Make this summer holiday a staycation with our coastal breaks for foodies – try house-cured gravadlax, local lobster and fish and chips on the UK's best beaches, then sleep in a secluded shepherd's hut or boutique hotel
Looking for the best British seaside holidays for a foodie staycation? Need a gourmet seaside break? Read our guide to the best British seaside holidays, from Devon and Cornwall to Suffolk, Sussex and Yorkshire, then check out our top UK culinary escapes and the best honeymoons for foodies. For more seaside inspiration, check out our guide to the best restaurants in Deal or the best restaurants in Margate. St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex Sitting on the Sussex coast, St Leonards is a seaside towns neighbouring Hastings, with pebble beaches dotted with beach huts. Only an hour and a half from London by train, St Leonards is peppered with antiques shops ideal for hunting for unique and quirky homewares. What foodies can do in St Leonards-on-Sea On King’s Road, you’ll find BAYTE, a café and restaurant championing seasonal produce with Italian references. Menus change regularly, but check out the board for cuts of steak from Haye Farm in Devon. Sirloin is served with a rich browned butter hollandaise. Along the road in Hastings, you’ll find coqunia in Hastings Contemporary art gallery. Views of the sea make this the perfect setting to share small plates like a salad of peaches, shaved fennel and feta alongside a bottle of wine. Where to stay in St Leonards-on-Sea BAYTE is a self-contained three-bedroom apartment that’s is ideal for enjoying a weekend by the sea. It’s a serene, elegant space with wooden parquet floors and lime-washed walls. There are 60s influences in the form of red and cream chequerboard bathroom tiles, and hints of classic French style in the antique bed frames. The combined effect is awash with charm and comfort, where you can mix a cocktail in the well-appointed kitchen and enjoy it on the terrace, or lounge in the sitting room with a coffee and pastry from one of the many local cafes. Whole apartment from £225 a night (two nights minimum stay) – check availability at Airbnb. Margate, Kent A classic English seaside resort that’s been enjoyed by tourists since the 18th century, Margate still retains its appeal with more modern visitors, mixing its old-school coastal charm with cool vintage shops, the famous Turner Contemporary art gallery and bubbling café culture. What foodies can do in Margate To start the day, join creatives for brunch at Forts, known for its focaccia bacon sarnies, choose between Oast's fabulous rotation of sourdough and sweet buns or go for a proper fry up at The Dalby Café, before browsing the bars, shops and galleries along Cliff Terrace, including stylish fragrance store, Haeckels (which also sells a delicious seaweed tea made from locally foraged seaweed and sold in gorgeous glass jars). Mooch along the seafront and breath in the fresh air with next-level fish and chips from Peter's Fish Factory followed by a Melt ice cream. Or walk to the end of Margate's Harbour Arm to Sargasso for a great-value set lunch of moules marinières and a glass of dry sparkling rosé. In the afternoon, work up an appetite by strolling along the coastal path to Botany Bay or embracing the sea water with some lengths in Walpole Tidal Pool. Back inland, you can warm up with coffee and vinyl at Cliffs, enjoy legendary seafood suppers at intimate Angela's or make your way through Sète’s eclectic curation of wines and cheeseboards (they also throw a casual BBQ in the garden every Sunday in August). Where to stay in Margate One of Margate’s iconic seafront buildings opposite Turner Contemporary gallery has been restored to its former life as a hotel. In a nod to its history, sepia photographs and postcards of the seaside town in its bathing holiday heyday line the burnt orange walls. Local connections, including Kentish wine and gin, extend to the food and drink options, served in the smart, intimate ground-floor restaurant complete with flickering fire to warm up the colder months. Breakfast is a real treat, with bacon sarnies offering a satisfying crunch courtesy of hot baguettes from Oast Bakery down the road (that also bakes divine cinnamon buns). A brown paper bag of homemade cookies awaits in the room, best enjoyed with a sherry-laced hot chocolate on the rooftop while watching the sunset over the rugged coastline. Doubles from £140, check availability at fortroadhotel.com or booking.com. Elie, Fife Imagine Cornwall, only quieter. Much of The Kingdom of Fife, just over the Forth Bridge from Edinburgh, is neat farmland and its coastline is peppered with sand and old stone villages. Harbours team with fishing trawlers unloading creels of langoustine and lobster, and lanes are lined with fancy farm shops and Italian ice-cream cafés (check out Jannettas in St Andrews): in summer Fife feels like a giant picnic hamper. This is old-fashioned, make-your-own-fun, bucket-and-spade territory – go cockling on the shore, build sandcastles or tuck into a barbecue in the beer garden. What foodies can do in Fife Join the Fife Coastal Path on a seafood safari through postcard-pretty fishing villages, stopping for smoked fish tacos at East Pier Smokehouse in St Monan’s, deservedly popular fish and chips at Anstruther Fish Bar, and a pint of prawns at Elie’s Harbour Café. Where to stay in Elie The Ship Inn is a local institution with a newly designed upstairs restaurant and six contemporary bedrooms, decked out in a fresh, coastal style with a smattering of junk-shop finds. Contemporary comfort comes from roll-top baths, monsoon showers, flat-screen TVs and espresso machines. From the top-floor ‘Admiral’ room you can gaze down on dog-walkers weaving across the broad, sandy beach. Famous for its fish and chips, the inn champions Scottish seafood and local shellfish (the crab, lobster and langoustine are landed at nearby Pittenweem). Doubles from £190, check availability at booking.com Aldeburgh, Suffolk Aldeburgh, a small seaside town in Suffolk, is famous