The Most Beautiful Cafe in the World (Literally)

Finding the most beautiful cafe in the world is no easy task.

In fact, it's a miracle I found it at all.

Cafe Buza is buried deep in the heart of Old Town Dubrovnik, Croatia. Where is Dubrovnik, Croatia you might ask? Not anywhere close to America unfortunately....here is a map.

The only signage pointing the way to Cafe Buza

Dubrovnik itself is an amazing place built along the coast of the Adriatic Sea and every view from the city is breathtaking and stunning. The "Old Town" is a fortress like city center where you have to enter through a stone wall to get into downtown.

Before my recent journey to Dubrovnik, I did a little research to find the most amazing cafe in town. (Yes, when I travel...food is a primary focus of my visit). Every online article I read explained that Cafe Buza is the most beautiful cafe in the entire world. It's located on the outside of the stone walls like a cliff over the ocean.

However, the challenge is that it's extremely difficult to find. While Cafe Buza has become somewhat of a tourist attraction due to it's elegance and beauty, it's still almost impossible to get to.....which is all a part of the adventure.

The cafe itself has the nickname, "The Hole in The Wall" cafe because you literally have to walk around the interior stone wall of the city and then look for the "hole" in the wall that leads to a stair case that goes down to the cafe.

Cafe Buza are the umbrellas on the outside of the brick wall.

When I arrived in Dubrovnik, I was already committed to searching out and finding Cafe Buza. So I set out on my journey with no idea where I was going. The Cafe Buza website does give some hints, but when you're in a city a million miles away from your home any directions are confusing.

Finally, after a 30 minute run-around I came across the simple sign pictured above with the short message that a cafe with a beautiful view is just around the corner. Moments later I walked by a "hole in the wall". Probably about 5 1/2 feet high and 4 feet wide, the hole opens up directly to the stunning ocean and a staircase that goes down below to the famous Cafe Buza.

Captivated by the hole itself, I couldn't help but stop and take a bunch of pictures before completing my journey by walking down the steep and narrow stairs to the cafe.

At the bottom of the stairs a host is waiting to greet and seat you. The vibe of the cafe is extremely laid back and casual.  Light music is playing in the background and the panoramic view of the entire Adriatic Sea is right before your eyes....in a word it's simply breathtaking. Soon after arriving I realized that I was standing in what might just be the most amazing cafe/restaurant location on earth.

The "Hole in the Wall" leading to Cafe Buza

Once my jaw finally closed after getting over the shock and awe of the view I glanced over the simple menu. Cafe Buza's offering comprised of: coffee, Coke products, beer and some pre-made deli sandwiches. I ordered a small iced coffee, sat back relaxed and tried to take it all in.

My $3 iced coffee arrived, and much to my surprise it was about 4 oz tall and tasted awful. For some reason, I just assumed that the most beautiful cafe in the world also likely had the most amazing coffee in the world.

Wow was I wrong, apparently Cafe Buza is banking on the fact that they have a perfect location and therefore there is very little attention put on the food/drinks.....not that it hardly mattered. No one seemed to care and the place was packed.

After an hour of lounging and taking in the view, I made my exit back up the stair case and through the hole in the wall back into the city.

Cafe Buza is a restaurant visit that I probably will never forget. The entire experience was so astonishing it didn't even seem real. So, you're probably wondering....is it worth hopping on a plane to fly to Dubrovnik, Croatia just to go to Cafe Buza? Yes, yes it is - you should probably book your flight now....there is no sense in waiting.

How far have you traveled just to go to an amazing restaurant?

No Butter, No Fryer, No Good?

"We don't have a fryer in the restaurant."

The server said proudly as I sat down at our table at Seasons 52.

....you don't have a fryer......what am I doing here again?

As my short term memory came back to me I realized that I had come to Seasons 52 to "eat fresh healthy food" that's all under 475 calories.

The atmosphere of Seasons is breathtaking and it smells magnificent when you walk in. Extremely sheek, tight and stylish. The message inside is: "we're classy, sophisticated and healthy...you should love us"

In fact the name "Seasons 52" comes from how they change their core menu "with the season" and change their specials menu every single week. 

Somehow, they seem to make it work with elaborate food presentations and a wide food variety considering that everything is under 475 cals. They're famous for their flatbreads....for a very good reason. Imagine a long skinny pizzza with all kinds of awesome toppings. We had the Spicy Chipotle Shrimp Flatbread and yes it lived up to it's name.

Now, for a giant long skinny pizza with a bunch of cheese, shrimp, etc smothered on top I have a very hard time believing that all of their menu offerings are actually under 475 calories. It just doesn't seem possible, apparently however......it is. How? Two words: no butter. There is no butter in the restaurant at all (see video below).



Ok, so all things considered. Let's get real here people.

"We're all so impressed that you're 'seasonally inspired' and don't have a fryer in the restaurant or any butter" But now I can honestly tell you that while the flatbread was delicious......everything else was just "eh".

Once you get over the sex appeal of the design and the under 475 calorie menu, you're basically left with mediocre low calorie food in a gorgeous building.

Let's take the side dishes for example. For my main course I ordered the Blackened Fish Sandwich served on a whole wheat bun with chipotle lime remoulade sauce. It was served with a side salad. Now, I don't know how you like your salads, however I insist mine come with lots of cheese and lots of dressing....that's what makes the salad good. Seasons 52 salad was.....lettuce and a couple veggies on top. No cheese, and there was barely enough salad dressing to be noticiable.

Sure, it was under 475 calories....but it definitely wasn't as good as it could have been for just a bit more.

