My personal highlight: Entering the gate to the home of Floating Leaf. Breathing in tranquil energy while observing Putu the owner working passionately in the garden. Understanding in that moment, that here values as care and love towards everybody and everything are fully lived.

Floating leaf Eco-Luxury Retreat is located in the village of Sukawati surrounded by verdant rice paddies not far from the ocean. Here mind and soul are invited to relax. Ancient Balinese wisdom is combined with modern luxury to make guests feel happy and well balanced.

Only a 20 minutes drive from Ubud and 15 minutes from the city of Sanur it offers a great location. (Sanur is often used for transfers by boat to other beautiful islands as Gili Trawangan or Lembongan).

Embracing positive energy and tranquillity and making it eco friendly for all.

It’s the organic garden-to-table farming, the design construction following sustainable concept with very harmonic round shapes, recyclable materials, the use of the sun power or the involvement and support of local people in various chains of sustainable agriculture and education on understanding the aim of a eco friendly environment.

Behind Floating Leaf stands a passionate and experienced team of professionals. Mikaku and Putu are the owners and inspiring sources of the house.

Learn how to discover the beauty of living the moment and challenging the own mind at the same time. At its heart, Floating Leaf is a retreat including an educational facility.

5 things to do at Floating Leaf Eco-Luxury Retreat

1. Forget home and feel the calmness by only observing the surrounding from one of their relaxing spots. Use the hammock, the vintage veranda with a comfortable wooden gazebo. The healing pool filled partially with saltwater which feels softer and is less abrasive to the skin and hair.
2. It’s the ideal place to practice guided meditation or yoga. Book either a retreat or bring your own yogis to Floating Leaf. Get in contact with the management here.
3. Try their super delicious organic food that is all home made. The raw food selection is variegated.
   Elixir Drinks  provide the right boost to your organism. The recipes follow ancient Balinese traditions. My absolute favorite one is the liver cleanser made of carrots, beetroot, apple and ginger.
4. Absolutely worth having a hot stone massage. Book your stay at Floating Leaf now and get a Balinese massage for free by using the promotion code Lovefoodish.
5. Explore every angle at Floating Leaf and go to the organic garden. Get to see colorful plants, herbs, fruits and vegetables. Absolutely recommend the roof. You get the whole picture of the place with view to mount Agung or the ocean. Best sunset point.

Accommodation

Find 10 spacious luxury non-smoking rooms constructed offering a sustainable modern living.

The rooms are spacious and invite to spend time. Choose the room with pool view to get the full experience of the magnificent view over the rice paddies. Enjoy the open bathroom to have a shower before sunset time. Book your room here.

Food & Drinks

Floating Leaf subsidizes local farmers to support retaining traditional methods of agriculture and grow organic nutrient rich foods. Half of the property is dedicated to the permaculture garden, this to cover a selection of healthy food and drink. Experience the farm to table philosophy. The dining area is lovely. Sit at the long table and interact with other guests to share stories of life.

Floating Leaf has been heralded to be one of the world’s healthiest destinations using freshest, organic ingredients.

The must try from the menu

• Cold home made Kombucha tea, it is essentially a fermented tea super refreshing and healthy for your organism and digestion system.
• Pumpkin pancakes with a homemade coconut yoghurt for breakfast to boost your day with the right portion of energy.
• A super fresh cucumber salad with almond or cashew sprinkle and fresh grated coconut.
• Quinoa or brown rice Sushi. The brown rice is from a local supplier and tastes just wonderful.
• Thai fish curry mild and tasty with fish catch from the local fisher.
• Dessert: Indonesian black rice with coconut milk and banana. All local products.

Yoga, retreats, surf and culture or just relax

No matter what your heart is in the mood for. Some days of detox including yoga lessons, a mix of beach and Balinese culture tour or easy relaxing time at the pool. Choose what fits best to you. Putu and Mikaku are happy to give you suggestions. They have the perfect understanding in catching your need.

Planning your own retreat or considering  joining one? The Yoga Sanctuary with 2000 square foot (186 sq meters) space is perfect. It has been heralded as “Asia’s best place to practice Yoga*.