for its annual food and drink festival, and something of a hot gastronomic ticket. What foodies can do in Aldeburgh The Lighthouse serves simple home-cooked fare with a neighbourhood vibe – including its very own Lighthouse 77 gin, which includes botanicals such as heather and liquorice. Sea Spice is a beautiful restaurant that combines local Suffolk produce with flavourful Indian cooking. The beach is lined with shacks selling boxes of prawns and smoked fish from local artisans including Butley Oysterage. And, like all great coastal towns, there’s the iconic Aldeburgh Fish & Chips made the traditional Suffolk way – fried in beef dripping! Where to stay in Aldeburgh Be it colour palettes and decorative touches inspired by the Suffolk countryside or a guest pantry where you can pour yourself a complimentary cocktail, every detail of this six-bedroom property has been carefully considered. Enjoy the rooftop sea-view terrace, then head down to Sur-Mer restaurant, where chef Tom Payne makes impressive use of Suffolk produce, such as Gressingham duck or Dingley Dell pork. From Butley Creek oysters to lemon sole in Pernod garlic butter, seafood is prominent. Check rates and availability at the-suffolk.co.uk Deal, Kent The genteel coastal town of Deal, on the Kent coast, has gone hip in recent years, attracting artists and second-homers from Hackney and Dalston, who can bomb down to “Dealston” in just over an hour thanks to a fast train service from St Pancras. What foodies can do in Deal Walk to Walmer Castle at one end and visit Deal Pier on your way back. Browse the display window at Jenkin & Sons for shimmering local mackerel, sea trout and locally-caught shrimps. In-house chef Pete Keyes leads the energetic kitchen at lunchtime, turning out hot fishy delights such as fat scallops cooked in their shell with cherry tomatoes and handmade pesto, juicy prawn skewers and fish tacos. Head to Pop Up Cafe for excellent sourdough and croissants, order a bespoke beach picnic from Hut 55 or head to The Frog & Scot for fine wines and a selection of small plates inspired by the bistros of Paris. Where to stay in Deal The Rose is a renovated Victorian inn on Deal’s high street. Downstairs is a bar, restaurant and lounge full of bright vintage furniture, while upstairs are eight bedrooms, each painted in a unique bold hue, inspired by the bright beach balls and deckchairs of the seaside. There’s a relaxed vibe at breakfast with magazines and papers piled high and the menu chalked on a blackboard. Vegetarians can fill up on roast mushrooms with oregano and goats cheese on toast, while the Nordically inclined can opt for the Scandi breakfast plate – smoked salmon with avocado, egg, dill, whipped cream cheese and toast. For dinner, The Rose’s restaurant offers British comfort food with a fresh Aussie feel (think chicken schnitzel jazzed up with fennel slaw), with most ingredients coming from neighbouring suppliers. You can reserve a table in the garden if you’d prefer to sit in the open air. Doubles from £196, check availability at booking.com Babbacombe, Devon Babbacombe is the kind of place Agatha Christie might have sent a recuperating character to: there’s Devon sunshine, blue seas, charming Oddicombe beach (made private by the shelter of a steep, tree-lined cliff) and even an art deco funicular railway linking the beach to Babbacombe’s pretty clifftop green. Standing sentinel over all of this is the Cary Arms, squeezed inside the curve of the bay directly above the beach. Walk along Oddicombe beach via a wooden walkway to reach the funicular (look out for crabs skirting the rock pools below) and catch a ride up the cliffs. Where to stay in Babbacombe The 19th-century Cary Arms’ bedrooms (some dog-friendly) have a fresh, coastal feel. If there are more of you than two, rent one of the adjoining blue-and-white fisherman’s cottages or, for a romantic weekend, book a beach hut. At breakfast, take in the sprawling views of the pink-soil cliffs of the English Riviera while tucking into grilled kippers or the Devon full English. For dinner, pick one of the chef’s seafood specials for the freshest catch, and eat out on the terrace. Doubles from £365, check availability at booking.com Southwold, Suffolk This seaside town sits within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A stretch of brightly coloured beach huts hug the shoreline that leads towards Walberswick – a quieter part of the coast backed with dunes and marshland. What foodies can do in Southwold If you have a car it’s worth exploring the local area. Drive 30 minutes south to Aldeburgh to enjoy the freshest fish and chips, and cones of stem ginger ice cream on the seafront. Another 15 minutes down the road is Orford, a small town home to Pinney’s smokehouse – where you can stock up on locally caught fish – and Pump Street Bakery, for silky smooth hot chocolates topped with homemade marshmallows. Where to stay in Southwold An extensive renovation in 2017 has breathed fresh sea air into The Swan Hotel. There are 35 cheerful bedrooms, a relaxed yet refined restaurant (reservations essential for indoor seating) and separate cosy bar area (the Tap Room). Breakfast is a leisurely affair; make yourself a spicy Bloody Mary with Adnams vodka and Tabasco sauce and choose from the likes of smoked kippers with herb butter and lemon and poached eggs, served Benedict, Florentine and Royale style. Doubles from £190, check availability at booking.com Isle of Sheppey, Kent Elmley National Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey is a sprawling, unspoilt patchwork of meadows and waterways. As such, it’s abundant with wildlife – spot birds of prey, hares, butterflies and dragonflies. You might even catch sight of water voles hiding out near the ponds. What foodies can do in Kent Work up an appetite on a bike ride; there’s a 16-mile cycle route that will take you past all the most notable landmarks on the isle. If you fancy a drive, head out to one of Kent’s great foodhalls: Macknade, in Faversham, or The Goods Shed, in Canterbury. Where to stay on the