Restyling of restaurant Den Draeck in Utrecht
18-9-2014
Restaurant Den Draeck in Utrecht was recently restyled. Den Draeck is located in a 12th century cellar and is one of the hidden historical gems of the city Utrecht. The present and past of the location were brought together by combining a modern design with the ancient exterior: the walls were covered with old prints and photographs of the city and the old stones of the arches are brought at their best with new lightning and fresh colors. Watch the photos for an impression of the end result.
Selfies are here to stay!
16-9-2014
Restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions can use the trends #selfies.
The Braggy
Regardless of your opinion, too narcissistic, often poor quality, you aren’t fond of those flashes of the phones of those young people, the #Selfie is incredibly popular. Especially during this holiday season it struck me how many people make selfies at tourist spots, in well-known restaurants, on the beach, drinking a cocktail etcetera and posted it on their social media channels. In America they already came up with a new term, ‘The #Braggy’, from to brag.
For sale: the VeloPresso
16-9-2014
We already wrote an article about the VeloPresso in 2012. After three years of developments the last details are worked out as well and from 16 September the mobile coffee bar can be ordered online. The VeloPresso is a unique and highly innovative coffee tricycle. It has a great mobility and does not require electricity. The VeloPresso can be ordered from £9,995,-.
The Basque kitchen in Rotterdam
15-9-2014
From the first of October the Basque cuisine can be found in Rotterdam. The menu of the new restaurant BasQ Kitchen is inspired by the traditional Basque kitchen, modernized by chef Alvaro Martinez. Chef Alvaro Martinez worked at El Bulli and Arzak, and at this moment he is chef of restaurant Sukam in San Sebastian. BasQ Kitchen opens its doors in the new market hall of Rotterdam. The two floors of the restaurant have a contemporary interior and 85 seats, a bar and an open kitchen. Besides in the restaurant, delicious Basque food can be ordered at BasQ To Go at the market side as well.
Pop-up coffee bar Black Box in Ghent
12-9-2014
Pop-up coffee bar
A work-out followed by an artisanal cup of coffee. This is possible in the pop-up coffee shop Black Box in the Belgian city of Ghent. The specialty coffee bar is located in a garage box of CrossFit Gent, a gym focused on the new form of fitness, CrossFit. As from 4 September Barista Yf Feller serves freshly made coffees, for a month.
Bullet proof coffee
A special coffee on the menu is the ‘bullet proof coffee’. This is a creamy coffee made from butter from grass-fed cows, coconut oil and French coffee, what gives a boost, both physically and mentally.
For people who don’t like coffee, various activities are organized on location as well. For examples, a second-hand clothing market and an indoor picnic.
Pay-as-you-wish
A special aspect of Black Box is that there’s no pricelist available. Guests give a contribution and are allowed to choose what they think is fair to pay. Black Box is an example of a ‘pay as you wish’ concept which we may years ago in Vienna, Der Wiener Deewan. The system from ‘Pay as you wish’ is used for charity as well, like we spotted in 2007 at restaurant Trien in Herpen. Trust is a more recent example that opened in Amsterdam last year.
Food bloggers at restaurant Karakter
12-9-2014
Hand picked oysters from Zeeland in the south of the Netherlands, mussels, scallops, parsnip, mackerel, ‘gortepap’ (kind of porridge) and wines from Dutch wineries. The chefs of restaurant Karakter in Rotterdam, Pety Breugem and Nathan Vermunt, prove that Dutch cuisine taste great with their menu that consists entirely of products from Dutch soil, both the wines and the dishes. Horecatrends was invited to taste the menu, along with a number of food bloggers. Inviting food bloggers for the release of a new menu, is a great idea to generate more attention. If you are reading this and you own a restaurant; have you ever give this idea a thought, instead of or next to your standard advertising? Especially with food bloggers with many local followers, this might be an addition to your marketing strategy.
Bram Kosterink consultant at Van Spronsen & Partners hospitality consultancy
Bionina the organic drink
11-9-2014
Bionina is an organic drink made of fresh fruit and sparkling water. The ingredients find their origin in Italy. The mineral water is from the Italian mountains and the fruit is from the organic farms in Sicily. No colorants, fragrances, preservatives and flavoring are added to the drink. Bionina is available in four distinctive flavors: cranberry/pomegranate, blood orange, grapefruit and lemon. Another trendy, non-alcoholic drink.
This diet is Scandilicious!
11-9-2014
“In the past we have seen that ‘popular diets’ like for example Montignac and Atkins, did wonders (sales wise) for restaurants offering meals prepared within the limits of those diets. Would this be possible with the Scandinavian diet as well?” Our guest writer, Julia Soldic explains….
The masses are embracing the Scandinavian diet, the eatable solution to prolonged life expectancy – Why?
Gordon Street Garage, West Perth
10-9-2014
The Gordon Street Garage in West Perth is located in a former garage. The restaurant is based on the idea of simple and local produce. The coffee is for example roasted and ground on location which allows the garage to daily serve different types of coffee. The dishes on the menu are yard-to-table inspired and mostly designed to share. The restaurant has an industrial-chic interior which shows the origin of the building. A lot of furniture and fittings are even made from the wood and steel of the original garage itself. The large space of the Gordon Street Garage is divided into different zones to create a wide range of dining experiences. A part of the space is arranged for a quick cup of coffee, the large bar and high tables are created for a cocktail and a bar snack and another part of the area is used for extensive lunches or dinners. Watch the video for an impression of the Gordon Street Garage.
The Jane Antwerp
9-9-2014
The Jane in Antwerp beautifully designed by Piet Boon and is highlighted at the website of ‘The Restaurant & Bar Design Awards’. We think it might be one of the title candidates for the award in 2015. The restaurant of Sergio Herman and Nick Bril was opened in March in a chapel of the former military hospital of Antwerp. The preparations of the opening took three years: not only the dishes, but everything around it had to include the vision and feeling of both chefs. A collaboration between artists, designers and deejays was established. With the motto ‘food is our religion’, the kitchen is situated at the place of the altar. Other eye-catchers are the specially printed windows, a neon skull and the 800 kilo chandelier.