My personal highlights

Being part of this house for a few days made me understand what a eco friendly surrounding Putu and Mikaku built here in Bali. As a traveler you get to see a lot of beaches and forests in Indonesia, clean ones but sadly lot of dirty ones. Through my stay here I feel the desire to support their actual project called The Green Village project. It supports locals in giving more awareness to protect their environment and keep it clean. Villages throughout Bali are competing to become the cleanest and greenest community on the island. I think it’s really important to share and support each other. Read all details on the program here. Donate easily here.

I am happy to have taken part of this experience at Floating Leaf and thankful to all of the new nice souls met here. Terimakasi /Thank you Floating Leaf Family.

Are you in the mood of more lovefoodish travel stories? Maybe you plan to visit Malaysia? Get a glimpse of it here!

My personal highlights: 1. Feeling princess for a day. Flying over Lago Maggiore by Helicopter, landing under the garden terrace of the restaurant Rustico del Sole where we got spoiled with fresh cooked polenta al ragù. 2. Sleeping in a castle ambience facing a rice field where bird rarities play and sing you into the day.

Pure nature is a luxury nobody can resist

Having this value in mind the creators of “The Living Circle – Luxury Hotels fed by nature” introduced us to their new brand philosophy. It’s the union of goods and services that already exist. They are now made available to people that appreciate values combined with quality and luxury. These resources are created and maintained with plenty of efforts by all involved living circle partners. Because they care about the multifaceted demand of their guests.

What means luxury to us today?

Luxury is a word defined by different meanings today. It gives a variety of feelings to people. For some it may be related to money, for some to a rare drop of good wine or a selected piece of meat.
We may also agree, that traditions can throw us back in time. They make us sensitive towards simple things that got lost with the years.
A natural surrounding has great potential to make us feel happy and in balance again.

My heart goes bum

Experiencing these two days around the partners of  “The living Circle” I could understand best, what this philosophy means.
Seeing with my own eyes how giant spaces of hectares of land are cultivated with care and passion is inspiring and of course a lot of work. Unpredictable happenings steered by mother nature included.
The Terreni alla Maggia is located in the so called Delta of the Maggia between Locarno and Ascona. This is one of the property belonging to The Living Circle.

The agricultural fields stretch over ca. 130 hectares. The agronomist Fabio Del Pietro introduced us to production of goods as wine, grappa, rice, pasta, polenta and even some rice whisky. I have a complete new involvement with their risotto rice called Loto today. This rice cultivation is a rarity made in Switzerland only. The rice is harvested on dry fields. Several years of testing were necessary to get to this high quality gourmet food today.

The Living Circle partners in a brief

• 2 5 star hotels
• 2 farms and agricultural plants with production of own resources as wine, rice, milk products including own shops/selling channels
• several restaurants where the farm to table concept is lived day by day close to natural surrounding
• Located in Zurich/Zurich Oberland area & Ascona/Ticino area

Hotel Storchen, Zurich

Located in the heart of Zurich and established back in 1357 it is a hotel with a heritage of traditions. Today it is a charming house for guests that love to spend their night overlooking the Limmat river and the beautiful scenery of the Swiss Alps and get spoiled by a culinary menu prepared from Chef Cyrille Anzian.
The hotel offers 66 rooms and suites with a modern and stylish design. Hotel Director Jörg Arnold and his team welcome you to get involved into the Storchen lifestyle.
Farm to table is an important topic lived day by day by offering best fresh products at the breakfast buffet from the farm Schlattgut in Herrliberg for example. Get a risotto or polenta for lunch from the Terreni alla Maggia plants in Ascona. More details about the Hotel Storchen here.

Farm Schlattgut, Herrliberg

When looking at the family Ledergerber that manages the farm you feel the passion and love they put in the cultivation of these over 30 hectares of land. It’s their home, all animals are part of their family.
This is the home of 160 chickens, 40 cows, donkeys, flower fields, several vegetable and fruit fields.
The farm has a shop where local products as eggs, pasta and hand made jams are available. Its scenery and location over Zurich is great to celebrate family parties, weddings or have a brunch.
The Schlattgut delivers a variety of products to the Hotel Storchen. A great sustainable project is their photovoltaic installation that creates over 95.735 KWh per year.
More about the Schlattgut Herrliberg here.

Restaurant Buech, Herrliberg

Admire the Lake Zurich from up here and high peaks of the Glarner and Central Swiss Alps all the way to the Jungfrau Joch. This view is unique.
It’s more than 70 years that this restaurant is serving guests with a magnificent view and high level food. Get to feel a gentle countryside style in one of their private dining rooms. The spot is recommendable for family events or weddings, too. Restaurant Director Marc Wyss and his team take their guests into a world where time seems to have stood still. Get spoiled with local food delights. The arrangement and decoration of flower is a passion of Marc Wyss. His artistic vein is perfectly integrated in the ambience.