Isle of Sheppey Waking up in a hut in Elmley Nature Reserve on the remote Isle of Sheppey is magical. Without getting out of bed you can watch magnificent birds glide past the window and hares hop around the fields, all while sipping your coffee. Preserving nature is at the heart of Elmley, while catering to little luxuries. Accommodation ranges from plushly furnished rooms in the 17th-century farmhouse (available for private hire) to remote vintage-styled huts with wood burners and custom built cabins with fully glazed front walls so you can drool over sunsets while snuggled under Romney Marsh wool throws. Some have separate kitchenettes and lounge areas, and boast outdoor tubs for soaking in while listening to the wildlife. Come evening, toast complimentary marshmallows over your own firepit. Breakfast and dinner, both delivered to your room in a hamper, are hearty and filling – think chicken curry with baked potatoes created with Wasted Kitchen using surplus ingredients, and thick-cut bacon sarnies – perfect fuel for long walks to spot owls. Pass the time with books and board games, or pop to the honesty bar for a quick tipple by the fire. In the summer, pizzas and picnics are available to enjoy around the reserve. Check rates and availability at mrandmrssmith.com or elmleynaturereserve.co.uk North Norfolk With its cinematic beaches and big skies, the North Norfolk coast has long drawn walkers, cocklers, twitchers and bucket-and-spaders. But, increasingly, visitors are lured there by the food, with Norfolk’s north-west region being especially flavour-intense. What foodies can do in North Norfolk Take a trip to Brancaster Staithe, where the freshest mussels and local smoked fish are stuffed into baguettes at the Crab Hut, while among Burnham Market’s pretty flint-and-brick cottages, you can buy potted shrimp from Gurneys Fishmonger and Norfolk pork pies from Humble Pie Deli. In nearby Thornham, Eric’s Fish & Chips, opened by Snaith in 2015, elevates the old coastal faves: sustainable fish in beer batter, IPA pickled onions and pineapple fritters. Where to say in North Norfolk Handsome redbrick Titchwell Manor gazes across the marshes. Built in the 1897 as a farmhouse, it’s now a smart 31-room hotel that marries Victorian stateliness with bold, modern brio. The manor guestrooms are a riot of statement wallpaper, vintage pieces and acid colours. There are calmer, more neutral retreats in the converted outbuildings; best is The Potting Shed, a standalone hideaway with log burner, veranda and roll-top bath. Like its rooms, Titchwell’s kitchen caters for all tastes: robust bar staples in the hotel’s Eating Rooms offer counterpoint to the Conservatory’s inventive menus and monthly supper clubs. Doubles from £240, check availability at booking.com Penzance, Cornwall Well on the way to the southernmost tip of mainland Britain, this historic, rough-around-the-edges Cornish town may not be as talked-about as its cousins of Padstow and St Ives, but has plenty of appeal for staycationers looking for a beach-side break. What foodies can do in Penzance Stroll the mile-long shingle promenade beach, or visit one of the neighbouring coastlines, such as that of the fishing port, Newlyn. Drop by Penzance Farmers’ Market, which takes place on Fridays and pick up freshly baked bread and cake, as well as local cheeses and Wild Smoked’s seafood. Polgoon Vineyard is worth a visit too – take in the 24-acre estate and try a self-guided tour and tasting. Where to stay in Penzance Chapel House is tucked away in Penzance’s Old Quarter. The Georgian building, which is replete with landscape paintings by students at Newlyn School of Art, has six stylish rooms. All come with sea views, painted white floors and a mix of antique and Scandi-style furnishings. Take breakfast either in your room, the large stone-flagged kitchen-diner in the basement, or – if the weather allows – out in the garden, and try the speciality of cod’s roe, smoked bacon, samphire and poached egg. On Friday and Saturday evenings, pre-booked suppers are available, too. chapelhousepz.co.uk Sandsend, Yorkshire This small, picturesque fishing village on the edge of the North York Moors National Park comes with a charmingly rugged beach and a rich history. It’s right next to Whitby in North Yorkshire, and affords some great views of the town’s historic abbey, a few miles south. Once you’ve acquainted yourself with Sandsend’s own beach and taken in the views of the 7th-centry cliff-top abbey in the neighbouring town of Whitby, follow the coast down there and climb the 199 steps to see the ruins up close. Then, take that newly roused appetite to Whitby Deli and check out the counter full of fresh meats, cheeses, as well as the shelves lined with wine, craft beer and top-notch ingredients to take home and cook with. Where to stay in Sandsend Estbek House is a restaurant-with-rooms housed in an 18th-century mansion on the edge of the beach. There are five individually styled rooms here, all sympathetic of the building’s regency roots. The kitchen team take regular deliveries of fresh North Sea lobster, Whitby cod and diver-caught scallops, which all compete for your attention on the sustainability-focused, seafood-championing menu created by co-owner-chef Tim Lawrence. Check rates and availability at estbekhouse.co.uk Brighton, East Sussex Known for its bohemian charm, lively seafront and lush surrounding countryside, Brighton has long been a popular seaside destination for holidaymakers from home and abroad. What foodies can do in Brighton Brighton and Hove has a wealth of brunch and lunch options. Why not try Moksha for unbeatable meat, veggie and vegan full English options, and excellent coffee; Mange Tout for French classics including croque madame and croque monsieur; or, for lunch, make your way to restored Victorian seafront food hall Shelter Hall, where an array of seven unique kitchens offers something for everyone, from top-notch burgers and pizzas to Egyptian street food and fish and chips. Come dinnertime, for a treat head over to Dave Mothersill's