DRINKS & DESIGN

Place to be in Zaragoza, Spain

My boyfriend made me discover this place. Even though I have to admit I had already noticed its front window that allows us to see an original and trendy decoration with modern light bulbs and flowers.

Now I've been there several times, I can tell you they definitely make the best mojitos ever (with a little preference for the raspberry one) !! Fresh and perfectly dosed.

They also serve wines, beers, other cocktails and softs, and some really tasty "tapas" for those who would feel peckish, and "granizados" during warm days of summer.

The bar has a dual exposure on two streets and its terrace is located on the most peaceful and quiet one of them, with some other bars' terraces a bit further.
You easily feel like home once you're in. The decoration mixes retro with do-it-yourself designs and objects like straw-hats as lampshades, ancient books and old furniture. It's tastefully original and cozy.
Great if you want to enjoy a drink while reading a book when it's quiet during the afternoon,
Perfect if you want a lively typical spanish night around good drinks.

BONUS: boss and waiters are extremely cool !!

Marianela Zgz

Calle de la Manifestacion, 23

50 003 Zaragoza
And also: there

AURA

Dinner over the river

One week ago I was probably the luckiest girlfriend on earth - or at least one of them... I guess... Or let's just say my boyfriend proved me once again I am right to love him [as if we could choose this kinda things]. Anyway, to make a long story short, he invited me to the restaurant for our anniversary dinner to the AURA restaurant in Zaragoza.

It was a tuesday night (there was almost just us in the restaurant), so it was very quiet and cozy; soft lighting and candles, white tableclothes, and a magic view of the Ebro river and the cathedral "Nuestra Señora del Pilar" just next to it, standing out the night with its illuminated roofs and towers.

Copyright Aura

We chose the "Gastro Menu" made by a successful chef and the different wines that came with the Menu. Every dish was delicious and the mix of flavors was very subtle.

I didn't take pictures because I really wanted to enjoy the moment and I thought it was rude to bring out my camera 8 times a meal...

Copyright Aura

We had 8 light dishes (if my memories are good), with original presentations, very tasty products and spanish wines to go with. A good way to discover more about the spanish regions and wine-growing.

Copyright Aura

We had a really great time there, and the waiter took very good care of us, always here if we needed him, and distant enough to let us privacy.

Copyright Aura

The first picture is puff pastry caramelized with foie, the second one tooking on the appearence of a fried egg is actually a fish carpaccio with pumpkin. And the third one is one of the two desserts we had. Very fine and delicious.

To discover more about this great restaurant, find their website here and their Facebook page there.

Direction:

Av. Ranillas, 7

50018 Zaragoza

Spain

FLOWERS, TREES, MADRID

Botanical Garden

We wanted to visit the Prado Museum of Madrid but when we arrived at the entrance... well, we couldn't even see the entrance. Too many people were standing in line to visit it. 

It just took us a few steps to realize there was a quiet and lovely place in front of it waiting for us: the Royal Botanical Garden.

It was founded in 1755 by King Ferdinand VI and installed near what is called today "Puerta de Hierro" (next to the Manzanares River).

In 1774, architects Francesco Sabatini and Juan Villanueva were ordered by King Charles III to move the garden to its current location and to organize it into three level terraces.

This garden was made to exhibit plants, promote expeditions for the discovery of new plants species and teach botany.

It now contains more than 30,000 plants and flowers, and about 1,500 trees, through three terraces and two greenhouses. 

Lots of plants had already come into flowers because it's summer but most of the 2,000 species of dahlias were flowered and it was beautiful. But it's probably even more beautiful at springtime when all trees blossom...

We could walk through small paths under the shades of big beautiful trees (oak-trees, palm trees, cedars, bamboos...), some of them lead to little fountains or ponds. 

Once into these gardens, we managed to forget the avenue (and its traffic) that's next to it, we almost can't hear a thing, except cicadas' warbling. It's quiet and refeshing. 

To see more tropical plants, and feel more humidity, the greenhouses are open and shelter amazing species of plants. One of them also shelters fishes in a basin. 

Even if my opinion can't really be unbiased (because I'm crazy about everything when it comes to Nature and trees) it's a real heaven of peace in the middle of a more than 3-million-inhabitants city.

When is it open ?

From November to February: from 10 am to 6 pm.

March and October from 10 am to 7 pm.

April and September from 10 am to 8 pm.

From May to August from 10 am to 9 pm

Entrance:

3€

UNUSUAL PLACE

WHERE TO EAT & CHILL IN MADRID ??

I discovered the following place during a journey in Madrid. 

It was 3pm on a saturday afternoon, I was with a few friends of mine, starving (and hungover), wandering in the streets to find a nice place to fullfil our empty stomachs - even if it's hard to think in such conditions. 

We finally ended in the street "Calle Ventura de La Vega", and got into this restaurant called SAPOREM, attracted by its menu made of "tapas" and small dishes to mix and match.

The decoration is very lovely; modern and original with small details that make you feel like home.

We first thought there was no terrace - but as starving as we were, we were ready to give it a miss - but a waiter took us to a patio in the back of the restaurant.

Now we could get a new lease of life by eating and resting.

After sharing our tasty dishes, drinking a few glasses of "Tinto de Verano" (a typical spanish drink made of red wine and iced lemon Fanta - it seems weird but it's actually good !), we were ready for dessert and asked for the menu...

The waiter came back with a particular menu...
And from this moment, we knew we were falling down a new (but really nice) trap: a menu that suggests one slice of amazingly big cakes + an amazingly big homemade cocktail.
It was 5pm when we ordered.

[...]
Well, it was 9pm when we got out. No need to tell you it was a great afternoon !!

It was the perfect place to relax and enjoy some good food.
Moreover the "cake and cocktail package" is original and very appreciable if you want to enjoy a little snack while drinking a delicious homemade cocktail.

If you want to freshen up and eat good food during Madrid's warm days, don't miss this place !

For twice as much pleasure, we can find them in two places:

"Calle de Hortaleza, 34" and "Calle Ventura de la Vega, 5"

Enjoy !!