Hotel Castello del Sole, Ascona

“Your rendezvous with happiness”

This is a sentence found on their website before arriving here. Yes, it is a feeling of joy walking through that immense green park or the wide medieval corridors of the hotel. Feel calmness and inner peace and forget everything around you. The beach area is very inviting to relax on a chair and enjoy the sunset.
The hotel was built back in 1532, today it kept that antique touch added with classy and modern elements. Simon V. Jenni and his wife Gabriela manage the house with their staff since 2003.

Hotel del Castello offers 40 Junior Suites and 38 double/single rooms. Find a beauty oasis with a special Vino-Aqua therapy treatment using their own grapes. More than that, a Yoga and nutrition coach, an outdoor/indoor pool or a nice entertainment program for kids complete the services.
There are several restaurants within the hotel. The culinary section offers a variety of local recipes paired with a good mediterranean touch. In summer it is lovely to enjoy a barbecue outside. Chef Mattias Roock invites you to try the actual menu called “i sapori del nostro orto“. Products cultivated in the Terreni alla Maggia are used as well following the farm to table philosophy.

Ristorante Rustico del Sole, Ascona

Fly up here at 800 m. by helicopter, or take a hike. The scenery and the silence are enchanting. Antonio Ferrioli is the host. Together with the staff from the Castello del Sole they prepare delicious lunch up to 7 courses.
By the way, a rustico is a typical house from Ticino, where as the word says you feel a rustic warm ambience. Can you imagine how winter days are up here? Reading a book at the chimney breathing in pure calmness.

In 2018 sleeping facilities for 6 person will be constructed to offer a hideaway for a romantic weekend, a tranquil friends trip or even for company meetings. Find more details here.

Terreni alla Maggia

This land stretches over 15o hectares. 130 of it are agricultural land, the rest is where the Hotel Castello del Sole has its facilities and garden. As mentioned before, this natural heritage allows The Living Circle lifestyle with the own production of rice, pasta, polenta, wine and other delicacies delivered to different partners of the circle. Some of the goods are also distributed via Coop and Migros today. Additional details are available here.

Some facts to review

• The famous Tessin grape Merlot is cultivated on 9 hectares of land. Every year around 120’000 bottles are produced.
• The rise cultivated here is called Loto. The plants stretch on 80 hectares of land. Ca. 430 tons of rice resulted last year.
  This rice has the property to absorb water slowly. This makes it easier to cook al dente and difficult to overcook. The Maggiadelta and Magadino are the only locations of Switzerland cultivating rice.
• The polenta covers other 10 hectares of land, rarities as red or black polenta can be found.

Find additional details here.

Alls of these precious goods put together create the living circle of nature offered to guests that love to spoil themselves with best quality services, genuine products and enchanting surroundings.

My personal highlights: 1. Watching Chef Andrea making Cantucci biscuits from scratch and loving the way he speaks this beautiful Fiorentino dialect 2. inhaling the perfume of fabulous aged Chianina Beef while opening the dry ager

Welcome to 4 Leoni Firenze, the hometown of meat. Christopher manages this place together with his wife Sybille and the staff since more than 1 year now. The restaurant is located close to Limmatplatz at Luisenstrasse 43, Zürich.

Tuscany’s world famous Chianina Beef

Meat lovers know, that the beef meat prepared here is one of the largest and oldest breed of cattle in the world. Chianina cattle have been raised in the Italian regions of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio for at least 2200 years. The Chianina was formerly principally a draught breed, now raised mainly for beef. It originates in the area of the Valdichiana, from which it takes its name. The most noticeable characteristic of the breed is the extensive and well-defined muscling. The shoulders, back and rear quarters are especially well formed.

3 things on your bucket list as a foodie visiting Florence:

• Bistecca Fiorentina
• Cantucci biscuits with vinsanto
• and of course all of their wonderful wine selections.

A piece of Tuscany in the heart of Zurich

The ambience at 4 Leoni throws you back to tuscany. The room is carefully decorated, you feel in a local trattoria up in a Chianti hill wine yard. An interior designer takes care of the theme decoration that changes seasonal.