exceptional Furna opposite the Royal Pavilion for a menu of stunning small plates and audacious wine pairings; Wild Flor for its neighbourhood bistro vibe and superb British-French à la carte menu and wine list; Kindling for superb open-fire cooking, high-welfare meats and sustainable produce; or tiny Brighton institution Bincho Yakitori for adventurous, izakaya-style plates such as Korean-style cauliflower and chicken heart skewers, with warm sake alongside. Where to stay in Brighton Quirky boutique hotel Artist Residence has unique rooms decorated by local artists that overlook the iconic West Pier. There’s a lively cocktail bar serving bespoke drinks, and the hotel's new restaurant is a big hit thanks to a thrilling menu of excellent seasonal small plates. Doubles from £145, check availability at booking.com. Portrush, Northern Ireland This Northern Irish town sits on the Ramore Head peninsula and has three sandy beaches to make the most of – no wonder it’s one of the isle’s most popular resorts. What foodies can do in Portrush Portrush is right on the Causeway Coastal Route, so if you have a car it’s well worth exploring for the gorgeous sea views. Before you set off, head to Babushka Kitchen Café for fab Swedish coffee and homemade bakes. Local foodies flock to Harry’s Shack in neighbouring Portstewart, where you can enjoy fish and chips perched above the beach before taking a post-lunch stroll along the shore. Where to stay in Portrush Nicola Neill has converted an Edwardian townhouse into a luxury B&B, Blackrock House. Welcome drinks and homemade whiskey cake greet guests when they arrive, and Nicola – who grew up nearby in Bushmills, home to the world’s first licensed whiskey distillery – has created a bountiful whiskey honesty bar. Breakfast can be taken in the lounge, on the balcony or in your bedroom. Try a traditional fry up with Belfast tea, or pan-fried salmon and scrambled eggs with purple dulse seaweed. Nicola and her team throw occasional supper clubs too, to showcase produce from local farms and smokehouses. Check rates and availability at blackrockbandbportrush.com Isle of Wight Brits have been holidaying in the Isle of Wight’s resorts since Victorian times, and its sun-soaked charm still remains. On the island’s southern tip you can stay in a hotel (The Royal) that the Michelin Guide has recommended every year since it was first published in 1911. But skip over to Newport or Cowes and you’ll find ambitious young restaurateurs using island produce in sleek, modern recipes. What foodies can do on Isle of Wight Take in the beauty of Tennyson Down (the poet lived on the island for over a decade) on a walk from The Needles to Freshwater Bay, stopping off at Dimbola Lodge for fat scones with jam and cream. Where to stay on Isle of Wight The Royal hasn’t lost its Victorian feel, with manicured lawns and a lofty dining room that looks as if it once doubled as a ballroom. Bedrooms enjoy the same ambience and most are painted sky blue to complement the views of Ventnor Bay, a five-minute walk away. The Royal’s traditional dining room belies the kitchen’s clever, delicate cooking: try whipped goat’s cheese with beetroot sponge, or roasted pollock with fricassee of spring vegetables and pea velouté. Doubles from £270, check availability at booking.com Lyme Regis, Dorset Imposing cliffs, blue seas and historic landmarks earn this coastal resort the title of The Pearl of Dorset. Sandwiched between the Devon and Dorset areas of outstanding natural beauty, it’s right up there with one of the most scenic seaside locations in the country. What foodies can do in Lyme Regis Visit local deli, Ammonite Fine Foods, and browse the shelves of locally produced food and drink – perhaps treat yourself to a bottle of Dorset’s award-winning Pothecary Gin. Or spend the evening at Harriet Mansell's wine bar, Lilac, that breathes life into a 400 year old cellar. Drop into Baboo Gelato on the beachside after exploring The Cobb (Lyme Regis’ famous harbour) and the magnificent, 100-mile long Jurassic Coast. Where to stay in Lyme Regis Alexandra Hotel was originally built as a house in 1735 for the Dowager Countess Lady Poulett. There are 23 rooms here, the most impressive being the sizeable Countess’s Room, with its towering headboard, floral furnishings and grand bay window overlooking the rear gardens and sparkling coastline. The restaurant is named Ammonite after the iconic fossils found along the Jurassic Coast, and focuses on the top-drawer seafood and local produce from the surrounding area. For breakfast, tuck into the West Country plate of dry-cured smoked bacon and award-winning sausages from Axminster, or whole grilled kippers, smoked by Chesil Beach Smokehouse in Bridport. Check rates and availability at hotelalexandra.co.uk Salcombe, Devon Enveloped in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this scenic coastal town hugs the Kingsbridge Estuary and blends sea views with lush, rolling countryside. What foodies can do in Salcombe Work up an appetite with a 45-minute coastal walk from Gara Rock to sandy Mill Bay beach, refuel at the cute little Venus beach café, then hop on the jaunty passenger ferry from East Portlemouth to Salcombe, where you can make your own gin at Salcombe Gin and watch ice-cream being made at Salcombe Dairy. Tuck into chargrilled scallops at cheery, bunting-garlanded beach café, The Winking Prawn. Book a visit to Overbeck’s, a National Trust property, and enjoy a mean cream tea in its tropical gardens overlooking the estuary. Where to stay in Salcombe Hip hotel Gara Rock, perched on a cliff over the harbour from Salcombe, has 12 rustic-chic bedrooms as well as a clutch of stylish self-catering family-friendly cottages – all of which are cleverly positioned to make the most of magnificent coastal views. Gara Rock’s restaurant and terrace offers a relaxed vibe, a limited but reliable menu that caters for all culinary persuasions, and panoramic vistas through floor-to-ceiling windows (tables 115 and 117 have uninterrupted views). Doubles from £548, check availability at booking.com More travel inspiration 10 unique walking holidays for foodies 8 of the most breathtaking train journeys across the world Swap popular tourist spots for these lesser known destinations