Frankly, I appreciate and value the fact that there is a restaurant that offers "healthy" menu options....I just wish that butter and fried foods were still an option...but I must admit, their mini desserts are killer good.

What do you think? Can I restaurant without a fryer or any butter be any good?

Fruit Has Never Tasted This Good

When it comes to smoothies......I usually prefer chocolate, candy or some other dessert item blended into tiny bits to be sucked through a straw vs. fruit.

However, with all of the hype that McDonald's has been making about their new "real fruit smoothies" I decided I couldn't go on any longer without at least giving them a try.

"Real Fruit" Smoothies from McD

I was in line for breakfast getting ready to order my Bacon Egg & Cheese (the most satisfying breakfast sandwich in the world)  and the advertisement for the real fruit smoothie was staring me down. It looks tasty, it sounds tasty and oh wait.....it's only $2.29......and only over 200 calories (that makes me feel nice) so yes, I'll have one.

A few moments later the blender in the background starts grinding (I never saw WHAT they put in the blender) and out comes my Strawberry & Banana Smoothie.

Slrrppppr Surupllggppp.

After my first initial sucks....it tastes good. The flavors of strawberry and banana are nice, thick and smooth. It didn't take long for my wife to get a hold of it and make her judgement as well.  She probably took more sips than she needed which was an immediate hint that she thought it was good and then finally after about 15 solid seconds of sucking down the smoothie as fast as possible she handed the cup back to me and gently said, "ya, it's good."

Maybe my expectations were low or maybe I felt like I was sinning because I ordered a smoothie at McDonalds instead of Jamba Juice  but whatever the case.....I really did not want to like this smoothie.

Unfortunately.....I did. It was delicious enough to order again and based on the fact that it's HALF the price of a smoothie at Jamba Juice or Planet Smoothie it was far better than expected.

Again, candy mixed in with ice cream (also known as a Blizzard) is better than fruit mixed with....fruit. BUT if I have to eat fruit, I guess I would prefer to suck it through a straw.

Have you tried the McD's Smoothie yet?

Bern's Steak House...So Amazing It Almost Killed Me

"Oooooooh Bern's"

Is the reaction you'll get from someone in Tampa, FL if you tell them you're going to have dinner at Bern's Steak House. Luxurious, sophisticated, and memorable, Bern's is the definition of the ultimate fine dining restaurant experience.

Bern's is known for their comprehensive wine menu (with bottles up to $10,000) and "art in steaks". Their approach is to hand cut every single steak they serve and then cook them to perfection to ensure the complete meal satisfaction.

So....with expensive bottles of wine....and even more luxurious steaks I pondered how I even managed to get an invitation to eat a Bern's as I walked through the door on a recent visit.

Bern's Steakhouse - looks better on the inside...

I was running a bit late so appetizer's had already been ordered....one of which included a Lobster Corn Dog.

Yes, a Lobster Corn Dog. A normal corn dog would have been far to mediocre for Bern's.

I was freaked out at first, but after just one bite of the Lobster Dog...I was completely convinced. Never will I eat a normal corn dog again (ok, that's not true). The juicy and moist lobster mixed with the thick corn bread like shell was unexpectedly delicious.

Right after the appetizers came out we ordered our entrees. Steaks are not ordered as you would normally imagine at a regular steakhouse. It's an entire process due to the comprehensive menu and options for steak preparation. Take a look at just the number of choices of steaks and ounces here.

I opted for the 9oz Chateaubriand fillet with a baked potato, fresh salad and french onion soup. Moments later my french onion soup came out and simply said........I almost died. The cheese melted on top of the crouton was absolutely remarkable. It was thick like glue (in a good way) and the most satisfying cheese I've ever tasted.

When I was eating the salad for some reason the vegetables tasted extremely fresh. You may know that I'm not much of a vegetable guy....but yet these veggies were delicious. I was so dumbfounded as to why they were so good that I asked my server where they got them from..."Oh, from our farm about 8 miles away" Uuhhh.....this place is legit.

After I already had stuffed my face, the large and sensational looking fillet came out. As it was placed in front of me I pulled out my fork (yes my fork because I didn't need a knife) and cut through the tender steak to take my first bite......complete sensation. Every single bite was like a precious and rare gift.

Upon finishing our meals, our server asked us if we wanted to take a tour of the kitchen and view the "wine room". At first I thought he was joking......what kind of restaurant offers tours of their kitchens?

Eager to check the place out, we were led to the kitchen and met by another server who walked us through the enormous kitchen to explain the extreme level of detail that Bern's goes through to make their food complete perfection.

Image this - a flat top grill large enough to grill 200 steaks at the exact same time at the exact same temperature. There is a cutting station...as every steak order comes in, a chef literally cuts the meat right then and there and proceeds to give it to the chef on grill.

Bern Laxer, sampling the largesse of his 6,500-bottle wine cellar

The amazing cheese that I had in my French Onion soup? They're aging it in their refrigerator right in the kitchen.


At the end of the tour we went through two doors into the 50 degree wine room/cellar which had dim lighting and the most extensive wine collection I've ever laid eyes on. Thousands....upon thousands of bottles all stacked up probably 15-20 feet high....wall to wall.

In one section of the wine cellar with it's many rows and aisles there was a locked gated section that contains bottles of wine dating back to the 1800s. Their oldest bottle is from 1827 (yes, the year 1827) and they do sell it by the glass. For a half ounce it's $250.

Bern's meets up to their expectation. Impeccable service, unmatched food and a truly compelling atmosphere.

Just wait till I tell you about the dessert room...