Watch how Chef Andrea cuts the meat at the counter. Once you smell the dry meat you can’t wait to have it on your plate. The ambience is vibrant and full of Italian life.

The meat is grilled over lava stones. It is the signature dish of the restaurant. A Chianina can weight more than 1 kilo incl. the bones. Perfect to share with friends. All meat and ingredients used are imported from quality Tuscan suppliers that have been working or the family since years. You won’t find any better quality Chianina in town.

Best Italian olives

What can’t miss in an Italian restaurant are olives. Are you interested to get more insights into the different types of Italian Olives and understand more about their shape, color and origin? Get all info on the article created by sophisticated wonderer here!

The menu

Find dishes for lunch as the hand made Pappardelle pasta with Cinghiale (wild pig) ragù. Or get a tartar di Chianina just fresh and pure as it is. Coffee and water included.

For the evening choose the cassettina for a starter. Here yo get typical local Tuscan homemade salumi, crostini with a poultry terrine and cheese. The dip for the cheese is fabulous. A jam cooked with red wine and sugar.
For the main dish absolutely must try is either the Bistecca Fiorentina nostrana or the classical Chianina cut Porterhouse. This comes with oven potatoes or seasonal veggies.
The dessert is presented at the bar. Try the Sfogliatelle alla crema or a home made chocolate tarte. Close your dinner with a glass of vinsanto and the home made cantucci.
There is a nice Chianti 4 Leoni that I recommend paired with the menu.

The coffee is served with the typical Italian Mocca, black and strong.

Thank you for using the Lovefoodish food guide.

www.4leoni-firenze.ch

Use promocode  Lovefoodish to get a Balinese Massage for free when booking a night at Floating Leaf Eco-Luxury Retreat, Bali

Have you ever dreamed about entering into a place where your soul and body is fed by organic food and peaceful moments?

Floating Leaf is located in Sukuwati only 20 min. from Ubud embedded in verdant rice paddies.

Get more about their offer on their website. There is plenty of things to do as Yoga, Wellness, Surf or just relax.

Use the promocode “LOVEFOODISH” and profit from a special offer to discover it by yourself. Book here.

The package includes:

• 2 overnights in a traditional Hirtenroom
• Welcome tea and a little surprise in your room
• Apéro plate with local specialities
• Local Breakfast buffet
• 1 menue with  3 courses in the restaurant Crap Naros
• Use of the wellness area Guarda Sana: a vital bath incl. peeling and a massage of 20 min per person
• Ticket for free for mountain rails Lenzerheide (depending on schedules)
• Awakening program in the morning to start your day with energy

My personal highlight: Discovering that there are other typical Swiss delicacies than Chocolate that deserve great attention – sweets called Biber

What is a Biber you may ask yourself?

It’s a typical Swiss specialty from the family of gingerbread buns, beautifully decorated by using a hand made wood model. The Biber has a soft dough that comes with a filling of either pealed almonds or roasted hazelnuts, honey and a secret mixture of spices.
The uniqueness of the Leibacher Biber is the hand made procedure with selected ingredient. Biber is a national speciality originally from the region of Appenzell. Since the Leibacher brother have a great passion to revival old Swiss traditions they brought this sweet delicacy to Zurich.

Something additional to say, Biber usually have the reputation being sticky, too sweet and artificial in the taste. But I guarantee, these ones are absolutely 100% genuine and a combination of natural flavors all to discover.
Best local honey is used, local biological flour and selected almonds. The whole team puts love and passion in their work.

What makes two young brothers revival an old Swiss tradition like a Biber?

Claudio Leibacher always had a passion for traditions. He studied history and loves to collect any different of antique objects. The oldest wooden Bieber model they own by the way is from the year 1480! And they want to keep this tradition moving Claudio says.

Maybe one day somebody will find one of his handmade figure for an other recipe!

As a kid he loved to stand in the kitchen with his mother to bake sweets.
This is how as one day as he found a bunch of wooden hand made models his plan was to create homemade Biber with them. He realized fast, that it’s a tricky task, to create dough that makes the design looking precise and gorgeous.

The first Biber ever Claudio created was a gift for his girlfriend, that is his wife today. I love this story!

A shop in their village was fascinated about the quality of the Biber and motivated him to continue that project. He invested everything he had in the necessary machines. Soon his brother Silvan started to support the project with his marketing and sales knowledge. That is where the nice packaging comes from.