Best restaurants in Bruton: where to eat and drink
We check out the best places to eat, drink and shop in Bruton, a small town in Somerset. From local beers and farmhouse cheeses to home-infused spirits, wood-baked bread and locally sourced produce, Bruton has more to offer than just lush green countryside
Looking for where to eat and drink in Bruton? This small town nestled among green rolling hills in Somerset is only 45 minutes from Bath by car, and has become a something of magnet for unconventional chefs and arty culinary creatives in recent years, turning the once quiet market town into a foodie hot spot. Next, check out our pick of the best restaurants in Frome, best restaurants in the Cotswolds and take a look at our guide to small towns across the UK that every foodie should visit. A festive visit to Bruton Whether absorbing art at the Hauser & Wirth or Bo Lee and Workman galleries, or browsing in Bruton’s stylish interiors and lifestyle stores, such as Philo & Philo, Smouk or New Romantic , this boho Somerset town is a chilled enclave in which to recharge before a busy Christmas period – with carols, craft stalls and late shopping. It is a tasty retreat, too. Renowned for restaurants such as Michelin-starred Osip (see below), Italian Da Costa, artisan bakery, wood-fired pizzeria and all-day restaurant, At the Chapel, Matt’s Kitchen, and nearby communal barn dining experience, Horrell & Horrell. Seasonally wrapped in a huge bow (and promising eye-popping decorations at its Blue Ball pub, too), boutique hotel, Number One certainly gets into the Christmas spirit. It recently launched a new restaurant, Briar, with chef Sam Lomas. Should you feel the need to walk off any gastro-indulgence, Bruton has many brilliant walking routes on its doorstep, as does nearby National Trust estate, Stourhead. Its Christmas light trail returns from November 29. Best restaurants in Bruton Da Costa Bruton’s Durslade Farm has replaced Roth Bar and Grill with Da Costa, a space inspired by Veneto, powered by Somerset. Traditional northern Italian dishes make up the menu, much of the veg and herbs for which are grown in the walled garden and cooked on the centrepiece woodfire stove and barbecue. A celebration of the two regions is seen in carpaccio of Durslade Farm beef and Cornish Yarg; handmade buckwheat pasta with fonduta and salt-baked beetroot risotto with toasted hazelnuts and Bruton soft cheese. To drink there are wines from Durslade Farm’s vineyards and amaro, aperitivi and Italian-inspired cocktails. Artwork features vintage photographs of the owner’s grandfather, whose Venetian roots are the inspiration for the restaurant. da-costa.co.uk At The Chapel This light, elegant space proves not only that chapels can be stylishly and successfully converted in the right hands, but also that great food is to be found in the most unlikely of locations. In this case, much of that food comes from the giant wood-fired oven at the front of the building. There's also a bakery space that sells fresh loaves and cakes (among them, commendably, a no-profit loaf designed to make good quality, nutritious bread available to all), and a simple but carefully sourced menu of pizzas – try the Taleggio, field mushrooms and thyme topping. If you’re not a pizza fan, there’s plenty else to tempt, from cos, feta, fennel and almond salads to chargrilled local chicken with lemon, thyme and aioli. This is relaxed, modern food for a relaxed modern crowd (families are very welcome), many of whom book into one of the bedrooms above the restaurant and make a weekend of it. There’s also a wine store on site, with an interesting selection of organic, biodynamic vintages, and a programme of films, talks and events to tap into. atthechapel.co.uk Horrell and Horrell This micro-dining experience sees the eponymous Horrells, chef Steve and host Jules, welcome 20 people to a communal dinner in an open-fronted barn at their home. Using produce from their 6.5-acre smallholding (fruits and nuts, myriad vegetables, even home-reared lamb) and select regional, artisan suppliers (Chapel Cross goat’s cheese; Buffalicious mozzarella; Brown & Forrest smokery), Steve creates a seasonal, four-course menu in his bespoke outdoor kitchen. A southern European influence is clear in dishes such as artichoke fritti, basil mayonnaise and parmesan, or rosemary and garlic lamb, cime di rapa, chilli and pangrattato. horrellandhorrell.co.uk Caro For a small village in deepest Somerset, Bruton punches above its weight in both food and shopping terms. You can combine both of those interests at Caro, a stylish lifestyle store/studio/b&b on Bruton’s High Street that's central to the town’s booming creative scene. Once you’ve browsed Caro’s covetable goodies (including Scandi interiors by Ferm Living), walk further down the street to reach a secluded one-room garden house b&b. Guests are given vouchers for a cooked breakfast at At the Chapel during their stay (try the Somerset baked ham with green eggs and sourdough toast), and it's worth popping into Fifty High St. on the same street for a browse of its functional (but still chic, somehow) homewares and kitchenwares. carosomerset.com Matt’s Kitchen Run by self-taught chef Matt Watson in what was formerly the front room of his house, this intimate restaurant (it seats only 26) serves a single main course dish on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings, plus a choice of starters and desserts. Check the website for the current week’s menus – expect everything from Kenyan chicken and coconut curry to cod masala with fennel bhajis. One note of caution: it’s sometimes closed altogether for private functions. mattskitchen.co.uk Groceries As you might expect, Bruton’s general stores are anything but run of the mill. Up on the High Street, Bill the Butcher has joined forces with Spar and now runs a meat and cheese counter in