Veggie Raw Vegan Bistro (Budapest, Hungary)

I flew to Budapest at the end of last year to meet my best friend, who is currently living in Germany. When we were University students and flatmates living in Lisbon we used to say “once we start making money, we will travel together to all the places we have dreamed of and it will be just epic”. Now that the time has come, I am so happy to see that we are actually making happen what we our younger selves once promised. This was our first time in Hungary and our very first trip abroad together and it could not have been more amazing or memorable really. It exceeded both our expectations. ♥

Even though my bestie eats everything and does not have any special dietary requirements like I do, she is also a huge foodie who is always keen on trying new foods! I really admire her love for food in general. She is great cook who loves to experiment in the kitchen, which I find to be quite inspiring. I showed her the list of cafes and restaurants that I wanted to visited and that I compiled prior to our trip. Gathering a list of cafes and food spots that seem to be unique/characteristic in the way they look or in the vegetarian/vegan food they serve is something I always do before traveling! 🙂  It was a real joy to see that she was as excited as I was to go to all the spots I have looked up.. and as a result, we got to eat so much good food in amazing looking places!

After a long walk by the Danilo in the freezing cold, we were ready for a sweet treat and a hot beverage to warm us up. Hence, we decided to stop by the cafe “Veggie Raw Vegan Bistro” before heading to the thermal baths. This cafe was in my list due to its mouth-drooling raw sweet treats and that whole idea seemed just perfect since we were way too cold and in much need of a break from all the walking. As I have mentioned before here, raw vegan cheesecakes are my kind of dessert. They are usually very rich in flavour, creamy and not too sweet. They are also normally made mainly with real and simple ingredients, like nuts and fruits, which I absolutely love.

 

My friend ordered a cappuccino with coconut milk and I ordered a hibiscus tea that came in a big cuppa! It fell like a huge hug coming from a cup. We also ordered these two slices of vegan raw cheesecake (gluten free and only naturally sweetened) to share. And yes, they were as good as they look. * win win *

If I remember well, these were flavours of the cheesecakes we ordered: Dried apricot and Chocolate & Pomegranate and Raspberry cheesecake.

There was a wide variety of them, which just made it harder to decide which ones to get. Anyhoo, we were both very happy and satisfied with our choices. They were not only aesthetic pleasing but also pretty sinful.

About the cafe and service offered

I found the cafe to be slightly overpriced (certainly more expensive than most places in Budapest) and perhaps a little bit overhyped too. It is a small cute cafe with tasty vegan sweet treats but it seems like it is just lacking in soul. It is not exactly the food spot that I would describe as cozy or inviting.  The entire atmosphere is a bit “meh” and the fact that there is not a real coffee espresso machine, makes it all seem a bit amateurish. Also, the staff did not come across as being very welcoming, friendly or even passionate about her work. This was, in all honesty, a bit disappointing to experience. I mean, do not get me wrong, we still enjoyed to come here due to the delicious sweet treats and hot beverages we had. They hit the spot and were just what we needed but I feel like this would not be a honest review if I did not mention the less positive sides of the service.

 

All in all, I think that the place is just not being explored to its full potential. It is a real shame because the food concept is attractive (i.e. all 100% plant-based, raw and gluten free food ) and the menu offers a good variety of healthy and nourishing savoury dishes and sweet treats. Plus, it is in a fairly central and popular area (near the Parliament).

From what I have looked up online,Veggie Raw Vegan Bistro was actually the first 100% raw vegan restaurant opening in Hungary. I am glad I had the chance to visit it and I have now formed an opinion by having experienced it first-hand. I’d still recommend this place in to any person who happens to be in Budapest and is curious about raw vegan food and/or who is a cheesecake lover.

Much Love,

Blissfully Grateful

2018 Travel Bucket List

Because traveling is a way to get out of the rut and expand our views about the world, I decided that one of my top goals for 2018 would be to “travel more”. Traveling can be such an enriching experience to one’s self as it teaches us to stare down our fears, step out of our comfort zone and build confidence, at the same time that offers us a chance of reconnecting and truly “finding” our true self.

Even though I have lived in three different European countries so far, I have only been to 9 out of the 44 countries of Europe. I have still so much to see and explore! Thus, this year I aim not only to explore more of the countries that I have already been but also travel to countries in which I have never been before. Plus, I need to make good use of the fact of being living in such a central country in Europe: Holland.

England, Portugal, Spain, France and Germany are all countries where I have been several times before. Nevertheless, I am of the opinion that there is always something new to see every time you go back to a country (despite visiting new cities or not). Every trip is a new adventure and experience and we would be missing out on life if we chose not to travel.

