Welcome to The Negronist

For me, a visit to Ristorante Come Prima is like traveling back in time to my youth. I have known the now sadly former innkeeper Ricardo and his wife Alexandra since my youth. So I was all the more pleased to be able to sit at the regulars' table right in the entrance area again that evening and spend a nice evening. Of course, I had to have a Negroni on principle, even though my expectations were not too high. After all, there was an orange zest, but also a lot of ice cubes. The content was drinkable ;-)

For part 2 of the 40th birthday weekend, we ended up at Papillon. The motto seems to be “come for the food, stay for the vibe”, but I'm not sure if you should really come for the food OR the drinks. Our tomahawk medium rare was cooked medium, and when we complained, there was little understanding. The Negroni was also below average and the addition of lemon and lemon zest didn't make the drink any better. If you're with 5 guys looking for an easy entry into a club, Papillon is a good choice. Otherwise, it's just a way to spend a lot of money without much culinary value.

The start of a 40th birthday weekend in Berlin literally fell "through the water". As it hadn't rained in Berlin for a long time, we had to change our plans for a sparkling wine at the Ruinart pop-up in the Palais Populaire and instead started in the bar of the newly opened Radisson Collection Hotel. Formerly home to the famous and burst aquarium, there is now a relatively sober hotel bar at this location. The Mezcal Negroni was correspondingly sober. Although I had seen a nice mezcal in the bar and therefore had high hopes for a great drink, the result was relatively flat. The look of the drink was also more intentional than skillful.

It was also early summer in Germany at the end of April, so the KINK with its large outdoor area was the perfect location for a “29th” birthday. birthday. Luckily, my girlfriend had made sure that Negroni was on the menu for her birthday party and the KINK version was absolutely solid without being particularly impressive. The drink was also appealing visually and the evening got off to a very successful startt, which lasted well into the night.

A wonderful early summer's day in Palma de Mallorca on the impressive roof terrace of the Es Princep Hotel right next to the city wall. Unfortunately, that was all the highlights... When the waiter asked me what he should replace the mezcal with, “Gin” or “Martini”, I should have been suspicious. The bartender didn't seem to know anything about a negroni either. I was reassured by the fact that the traditional Negroni from Glöri tasted just as bad in the end. It's worth enjoying the view and the sunset there, but better with a drink that doesn't need mixing

A series has to end at some point - but I didn't expect it to end in one of the best restaurants in the Czech Republic. On the last evening of our Easter trip, we went to the Field Restaurant - one of two Michelin-starred restaurants in the Czech Republic - and while the food and wine pairing were truly outstanding, the Negroni disappointed across the board. I had four of the seven (!!!) ice cubes taken directly from the glass and yet the drink was completely watered down. A slice of orange and a wooden stick rounded off the disaster. Unfortunately, the taste behind the water was also average and not convincing. Better start your evening in the Field with a glass of champagne...