one half of the shop and a grocery in the other (including boxes of More Wine’s refillable wines). Then there’s Gilcombe Farm Shop just outside town. facebook.com/billthebutcherbruton Westcombe Dairy Two of Bruton’s local food champions, Tom and Richard Calver at Westcombe Dairy, produce award-winning cheeses from their own herd of Holstein-Friesian cows (most famously a seriously tangy, nutty Cheddar, but also a Caerphilly and a Somerset Ricotta) using traditional techniques. Despite their appreciation for age-old techniques, the Calvers are anything but Luddites. In recent years they’ve built a cheese cave, pioneered the use of tiny microchips for cheeses, and commissioned the UK’s first cheese-turning machine, affectionately dubbed Tina The Turner. westcombedairy.com The Newt Visit The Newt, a stunning hotel and garden attraction between Bruton and the town of Castle Cary. Koos Bekker and his wife Karen have planted orchards, restored the gardens and turned the Palladian mansion into a hotel, and there's even a shiny state-of-the-art cider-making facility, complete with daily apple-pressing shows. The Garden Café here is a contemporary vision of glass and wood that overlooks the kitchen garden. Its seasonal menu has been designed as a gardener's notebook, and head chef Alan Stewart makes sure that the garden's fruit and vegetables are the headline acts. Even the bread and butter is on-message – the sourdough starter is made from apple pulp from the cider press, and the buffalo milk butter is flavoured with preserved orange and thyme from the garden. thenewtinsomerset.com Where to stay in and near Bruton Number One Hotel Number One is a revamped Georgian townhouse that offers 12 bedrooms and a sense of playfulness behind the polish. On the ground floor is an honesty bar and a lounge lined with photographs taken by the likes of Terence Donovan and Perry Ogden, while legendary garden designer, Penelope Hobhouse, is behind the hotel’s tiny courtyard garden. In the Georgian townhouse itself, designers Frank & Faber have decorated the bedrooms with a tasteful riot of pattern on pattern, plus period fireplaces and gilt mirrors. For a more modern feel, a trio of cottages behind the main house (overlooking the courtyard garden) have simple white bathrooms, quarry-tiled floors and neutral colour schemes, reflecting their former status as workshops. Four extra bedrooms, industrial in style, are at the end of the garden in what was previously a forge. Breakfast, taken in Osip (see entry above), is totally unique in terms of its offerings. Try vanilla-spiked rice pudding topped with homemade granola and a spoonful of toffee-ish milk jam; still-warm boiled egg cradled in a little nest of hay; pheasant terrine and chutney on freshly baked sourdough; or a sliver of jammy pear and quince tart. numberonebruton.com Osip Merlin Labron-Johnson’s elegant farm-to-table restaurant offers chic rooms for a decadent bucolic getaway. Housed in a whitewashed coaching inn, Osip is perched roadside in rural Somerset. Pad round the back through the wildflower meadow and duck beneath exposed beams into the reception room where a stone fire is lit in winter to snuggle beside on squishy sofas over Chemex coffee. The open kitchen takes centre stage, offering views of the garden and countryside beyond, with diners positioned to face the action (plus two chef’s table spots right at the prep station). The tasting menu is a succession of Somerset produce, most grown on Osip’s farm up the lane, cleverly worked into the likes of pig’s head croquettes in a shiso lettuce cup. Dishes are complex and intricate – for instance grilled peking duck, candied cherries and grilled beetroot with duck meat sausage and liver sauce alongside beetroot mole-filled tacos topped with duck heart shavings for extra umami. The cheese course is next-level – a square of cider brandy-soaked malt loaf topped with Bath soft cheese. To finish, burnt honey tartlets with crème fraîche ice cream, soft meringue pollen and mead. The four rooms, hidden up a winding staircase, offer elegant luxuries while connecting guests to nature – super king-size beds with striking wood headboards, jute rugs and walk-in stone showers with Maison Osip toiletries. A selection of treats awaits in each – homemade canelés, Osip cider, Somerset apple juice and loose-leaf teas to sip in Wiltshire-thrown porcelain mugs. Brue has a mezzanine set-up, with standalone bath and spacious seating area downstairs plus ensuite bathroom and bedroom carved into the eaves up top, while Avon switches it round with the bathtub up on the mezzanine. Pitt and Somer are smaller yet equally charming. Superb hospitality continues through to breakfast, with an individually laid out array of toasted honey granola, jams and compotes, and squidgy little pear and cinnamon buns. There’s also a central table groaning with wild hay smoked trout, Wiltshire ham and cider mustard, treacly bread, Westcombe cheese and fresh fruit grown on the farm, plus coffees made to order. osiprestaurant.com Find more boutique hotels for food lovers here. Photographs by Maureen Evans and Rhiannon Batten More UK restaurant guides Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Bristol Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Fowey Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Cambridge Best restaurants in Margate Best restaurants in Manchester Best restaurants in the Lake District
Best restaurants in Frome, Somerset: where locals eat and drink
Totter along the cobbles of this Somerset market town and you’ll stumble across a trove of indie food shops, cafés and stalls serving local cheeses, ciders and dumplings
