This video tells you about a nice cafeteria with scenic views by Töölönlahti in Helsinki centre. The café is called Taideterassi, which means art terrace in Finnish. During summertime there is a blooming flower garden around the coffetables.
Duration 3:04
Café Taideterassi (art terrace) on top of the hill in Helsinki
This short video presents you a good Indian restaurant dinner in Barcelona. The restaurant name was Barcelona and it served nice Indian food according to my own customer experience. The video was filmed in the years 2016 and 2017, which explains the change in the wall color of this restaurant.
Video duration 1:16
Restaurant Swagatam, Barcelona
Restaurant Swagatam in Barcelona
The video tells about an Indian restaurant in Barcelona called Swagatam, that I visited a couple of years ago. Even though the footage has suffered on the way and some of it has even gotten lost or destroyed, I still want to tell you about this good restaurant in whatever pictures I have left.
The video starts from Barceloneta Beach, which was actually far away from this restaurant in question. On the front door of the Swagatam restaurant was a beautiful picture of a woman in the traditional Indian namaste greeting position. The name Swagatam means “welcome” and the front door also advertised “taste and service is our mission”, which created the impression of a serious, professional restaurant.
The walls of the restaurant had been repainted within half a year, which explains the change in the images in the video. So I visited that restaurant in 2016 and 2017. And although the walls had been painted, the interior itself had remained quite modest. The restaurant in question had only one elongated dining room and a bar counter, and the yellow color of the walls had changed to blue.
Palak paneer with a tomato on top in Swagatam
The food was very authentically Indian and delicious, although the palak paneer was garnished a bit unusually with a tomato. By the way, I also came across a similarly decorated palak paneer dish in Stockholm, of which I also wrote about in my blog.
Although finding a restaurant using the Tripadvisor can be risky according to my own experience, this restaurant turned out to be a good choice. In 2016, I gave the restaurant three stars on Tripadvisor as well and titled my review “If you want spices in Barcelona, come here”. This was because the restaurants in Barcelona were often quite bland in taste. I also wrote that “In Barcelona, in the heat of an early October evening without air conditioning, this restaurant gave the customer a very authentic Indian local restaurant atmosphere. The decor was not great for dining, but the place did serve well as a small bar. The restaurant’s vegetarian meal was ok and good, as was the lassi drink, which was really needed due to the heat of the meal. The service in the restaurant was very friendly.”
So if you’re looking for curry and spices of India in Barcelona, this restaurant is a good option. I don’t know whether this Indian restaurant in Spain is the best Indian restaurant in Barcelona, as there might be many more to try out, but I’m sure Swagatam is one of them.
It’s been a long time since I was in Amsterdam, but I remember, during my trip to Amsterdam, I had the pleasure of dining at the Indian restaurant Shiva, located in the heart of the city. Situated on a charming narrow street adjacent to a cannabis-smelling coffee shop and in close proximity to my hotel, Shiva stood out as a memorable highlight of my trip.
Upon entering the restaurant, I was immediately struck by the elegant yet welcoming ambiance. The decor was tastefully designed with living roses adorning each table, adding to the overall serene atmosphere of the space. Despite its upscale appearance, the dress code was casual, making for a comfortable and relaxed dining experience.
As a lover of vegetarian dishes, I was pleased to discover a wide variety of options on the menu at Shiva. I decided to try the palak paneer, a classic Indian dish featuring spinach and paneer cheese, and was blown away by its exceptional taste. In fact, it was one of the best Indian meals I have ever had in Europe, receiving four out of five stars in my book.
The restaurant was bustling with customers during my visit, with the tables fully occupied for dinner service. Despite the high level of activity, the service remained impeccable and attentive. The staff at Shiva were knowledgeable about the menu and provided excellent recommendations to suit my dietary preferences and tastes.
Overall, my experience at Shiva was very nice. From the delicious food to the elegant atmosphere, it was a true highlight of my Amsterdam trip. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone seeking an authentic and unforgettable Indian dining experience in Amsterdam.