So, here is my travel bucket list for 2018:

MARCH

England

• Birchington
• Ramsgate
• Ashford
• London

APRIL

Spain

• Madrid

JUNE

Portugal

• Albufeira
• Lisbon
• Leiria

Germany

• Recklinghausen

JULY

England

• York
• Harome
• Terrington
• Whitby
• Birchington
• Margate

Germany

• Dusseldorf

SEPTEMBER

France

• Paris

Switzerland

• Lausanne
• Geneve
• Interlaken
• Zurich

NOVEMBER

Hungary

• Budapest

DECEMBER

Portugal

• Leiria
• Lisbon

I am super excited and very much looking forward to new travel adventures. As Peter McWilliams, once said: “Nothing adventured, noting attained.” ♥

 

Is traveling more part of your 2018 bucket list? What are some of the countries you look forward to visit? Have you been in a trip recently? Please tell me in the comment section below! 🙂

Much Love,

Blissfully Grateful

 

A lovely day in London.

 

I travel to the UK quite often, normally to South East England, the seaside of Kent. It is absolutely beautiful there.  However, every time I have the opportunity of going to London, which is where my sis and one of my besties are currently living, I happily take it!

I’d say that London is most probably one of my favourite cities in Europe. Its hustle and bustle, all the amazing free museums and art galleries/exhibitions, the historic architecture and old stunning buildings, the food culture, the black cabs and red buses, its tucked-away shopping streets; its characteristic theatres, old English pubs and coffee shops; the riverside area; the music scene, etc (…). Plus, for a nature lover like me, the fact that you are never be far from a park is just another thing that allures me about this big city! There is always something exciting happening in London and I feel like you can never know the city too well as it is always changing.

I travelled to England about two months ago to visit my boyfriend and we decided to go to London for a day. I though I’d share what we did there as we both had such a great time, despite the grey-ish weather. Plus, as you guys must know by now, I love to talk about all my happy experiences and could not miss this opportunity.

We headed to London early-ish in the morning and shortly after having a quick breakfast at home. My boyfriend had some coffee and toast and I had a bowl of soya yoghurt with berries.

 

We had a lovely and smooth train journey and we arrived to London at around 10:30am.

11pm: Lovely stroll around St. James Park. Okay, the weather might not have been great but it did not prevent us from enjoying the greenery.

 

1pm: First stop – Restaurant Tibits. Since the day started early, when lunchtime came around, my boyfriend and I  were craving some yummy, filling and nourishing food. This vegan lunch just hit the spot! As the planner that I am, I had looked up this restaurant prior heading to London and it did not disappoint one bit. Undoubtedly, one of the best vegan restaurants we have ever been to. Even though it’s a self-service buffet, you can taste just how fresh the ingredients are. This place is seriously a haven of health with a great atmosphere and its wide variety of plant-based (main and dessert!) dishes is to die for.  It might not be the cheapest restaurant in London to get some food but it is certainly worth the money.

2pm: Catch up with my sis over a cup of green tea at the cafe bar at Royal Albert hall (no photos taken). At that time she was finishing her PhD at Imperial College London and undergoing the busiest and most stressful time since she started her studies. I was super glad that she took a break from her PhD thesis to meet us. She was able to take her mind out off it for a couple of hours and we all enjoyed the time we spent together.

 

 

4pm: A walk down Regent Street. Its beautiful architecture towering along both sides of the road amazes me every single time I see it.

 

 

5pm: Tea O’clock. Well, at least for me. Apparently, I am the only one in this relation who is not British but has the habits of someone who is! haha We have also met up one of my best girlfriends, whom I hadn’t seen in over two years, at this lovely English pub. It was so nice to be reunited with her and realise that nothing has changed between us since we both move to different countries. I have missed her so much. Seeing her again has also reminded me of how important is to make the effort to keep our friends close in order to maintain lifelong friendships. ♥

7:30pm: Musical “Wicked” at Apollo Victoria Theatre. I really enjoyed watching it in the company of my love. I’d say that the narrative and overall performance of all actors and actresses involved is superb. The singing, the dancing, the lovely scenes were kind of magical as well as how the entire story unfolded.

 

All in all, it was a long but oh-so-fulfilling day! It was so nice to build some new and beautiful memories in London, which is the main reason why I love each and every time I go there; whether it is for several weeks in a row or just for a single day.

 

Hope you have enjoyed reading this post! Have you ever been to London? If so, did you enjoy it? What are things that you find most fascinating about the city? Let me know in the comments! 🙂

 

Much Love,

Blissfully grateful