood lovers would be truly missing out if they didn’t venture down this way for a great choice of local restaurants. Here are some of the best places for food, drink and treats…

Roseleaf -23/24 Sandport Place Edinburgh EH6 6EW, Tel 0131 476 5268
As a local, I’m almost tempted not to share this place, but it’s just too good to keep sshhhh. Friendly owners, cozy décor and lots of quirky fun at this relaxed bar. You can’t visit without sharing a ‘pot tail’ – cocktails served in bone china teapots/cups and saucers. They also have a delicious seasonal menu.

The Ship on the Shore – 24-26 Shore, Edinburgh EH6 6QN, Tel 0131 555 0409
This atmospheric restaurant and bar serves beautiful local seafood right on the water’s edge. Outside seating also allows you to soak up the atmosphere. Booking is recommended throughout the week.

King’s Wark – 36 Shore Leith Edinburgh EH6 6QU
The oldest pub in Leith is full of character and has an award-winning restaurant.

Sofi’s Bar – 65 Henderson Street, Edinburgh EH6 6ED
What this bar lacks in square-footage, it certainly makes up for in quirkiness and character. With a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, the staff continually come up with entertaining nights, such as Champayne Sundays, knitting groups and film nights, there’s always something going on that warrants a visit.

Written by Jennifer Felton