Where they used to play as kids today you find production machines and happy ladies producing Biber in any kind of shape and design

The cellar of their parents home was the place where they started the first production tests. In the cellar where they used to play as kids, today a professional and well-equipped manufactory of the Biber is based.

The room is clean. Important steps are still handmade. It starts with the carving of these beautiful wood models. Companies can choose some specific themes and order Biber as giveaways. During my visit I had the chance to catch Easter bunny Biber.

Tasting the Biber in their parents living room

Sitting in the living room of Silvan’s and Claudio’s parents house is absolutely the highlight of my visit. Sitting there and smelling the Biber getting ready downstairs is memorable. I am ready for the tasting!

We tasted the vegan Biber. It comes with a very light almond filling, a fresh touch of lemon and a shot of a local fruity grappa called Marc.

The classical honey Biber comes with an intense, full-buddied filling of pealed almonds. The honey used is from the local woods of Zurich Oberland. This is absolutely my favorite one.

The white Biber is their latest creative invention. The dough reminds me the classical Christmas cookies called “chräbeli” or “änisbrötli”, they have some anise seeds in. They come with a filling prepared with roasted hazelnuts and a shot of lemon, too.

Dry white wine fits well with a Biber. Try this combination!

Get the chance to taste and buy Biber online, there are several shops in town selling it, too. They will also be at FoodZurich upcoming September.

www.biber-manufaktur.ch

My personal highlight: Living the urban nomad style in between of Langstrasse and Europaallee in Zurich by getting involved into NENI’s food philosophy and the Balagan lifestyle. Christoph Hoffmann’s & Haya Molcho’s life attitude is viral!

People who do not know this area of Zurich will love it right away. Langstrasse Kreis 4 meets Europaallee Kreis 5. The diversity is astonishing. Walking through Langstrasse you understand what I mean. It’s the most multi cultural area of Zurich including a red light district and plenty of amazing young art.
Across the other side to Europaallee you feel the new trend towards modern office spaces, local designer stores and fancy popup stores.

The best premise to open up a pocket universe

Who better than the creative heads at 25Hours Hotels could perfectly put into scene the vibrant changes of these two Zurich areas and merge them into a hotel concept? That is how 25 Hours Hotels Zürich Langstrasse was born.

Christoph Hoffmann, CEO of 25Hours Hotels and his team cooperated with local architects E2A and the interior Design Studio Aisslinger from Berlin. A fancy, stylish but very practical and surprising surrounding is the result.

Since art is an important topic in this Zurich area you get to see big pieces of art spread all over the house.
An in-house atelier lead by the Zurich artist Esther Eppstein has its base in the hotel. Esther invites and promotes young artists and coaches them on a defined project.
Find a Kiosk curated by local Media publisher KEIN & ABER VERLAG. Get selected books or fancy accessories.

This is 25 Hours Hotel Zürich Langstrasse

• 170 rooms in the categories M, L and XL as of 270 CHF
• meeting space for up to 80 people on various floors
• NENI Restaurant with eclectic east Mediterranean meze inspired by Chef Haya Molcho. The menu includes meat dishes from the charcoal Josper-Grill
• Cinchona bar with fancy Highball drinks by Jörg Meyer
• Artists studio „Message Salon Embassy“ lead by Esther Eppstein – artist in residence
• Zurich Publisher Petter Haag from Kein & Aber Verlag with an inhouse Kiosk & Books
• trainspotting-sauna incl. gym
• club floor to relax with analog game room as a polaroid flipper box, sound lounge
• ue boom bluetooth speakers and FREITAG Bag in all rooms
• iMac work stations
• free of charge mini car and bike rental
• a hearty and service oriented staff that makes you feel home away from home

Accommodation

Find 170 modern and stylish, urban designed rooms in the sizes M, L, XL and 2 suites. The rooms follow different themes on different floors. Live the topic “Red Light”, “Belle Etage” and “Penthouse” brought into scene with extravagant, appealing wallpapers designed by local artists. Natural materials are combined with warm colors and stylish, functional furniture. The hotel cooperates with the famous Swiss furniture brand De Sede, too.
I love the bath tube overlooking Zurich’s Primetower or the glassy open shower where you live the modern open space. Find all details for booking a room here.