Looking for places to eat in Frome? Read our expert guide for the best places to eat in Frome, great places to stay in Frome, and the best bars and pubs in this Somerset town. Discover more UK foodie guides with our roundup of the best restaurants in Bath, best restaurants in Nottingham and best restaurants in Cornwall. Best places to eat and drink in Frome Best street food in Frome – At the Station Behind its historic architecture, Frome is a town packed with foodie character and modern entrepreneurial spirit, well connected to the area’s farming landscape. The Station is an excellent compilation, bringing an eclectic mixture of independent food and drink businesses under one roof just back from the railway. Its placement is easily accessible by public transport and within walking distance from the town centre. On summer evenings it's a free-flowing space for outdoor eating and music with an indoor gallery at its centre. Pre-order a cheeseboard from The Cheese Lord for pairing with new-wave artisanal wines. For something more filling, opt for a seasonally topped wood-fire pizza from Rye Bakery, a South Indian inspired feast from Lungi Babas or the weekly changing silly sausage hot dog from Owen’s Sausages & Hams. Dietary requirements like gluten-free options are catered for. You’re guaranteed to leave well fed, watered and full of family-friendly merriment. discoverfrome.co.uk/meet-the-recent-arrivals-the-station/ Best place for chocolate in Frome – Choc et al This family-run gourmet chocolate shop is on Cheap Street, one of the quaintest spots in Frome (there’s even a little stream cut into the street’s flagstone floor). Choc et al stocks a range of carefully produced local chocolates, including toasted pistachio and cinnamon milk chocolate from Seven Hills in Bath and peanut and caramel chocolate salami sticks from Wiltshire’s Coco Chemistry. Stop by in the summer for a soft-serve ice cream made with Ivy House Farm organic Jersey milk – it comes drizzled with melted chocolate, or bejewelled with sprinkles. In the cooler months it’s all about Choc et Al’s real hot chocolate, or there are thick banana milkshakes to enjoy (with a dairy-free option for vegans). Best restaurant in Frome – Bistro Lotte At the top of pretty Catherine Street, Bistro Lotte is an unpretentious bistro with bedrooms to boot. Expect classic French dishes (charcuterie platters, moules frites, coq au vin and boeuf bourguignon – locally sourced meat comes from butcher J Cayford next door) as well as a few surprises such as aubergine and potato croquettes. Best bar in Frome – Palmer Street Bottle At bottle shop, cheese store and tap bar, Palmer Street Bottle, you can eat and drink in, or take away. The bar has a selection of craft beers and ciders, as well as wines and spirits. Try a Somerset rarebit (made with local cheddar) with a bottle of the house brew, Bear Cub IPA. Best market in Frome – The Frome Independent During The Frome Independent, an indie market that runs each month from March to December, streets are closed off to make way for antiques, crafts, food stalls and families dancing on the ‘village green’. Graze on dosas from Dosa Tom, Ah-Ma’s dumplings or an epic waffle from The Bubble Wafflery. Best dessert café in Frome – Café La Strada At the end of medieval Cheap Street, which has a stream trickling down its middle, Café La Strada’s main selling point is its ice cream and sorbet counter. Made fresh in-house using organic Ivy House Farm milk from nearby Beckington, flavours are a mix of regular (pistachio, rich chocolate) and seasonal (jasmine and honey). Best pub in Frome – The Three Swans For a pint of Ashton Press cider and a homemade scotch egg or pork pie, head to The Three Swans, a 17th-century pub in the centre of the town with a cosy, sociable atmosphere. Its Sunday lunches are epic. Best brunch in Frome – The River House café Despite an impressive selection of cakes (shout out to the fresh chai and pear doughnuts), brunch is what The River House café does best. Try the french toast with goat’s cheese and figs, or the vegan brekkie with crispy coconut ‘bacon’, marinated tofu, wilted greens, mushrooms, potato, avocado and homemade beans. Best breakfast bowl, poké and juice bar in Frome – Nook Run by Millie Clifford and Jake Andrew, who met while working at Bruton restaurant At The Chapel, Nook was dreamt up on the beach in Byron Bay. What Frome needed, the couple mused, was decent, healthy takeaway food that was affordable and quick. The locals agree. Whether queuing up for a sit-in cold-pressed juice (try the green one – a refreshing slick of kale, apple, celery, cucumber and mint) or standing in line for a smoothie and a gluten-free beetroot and cacao brownie to takeaway, this appropriately named café (it’s tiny) is unswervingly busy. The menu is short but neat, with breakfast bowls served from 8am to 4pm (acai, bircher muesli, house granola or cacao and nut butter) and poké bowls served from noon to 4pm; choose one base (rice, noodles or citrus kale salad), one main addition (salmon, tuna, chicken, tofu or beetroot), one sauce (the eight flavours include sriracha mayo and ponzu) and one topping (spicy peanut, nori and sesame or crispy onions). In winter there are ramen-style noddle bowls too. We tried the tuna poké bowl with nutty brown sushi rice, zingy ponzu dressing, a smattering of toasted peanuts and black sesame seeds, some expertly diced mango, a curl or two of shaved cucumber and a smidge of soy. It was the real deal, the flavours subtly vibrant, the presentation artfully precise. Throw in a handful of enthusiastic young staff, a zeitgeisty provision of vegan and veggie options and on-message eco awareness and you’ve got the perfect recipe for Frome’s missing foodie link. @nooktheshop Best bakery in Frome – Rye Bakery Inside a restored church, Rye Bakery is one of the most family-friendly spots in town. Enjoy an americano and a slice of the legendary vegan chocolate cake while the kids explore the indoor playground. Take away a loaf of artisan bread, then return for a pizza or a venison flatbread with harissa, Hurdlebrook yogurt and pickled red cabbage. Where to stay in Frome Babington House, Somerset The original cool country house hotel, Babington, was one of the very first Soho House Group properties to open. Tucked away down an avenue of trees outside Frome (check out our foodie guide to the best places to eat and drink in Frome here), in the Somerset countryside, the honey-stone 18th century