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Ibiza Love Part III: In no particular order here are tips for an awesome stay on Ibiza

Even from outside the Giri Café looks inviting

I still remember when I drove to San Juan five years ago, a small, sleepy village in the north of Ibiza. It was early afternoon, the streets were empty, the houses and a few shops closed, the sun burnt hot – deadly silence. Only one café was open and turned out to be the rescue – to all intents and purposes.

What a great mix of materials and furniture

Towards the church situated on an idyllic place of San Juan, the Giri Café is immediately visible: in front of the door of an old, ibizan townhouse, elegant wicker furniture instead of cheap plastic chairs invite to stay and to chill. Inside the Giri Café itself you’ll find modern architecture, different, small rooms with cosy seating corners, a successful mix of materials and furniture. Great drinks and cocktails are being mixed at the bar – who would have thought that?

Good idea: The patio is optically magnified by mirrored windows

View into the kitchen: Soul-Food cooked with Love

The actual highlight – besides the extraordinarily good cuisine – is the bordering garden with additional comfy seats, daybeds and a children’s corner (in hay!), which is atmospherically illuminated in the evening. Here one will experience real holiday happiness at the latest.

Chill time: Between beds with organic vegetables there are sitting areas and daybeds

The interior partly documents that the owner of the Giri Café is Danish, as it seems pretty Nordic. Rosa came as a child through her hippie parents on the island, where she’s living with her own family for 15 years now. Everything started with a beautiful boutique-hotel, The Giri Residence. The idea of The Giri Café developed in order to host the guests appropriate. By the way Giri – el guiri – actually stands for ‘foreigner’, ‘stranger’, which Rosa – whose children grow up on Ibiza – is not at all anymore.

The Scandinavian-inspired design is reminiscent of the roots of the Danish owner

The Giri is more than only a café that offers breakfast and lunch. There, friendly staff is serving modern, Mediterranean cuisine of highest standards with fresh ingredients from the region. A lot is handpicked in the own bio garden, in which herbs, salads, strawberries, tomatoes and other vegetables and fruits are being grown. Here I like to sit with a glass of Rosé – my favourite is the “Ibiskus” – and can hardly believe my luck.  BvH

Inside the Giri Café, there are several sitting areas …

… where you can sit comfortably while enjoying Snacks and Tapas

I like the Giri Café especially in the evening …

… when the setting sun creates a special light in the garden …

… and you really want to be nowhere else

Tip:

Every Sunday San Juan transforms itself into a colourful market with live music. On the place and along the small streets handicrafts, jewellery and ceramics are being offered.

Contact The Giri Café:

Plaza Espana 5
07810 San Juan
Ibiza, Spain
(from April until October)

+ 34 971 333474

www.thegiricafe.com

The post Ibiza Love: The Giri Café appeared first on My Stylery.

Chutnify: only 40 seats, a small but fine menu and a homy atmosphere

Aparna Aurora, founder and owner of the “Chutnify”

Aparna Aurora is actually a fashion designer and designed her collections for GAP, Hugo Boss and other brands for over 20 years. Born in Delhi and coined by lots of stays in South India, Aparna Aurora already lived in ten countries. Besides her mother language Hindi she speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese and German fluent. 2013 Aparna Aurora came to Berlin with her husband and her children. The enthusiastic amateur chef first made a stab at catering, before she opened her own restaurant “Chutnify” in Prenzlauer Berg last November. With only 40 seats and a small but fine menu, “Chutnify” developed very quickly to one of the top hotspots in the Berlin restaurant scene.

The Indians that are often coming to eat appreciate the authenticity of the offered dishes

MyStylery: How did you come up with the name “Chutnify”?
Aparna Aurora: I was fascinated by Salman Rushdies roman “Midnight’s Children”, in which the term “Chutnification” stands for the transformation from the Indian into the English language. The advancement and change is also the claim for our dishes. Chutney is a main part of the Indian kitchen and for us the centre of all our dishes.

The small menu includes each seven starters and main courses; prices lie between 4 and 14 Euros

MS: The Indian restaurants in Berlin have a rather moderate reputation. Do you see a challenge in this for Chutnify? On what do you place your special focus?
AA: We were pretty certain that our concept is going to work out. Especially the Berliners are open and adventuresome concerning restaurants. We’re cooking after old Indian recipes and our chutneys are freshly made everyday. Generally our fresh ingredients are being made in their region; we relinquish ready-made products, chemical flavour enhancers and heavy cream sauces. The guests each choose between seven starters and main courses, we are cooking low in fat, gluten free and offer vegan and vegetarian options.

You cannot make a decision? Then order a “trying-plate” for two or enjoy a drink at the bar

MS: Your attention to detail already starts with the design of your menu, which is held together by cardboards and tells the story about the region and ingredients of each dish. What’s about the dosas?
AA: Dosa is like an Indian wrap consisting out of lentils and rice on a base of a fermented sourdough. In the Indian kitchen dosas are so popular that they’re being served to nearly every meal, no matter what time. It took us about eight months to create the perfect dosa recipe.

Not only my favourite dish, but also the one of the first Indian Prime Minister: Tandoori Chicken Dosa with marinated chicken, fresh vegetables and a natural dosa, delicious!

MS: When I’m thinking of Indian restaurants I’m thinking of elephants, lotus blossoms, Shiva, waving flags and orange pennants…
AA: … and this is the exact cliché we didn’t want to fulfil. We wanted to create a rather colourful, cosy living room-atmosphere, with Indian details like old advertising posters or matchboxes. We renovated for three weeks. Everyone had to lend a hand. For example my husband and children painted the chairs. And there’s always something to do. Right now we’re designing the outdoor area with 40 seats. The summer can come.  BvH

अपने भोजन का आनंद लें – Enjoy your meal!

The check comes in a miniature “Tuk Tuk”

Good to know: due to the big demand, tables are being transmitted to the next guests after two hours

The outdoor area with 40 seats: The summer can come

अपने भोजन का आनंद लें – Enjoy your meal!

Tip: Booking is a must!

Contact:
Chutnify
Sredzkistrasse 43
10435 Berlin

+30 44010795

www.chutnify.com

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