Food & Drinks

The cherry on the top is the NENI Restaurant following the life philosophy of Haya Molcho and her 4 sons. An eclectic east Mediterranean cuisine is created inspired by a Street food style from Telaviv and the world. Get a variety of light and flavorful lunch and dinner menus.
Try the Balagan style, which means that you order several plates and share them together!
The open bar at the kitchen invites to catch an insight how Chef Peter Schüler and team prepare the food for you. Or just talk to the guest next to you.
A uniqueness of 25 Hours Hotels food concept Langstrasse is the Josper Grill. Get local quality dry aged meat grilled on a 100% charcoal grill.

The house bar Cinchona is where world experienced Barkeeper Jörg Meyer introduces guests to a new trend of “day drinking”. Taste the daily changing variety of Highball drinks with best local Vermouth, Sherry or port mixed with tonic water and citrus fruits. The two big ice balls keep your drink at the right temperature and coolness.

Seminars, Events working spaces

A cozy corner with a chimney invites to relax and read a book on the main floor. The hotel offers a lot of space to relax and work. Spaces can be rent and used for conferences or private events, too.
The club floor on the first floor throws you back in time. Find analog game room as a polaroid flipper box or a sound lounge and additional working or event spaces.

My personal highlights

Getting to know Haya Molcho and feeling her passion for food is delightful. She is a person full of energy and ideas transmitting the Balagan style. On of her sons laughs and confirms, that she is really Balagan. This Hebrew word means: sympathetic chaos! NENI is a word play out of her 4 sons names. Nuriel, Elior, Nadiv and Ilan. The name reflects their philosophy of life. NENI is a passion paired with openness and love for food. Eating is always done at a large table with the whole family and many friends. That is what you feel when talking to Haya Molcho in person. That is also what you feel when entering at NENI Restaurant at 25 Hours Hotels.

The Molcho Family runs several NENI restaurants within the 25Hours Hotels in Europe. They make sure the NENI philosophy is lived in every NENI Restaurant. The Kitchen team at 25Hours Hotels gets regular coaching on how to prepare and maintain the NENI food philosophy alive.

Thank you for using the Lovefoodish food and travel guide.

My personal highlight: Discovering a view over Zurich’s industrial Kreis 5 through a pink glassed door in the sauna

25 Hours Hotel offer surprising spots in several European cities. These people create living concepts for travelers that make one feel home away from home. It’s not only their company philosophy, you feel this by yourself when entering their door. It’s the attention and dedication from their staff. The FREITAG bag or portable music pill you find in the room. The bike or mini car you get for free to explore the city.

What impresses, too, is the interior and accuracy of the selected design and materials. The ambience always bases on a story.

This is Zurich West

An urban fast developing industrial area in Kreis 5, approx. 15 minute bike ride to the city centre of Zurich. Around here you can feel, the startup culture. Modern living spaces and clubs are based here, too. The hotel is embedded in a building where you find offices, apartments and shops.

Experience decent timeless beauty at 25Hours Hotel Zürich West

Everything is tone in tone and not overloaded, elegant and colorful. The Swiss designer Alfredo Häberli gave his touch to the house. His inspiration follows the motto: „the smile of my hometown“. He invites guests to explore Zurich’s and Switzerland’s hidden beauty. Show more than bank, chocolate and watches. Alfredo designed for brands as Camper, Iittala, Kvadrat or Vitra. He knows how to create living spaces.

This is 25 Hours Hotel Zürich West

• 126 rooms in the categories silber, gold and platinum
• meeting space for up to 120 people
• event room with a well equipped kitchen for team events
• club floor to relax
• NENI Restaurant with eclectic east Mediterranean cuisine inspired by Chef Haya Molcho
• sauna with a breathtaking view over Zurich through the pink glass
• mare kiosk with quality products as food, books, gadgets and gimmicks
• ue boom bluetooth speakers and FREITAG Bag in all rooms
• iMac workstations
• free of charge mini car and bike rental
• a hearty and service oriented staff that makes you feel home away from home
• Art Installations by Alfredo Häberli

Accommodation

Find 126 rooms in the categories: Silber, Gold and Platinum. The Platinum rooms offer a balcony with a wonderful view over Zurich. There are bunk-bed rooms, too. Get all room details here.

