Travel

Manzana de Java: The [Current] Best Restaurant In San Juan

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Bisteca fritta. Manzana de Java. San Juan, Puerto Rico.

We have been to San Juan, Puerto Rico numerous times. It is one of our very favorite places to eat and drink, especially thanks to some restaurant recommendations from local friends. Last weekend, we returned for a long weekend simply to escape the cold. Given that two of our favorite restaurants are permanently closed (Jose Enrique and Celeste), I had to find some new restos! I came across Manzana de Java in my research and then saw that it was one of Bad Bunny’s favorite restaurants. Sold. I booked a reservation several weeks in advance and could only get the first seating of 6:30 PM.

The entrance to Manzana de Java restaurant in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico

The entrance to the restaurant.

La Manzana de Java, literally translating to the Java Apple, is located in Santurce on a quiet street. It’s truly a whole in the wall with only 20 seats. Hence, the difficulty in securing a reservation. La Manzana has 3 seatings nightly, the early seating (5:30, 6:00, and 6:30), a regular seating (7:00, 7:30), and a late seating at 9:00 or 9:30. Tables are grouped in groups of 2 or 4, and it could be difficult to have a much larger party here without renting out the whole restaurant.

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The Naxos Apothecary: A Portara View Restaurant in Chora, Naxos

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Dinner served at The Naxos Apothecary in Chora, Naxos

For those familiar with the Greek beauty and skin care brand Korres, you may have heard of its owners’ upscale beauty and skin care brand, The Naxos Apothecary. Inspired by Greece’s oldest homeopathic pharmacy, The Naxos Apothecary brand makes lovely beauty products, skin care, and scents. The brand is somewhat difficult to find outside of Greece, so I definitely recommend picking some up while you are there. In any case, The Naxos Apothecary also has a restaurant and store combination located right in Chora, Naxos. This post reviews my lovely dinner at The Naxos Apothecary in July 2025. It was one of seven places we ate in Chora, all of which are in our guide to the best restaurants in Naxos Town.

The Naxos Apothecary restaurant and shop in Chora, Naxos, Greece

The Naxos Apothecary Restaurant.

First off, The Naxos Apothecary is located at the far end of Chora port’s restaurant row, very close to the entryway to the Portara. It can be a bit difficult to find unless you are walking to the Portara. The establishment itself is both a restaurant/wine bar/tea cafe and a shop selling some of the brand’s most famous products (although the selection was not that great in my opinion). We did not make a reservation and were able to snag an outdoor table just after sunset on a Friday evening, which was pretty lucky. I suggest making a reservation. The restaurant is small and also offers, at least from the outside tables, a slight glimpse of the Portara and an excellent sunset view.

View of the Portara and the sea from an outdoor table at The Naxos Apothecary

View from our table.

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Christmas Tea at Edinburgh Castle: A Festive Treat or Just Regular Afternoon Tea?

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Christmas Tea. Edinburgh Castle, Scotland.

When we visited Edinburgh for Hogmanay, I could not resist booking a “Christmas Tea” at Edinburgh Castle. It sounded magical. We reserved and paid for the tea in advance, excited for a festive afternoon surrounded by holiday cheer. The experience turned out to be fun and fine—though not quite as Christmasy as I’d hoped or imagined. It ended up being more of a regular tea, just taking place during the Christmas season. In this post, I’ll share all the details of our Edinburgh Castle Christmas Tea and what to expect if you’re planning to go yourself! And side note, I am pretty sure the Edinburgh Castle Tea is very similar to the Christmas Tea year round, so read this before booking any Edinburgh Castle Tea experience.

Standing in front of the entrance gate at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

In front of Edinburgh Castle. You cannot get past the entrance gate without a ticket.

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Tottenham Hotspur Premium Travel Club Review: Is the Hospitality Package Worth It?

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Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium.

Last January, Dan and I spent a long weekend in London with our friends, Bryan and Pryor. Bryan is a Tottenham Hotspur supporter (yes, I have the lingo down), and Hotspur were playing in London on the one full day we were in town. We purchased Hotspur tickets with access to the Travel Club Premium Lounge in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This post provides a detailed description of what you can expect when purchasing a Hotspur ticket with access to the Travel Club Premium Lounge.

Our group at a Tottenham Hotspur match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London

Here’s the group at the Tottenham Hotspur match.

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Restaurant Review: Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio

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Pasta alla Gricia at Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio in Rome

We are big Rome restaurant fans, have a pretty good roster of Rome restaurants, and were very excited to share some of these spots with our friends on our October trip to Rome. We originally planned to take our friends to another Testaccio favorite but we had to pivot at the last minute and luckily scored a reservation at Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio! This was our second visit to Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio, and it was just as great as the first (if not better). Highly recommend Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio for a solid Roman meal in Rome. This post details our dinner at Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio in October 2025.

The exterior of Ristorante Angelina a Testaccio in Rome

Angelina a Testaccio – lunch, dinner and cocktails!

ANGELINA A TESTACCIO

Angelina a Testaccio is a Roman restaurant serving traditional Roman fare, including local wine, delicious appetizers specific to Lazio, and, of course, Rome’s 4 famous pastas! Angelina is one of 3 “Angelina” locations in Rome, and this one is located in Rome’s Testaccio neighborhood. For those unfamiliar, Testaccio is home to Rome’s only pyramid and also used to be the site of Rome’s slaughterhouses, leading to some excellent restaurants (kind of odd, I know). Angelina a Testaccio keeps some of the original slaughterhouse vibe (for lack of a better word, LOL) alive through its architecture, including some original furnishings, its sloping floor, the rods on the ceiling where the skins were attached, the signs indicating the breeds of meat, large fireplaces and in the center, a table recovered from an ancient convent.

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