Imereti - Off Fountain Square

Imeretti is again, one of those places, that we have been to a couple of times but have never reviewed. So when we went for lunch this week we decided to write a quick review.

Patisserie Taste Test - Coffee To Go

I noticed the other day a little coffee shop that appeared on the main street just up from fountain square near the Economic University. When walking past today, suffering from lack of breakfast, we stopped for a coffee and croissant. Taste test it is then...

Chinar - Baku

This is now our fourth time at Chinar so we thought we better blog about it. We usually try and get there for lunch as it is very quiet and they do a relatively inexpensive business lunch menu.

Afternoon Tea at the Four Seasons - Old City

Between being pregnant and not wanting to even talk about food and looking after a demanding tiny person, it has been rather a long time since I posted on our blog, but afternoon tea seemed like reason enough to start writing again! It is the Gurban Bayram holiday here in Baku and what better way to start our week off than by having a girly afternoon with high tea at the Four Seasons. 

We had booked a table and pre-ordered our high tea - the only thing we needed to choose was the tea that we would drink with our meal. We opted for fresh mint tea from a rather extensive tea menu. It was a rather pleasant surprise when three tiers of plates were delivered to our table. The menu was not the same as the one online and I was rather disappointed not to have a macaroon to try, but all the same I was looking forward to trying the selection in front of me. 

First up were the sandwiches. The tomato and pesto melba toast was delicious, the jelly-like tomato was sweet and perfectly balanced with the tangy pesto hidden in the fresh cherry tomato. Next up was the salmon blini which was tasty. 

The actual sandwiches were disappointing. They had obviously been made a long time before they arrived at our table, the bread was stale and the edges were hard. The egg mayonnaise sandwich was nothing special and the other one, well I am not sure what the filling was, but none of us finished it. 

Patisserie Taste Test - Entree

Entree is the new kid on the block in Baku. The chain has moved over from Tbilisi, Georgia and has opened three cafe's at once. I popped into the one closest where I live to see what all the fuss is about. Time for another patisserie taste test!

Korchma - Ukrainian in the heart of Baku

First of all, although this may be the first time we are writing about Korchma, it is by far not the first time we have visited. This little gem of a place has been drawing us into it's potato filled basement from the first time we were introduced. We have never had a bad meal here, and after countless times of going, as well as taking any and all guests that have visited us, it is time to tell the world how great they are.

Madison - Port Baku

When you talk about burgers in Baku, there used to be only one place, Sunset Burgers. However over the past few months, a larger selection have become available. We have tried a few around town (Casual Brasserie, Rock bar in Kempinski) but the burgers at Madison have toped them all. 

Vapiano - Baku

Vapiano is a chain of restaurants and has opened (relatively) recently in Baku. We've been a couple of times now and the food has been good on both occasions. Service, however, was unpredictable. 

Brunch at the Marriott - Baku

Anywhere you can go and sit for 4 hours, with friends, and eat until you are stuffed is good by me. We have had a couple of brunches in Baku but our favourite by far has been at the Fireworks restaurant at the Marriott Hotel.

Maria's Birthday @ Four Seasons Kaspia and Garage Iskendar

Well, It's that time of year where Anthony has to do something special otherwise he might get shouted at. He decided to surprise Maria by inviting her friends for a fancy drink and that most romantic of meals - the Kebab. 

Casual Brasserie - Off Fountain Square

While still making our way through the list, we ended up (after all the house work was done) having a very late lunch at Casual Brasserie. 

Beyrut - Off Fountain Square

Well, we are back in the world of Baku after our Vietnam Holiday. After we realised that we saw more of Hanoi in three days that we have of Baku in 6 months, we are trying to explore a few more restaurants. Our first stop on my Baku treats list if Beyrut.

Paul's Steak House

We have heard a lot about this place from the expat experts. We were skeptical as we didn't think anything could match up to Hawksmoor (FYI - nothing can) but Dan had invited us out for his birthday so we joined in the fun.

Turkish place on Nizami

After 10 weeks of school, the last week was really dragging. So to celebrate hump day (Wednesday to those not in the know) we decided to venture out with Patti and Dave to a Turkish place off Fountain Square that Dave said has just been refurbished.

We arrived just after 6 and Dave was disappointed that the serving area didn't have something that he said looked quite good. But we found a place to sit and had a look at the vast menu. After speaking to a waiter with very good English, we decided to have a wonder around the serving area pointing at what looked good.

Shaurma No1 - Fuzili

After a heavy night at I can't remember where, we decided that we were going to go and investigate a brand new market for our weekly shops. After 2 markets and no purchases we thought that it was time for lunch. We had heard a few of our friends talk about Shaurma No1 (a very small chain in Baku) so we decided to go for it.

Pencere (Penjere)

Dancing and ANUS! (we might as well say it now because we will be using that term a little later in the post.) This about sums up what Pencere on a friday night. The dancing was interesting and culturally  significant - well, not really. Girls in odd outfits dancing around when the dance floor was free. The food (and beer) however was not bad.

Green Market - near 28May

On a lazy sunday morning - Anthony's mobile bleeps;

"We're going to the 'Green Market' if you guys wanna come with us"

"Of course," we say! And the next thing you know, Dan (Dan the ipad man) and Iryna are taking us on a journey (bus, metro and a walk) to find the 'Green Market'. 

(Anthony was unsure if it was called green due to the fact it sold vegetables or if it was surrounded by a huge green wall!) 

We walked in and were met with all of the sights, sounds and smells of a bustling market. Fruit was sold out of car boots and lorries, whilst some merchants were taking the time to stack their produce (by size) in a neat little tower. 

Butternut Squash Muffins with Lemon Drizzle

Butternut Squash Muffins with Lemon Drizzle

The fruit and vegetables here in Baku are rather more seasonal than in the UK so we are learning to make the most of them while they are available. So yesterday Anthony bought a huge butternut squash - 3.5kg for about £1.50! 

After much time spent researching recipes and looking for the best way to freeze this delicious vegetable, I came across this Jamie Oliver recipe for butternut squash muffins. I particularly like the fact that they were dairy free and therefore suitable for some of my new friends here in Baku. 

Tosca - on the Boulevard

We visited Tosca on a warm Hump Day evening. The Caspian was a bit choppy from the wind that was blowing from the south, so of course we decided to sit outside. 

Kichik Gala Street Tandir - Old City

When you read any of the guides for Baku, the food chapter always has a large section about bread! The bread we have had since we got here has been fantastic but we had not yet tried tandir bread. We decided to make the most of our long Ramadan weekend and headed off to the old city to find a traditional Azeri breakfast.