Modern and functional interiors complete the rooms. Nicolas Bovet the Sales & Marketing Manager of the house mentions, that even the door handle is thought out. It’s made with a material that gives the perfect grip when touching it.
The hair dryers in the rooms are one of the best used in the industry from the brand black mambo. A great hair dryer is Something the Hotel Manager Anita Vogel appreciates herself when traveling.

Seminars &  Kitchenclub

I fall in love with their event room! Book the room for some team cooking or kitchen battles. Prepare the menu yourselves, supervised by the 25hours kitchen & service team. Find all the available kitchen events here.
The whole house has great spaces for workshops and conferences. Find more details about their seminar rooms and offers here.

Food at NENI

The restaurant offers a open space for lunch, after work and dinner. The interior is very fancy bright and invites people to relax at the bar after a busy day.

NENI is famous for eclectic east Mediterranean cuisine inspired by Street food style from Tel Aviv. Haya Molcho is the Chef and founder of the NENI restaurants. She runs the restaurant business with her 4 sons. She loves to travel so the dishes are internationally inspired. Most of the food can be ordered as Balagan. Balagan is a lovely way to define an sympathetic chaos in hebrew. Order across the menu and share with your friends.

I liked the Sabich very much. Sabich is a streetfood from Tel Aviv. It comes with baked eggplant, hummus, tomato salsa, tahina with amba and poached egg in a tortilla.

The Jerusalem plate is a must try, too. Comes with grilled strips of chicken breast, bell pepper, onions, oriental spices and fresh herbs, hummus, tahina and pita bread.

For breakfast I love their tea selection called samova and hand made fruity jams  from local producers.

My personal highlights

Walking through this house feels like being on a mini tour through Switzerland. The concept of Alfredo Häberli is perfectly set into place. Guest feel like in wonderland. Me too.

The dessert is my culinary highlight! The Kanafeh with a Mozzarella-Ricotta filling, Joghurt ice cream and minced pistachios was fingerlickn’ good.

I felt home here. Thank you to the staff for this wonderful experience and being part of the Lovefoodish travel guide.

My personal highlight: Packing fresh made ravioli by myself listening to Gianna Nannini music and learning, that Ravioli have to be threatened as little babies, with soft hands!

Here I am, back on food discovering tour in Zurich. This time I discover Zurich Höngg in Kreis 10, where the company Bravo Ravioli has its production site and delicacy shop.
The place is managed by the couple Daniela and Samuel Binkert. A lovely team that takes care about preparation of pasta dough and filing from scratch.

Bravo Raviolis can be found in several gastro places in the city, too. Their quality pasta is well known and loved by many Zurich people.

How are Bravo Ravioli produced?

The production of the pasta is professionalized. Established Italian pasta machines for industries are used. These machines are treated with love and need maintenance and care. Every process is thought-out. I observe with pleasure, that everybody helps each other. The kitchen is very clean and organized.

Gina the Ravioli machine

Can you think of the idea that the machines received names? This particularity made me feel amused! Pasta machine Gina is the one that kneads and forms the ravioli. Angelo is the industrial fridge that keeps the ravioli at the right temperature, once ready to be packed. The ravioli get shock frozen at -25 degrees, in order to keep their lovely shape during transportation.

Having lunch with the team and trying the ravioli and the famous chocolate cake rounds my time off at Bravo and makes me feel a satisfied food blogger. Thank you Daniela, Ludi, Michele and Kathrin for the super fun time.

Ravioli facts & numbers

Gina kneads ca. 23 Kg of dough a week.

This gives ca. 200 Kg ravioli a week.

For such an amount of dough, 53 local eggs are used and broken all by hand.

Ca. 10 Kg of quality hard wheat is used.

Some of their herbs come from their garden, some neighbors even sponsor rosemary !

Shopping ravioli and other delicacies at Bravo’s

Find around 30 different sorts of Ravioli. Vegetarian, seasonal and classical ones with meat (wheal or beef) filling. Buy them fresh or frozen to prepare at home.

Daniela revealed that there is nothing that cannot go well into a Raviolo. So their creativity of fillings has no limits. Fig and  brie, walnut and stilton. Salsiccia. I like the naturally colored ravioli to make the plate look fancy. Get a fresh pasta menu for take away at lunch.
Beside ravioli they produce tagliatelle, too, which makes a lot of sense to me, since these are the piece of pasta that remain once the machine has cut out the ravioli, food waste is reduced where ever possible.

Their delicacy shop is a little paradise for foodies. You get plenty Italian specialties. Seasonal vegetables as wild asparagus in spring, super tasteful tomatoes or huge green olives. Find fantastic cheese sorts and salame, prosciutto, sun dried marinated tomatoes or artichokes. Their olive oil is absolute worth trying, it comes from their own trees in Tuscany.

www.bravo-ravioli.ch

Explore old traditions of the Maiensäss at the Hotel Guardaval

In this story I share with you the history of the Maiensäss hotel located in Sporz, a hamlet directly above Lenzerheide in the canton of Graubünden/Switzerland and how these houses have been turned into a unique romantic luxury alp hotel.

Here is the link to the promotion offer:

Special Package for LOVEFOODISH Guests

With the Lovefoodish Promocode you will get an additional Apéro Plate to start your romantic weekend of 2 nights.

What means Maiensäss?

The word ‘Maiensäss‘ derives from the month of May (Mai in German), when the cattle were raised for the first time in the year. It is also a special form of an Alm/Alp that is a cleared area with huts and stables. The houses are 300 years old and rich of history and traditions.
In 2009 the Hotel Guardaval was built on fabulous preconditions to offer a place where the beauty of the nature, local traditions and luxury alpine design melt together.

Find 11 Maiensäss huts and barns located 1600 meters above sea level. Some of the houses have maintained their original facade. Fantasize what happened behind these facades years ago!
The Hotel is managed by Ralph Treuthardt, an experienced Hotel Manager and Chef. Ralph’s and the staff’s mission at Hotel Guardaval is to show you the secrets of the Maiensäss, to lead you to precious moments of peace, serenity, consciousness.

Accommodation

Find 50 retreats with different arrangements and categories available. Get a chic double room in the authentic Maiensäss style or the private chalet with an own sauna, whirlpool and hay bed. Every room differentiates from each other. Be prepared for a unique experience. In the SPA Guarda Sana your body and soul get spoiled and energized with lots of attentions. Get a massage to relax your muscles and prepare the senses for a mouthwatering dinner. Find all booking details here.

Seminars & incentives

People looking for a calm and inspiring place with space for creative ideas fare away from the busy city should try this surrounding. It makes an ideal venue for inspiring exchanges. Everything you need is available: modern equipment, brights rooms and space.

Food & 1 Michelin star

Choose from two restaurants. The Crap Naros serves Local dishes and cheese fondue. The fondue is one of the best you can find in that area! Don’t miss that. The spacious outdoor terrace is great in summer, if you are lucky you got the chance to meet Roger Federer having a beer, since he lives in Lenzerheide.

For dinner choose the restaurant Guarda Val. Chef Thomas Walz and his team are amazing. The ambience is elegant and warm. The menus vary. I love the symbiosis of modern and ancient that merge together. The plates are mouth-watering, colorful, delicate and prepared with love.

Secret hint – Wine and Cheese!

If you got the chance let Ralph Treuthardt guide you through the wine cellar that owns over 300 different wines and great sorts of cheese. There is a wide selection of local wines. I love the fact that he knows the suppliers personally, supports their local business and has the background of every ingredient used in the hotel.

Don’t miss the wine & Dine events at Hotel Guardaval, where you got the chance to be introduced to their excellent quality products.

Leisure time! Feel the old traditions during your stay

Hotel guests get the opportunity to experience nice packages during their stay. Milk a cow to get fresh milk for breakfast or visit local farms to experience real farm work. If you are in the mood of hiking, this place is just great or try the great biking trails.
In winter go for a sledge ride or snow walking. Use the hotel transportation service that brings you to the close by skiing slopes or picks you up at the bus station.

My personal highlights

The Maiensäss houses are indefinable calming and charming. Hearing the wind rustling is a precious way to fall asleep for me. Taking a bath looking up at the sky and watching the stars is the cherry on the cake.

I  experienced the staff being very helpful. Their happy smiling faces made me understand, that working in such an idyllic and natural ambience must be energy charging. Having personal chats exchanging stories of immigrants was touching and threw me back into my own life as the kid of an immigrant.
Hearing the Wurlitzer Jukebox playing Elvis and the Beatles gave that additional feeling of jumping back in the years. Everything matches perfectly here. I absolutely recommend a stay at Hotel Guardaval. You will be inspired.

Thank you for using the Lovefoodish accommodation guide.

www.hotelguardaval.ch