manor house is part members’ club, part hotel (it’s open to all but there are reduced rates for members). All of the hotel’s 33 rooms are atmospheric and beautifully, if femininely, styled. For groups of friends, the old gatekeeper’s lodge, at the end of the main drive, is a self-contained, three-bedroom cottage. In all the rooms, the detail is the impressive thing: full-length mirrors come as standard,, chargers are provided for laptops and phones, hot water bottles are supplied for chillier nights, full-size Cowshed toiletries in the bathrooms and homemade chocolate chip cookies in the minibar. Entertainment is in plentiful supply. Within the extensive grounds, you’ll find a gym, two swimming pools (one indoors, under a beautiful timber-trussed ceiling, the other a sleek outdoor number fringed by a giant L-shaped green-and-white striped lounger), tennis courts, a football pitch, croquet lawn, cricket pitch, beautiful sage-green, leather-seated bikes to borrow, a cinema and a sauna, hammam and steam rooms. Overlooking the extensive kitchen garden there’s also a full-service Cowshed spa (book a marhalika massage, an intense but deeply relaxing and unusual treatment that blends Swedish and Thai methods – think sports massage mixed with acupressure). For dinner, book a window table in the main restaurant, the Orangery, and enjoy sweeping views of the lawn and the lake through towering Georgian windows while you eat. If you want a more casual supper, head to the bar to snack on spiced cauliflower fritters and Scotch eggs or sit down to imaginative salads (Castlemead chicken with spiced chickpeas and harissa yoghurt), wood-fired pizzas and pub favourites. The sprawling breakfast buffet is not to be missed, and nor is the complimentary afternoon tea spread out in the deli each afternoon – impossible to resist. Check rates and availability at mrandmrssmith.com HOW TO GET TO FROME Return rail fares from London to Frome cost from £26.60 (nationalrail.co.uk). TRUST OLIVE Kate Hackworthy is a Frome-based cookery writer and blogger. Her debut cookbook, Veggie Desserts and Cakes (£14.99, Pavilion Books) is out now. Follow her on @kateveggiedesserts and at veggiedesserts.co.uk.
Foodie guide to Rotterdam: where locals eat and drink
Try warm coconut pastries, white negronis and veg-centric menus in this edgy Dutch port
Looking for restaurants in Rotterdam? Want to know where to eat in the Netherlands city? Food writers Daisy Allsup and Gurd Loyal share their insider tips for the best restaurants in Rotterdam, along with where to find kimchi noodles, vegan bakeries and Michelin-starred restaurants. Next, discover more of Gurdeep Loyal's culinary hotspots or browse our guide to the best Spanish food trips. Gurdeep Loyal's Rotterdam guide Rotterdam is often overlooked as a place to visit, but hosts its very own booming culinary scene to rival that of famous neighbour Amsterdam. Putaine is one of the most innovative fine-dining restaurants in the city, situated at the top of Rotterdam’s famous sustainable ‘floating’ offices. It serves up delicacies including white asparagus mousse with cream of coconut and magnolia kombucha sorbet, and hamachi, pandan and angelica root. The new neighbourhood restaurant Diepnoord has a focus on seasonal local dishes and natural wines. Soju Bar specialises in Korean fried chicken in flavours such as honey butter, sticky cheese and spicy-sweet with peanuts. And, OX is a secret underground Chinese speakeasy restaurant that serves up cocktails inspired by the Chinese zodiac. olive’s top must-visits for foodies in Rotterdam Madame Cocos – for pastries The illuminated ‘horn of plenty’ artwork that wraps around the walls and ceiling of the city’s Markethal is a sight to behold. As is the covered market beneath it, home to more than 100 food stalls. Look out for Madame Cocos, whose warm coconut pastries are a must. madamecocos.nl Ter Marsch & Co – for burgers They don’t take bookings at Ter Marsch & Co so expect to queue at this buzzing burger joint. There are three (award-winning) burgers on the menu but the best is the ‘Burgeresse’ with truffle mayo. It’s served Dutch-style (ie still pink and drippingly juicy). termarschco.nl Old Scuola – for pizza A disco ball glitters over the industrial interiors at Old Scuola, with its open kitchen and twin wood ovens. The chefs spin the best pizzas in town so they need only the simplest toppings. Try a salame piccante with a white negroni. oldscuola.nl Hinoki Noodle Soup – for ramen Tucked on a scruffy street corner you could easily bypass Hinoki Noodle Soup but that would mean missing out on steaming bowls of spicy-sweet goodness. Order fried chicken gyoza to start and then the Red Special, made with pork. hinoki.nl Op Het Dak – for vegan food Rotterdam’s innovative architecture is exemplified at sustainable hot spot Op Het Dak, which has turned a disused rooftop into a kitchen garden and bee farm. Go for a meat-free lunch such as noodles with kimchi, shiitake, tempeh and green toppings or choose the daily special for the best of the day’s pickings. ophetdak.com Fenix Food Factory – for street food In the trendy Katendrecht district, the Fenix Food Factory is a former warehouse turned culinary hangout. Artisan produce, street food and Rotterdam’s renowned Kaapse brewery thrive under one roof. Order a pulled pork bun from the Firma Bijten BBQ stand and a biertje from Kaapse Brouwers, and eat with the locals, dangling your feet from the wall overlooking the Nieuwe Maas river. fenixfoodfactory.nl Sharp Sharp Cake Bar – for vegan cakes Vegan and gluten-free is the name of the game at Sharp Sharp Cake Bar, where a rainbow of organic cakes is made using maple syrup or dates rather than refined sugar. There are fruity tarts, no-cheese cheesecakes and gooey chocolate brownies but the cookies are exceptional: try the cash cookies with cashew nuts and fennel. sharpsharp.nl FG Restaurant – for fine-dining Two Michelin-starred FG Restaurant is run by Rotterdam’s most famous culinary name, François Geurds, and features a dedicated flavour laboratory. This is seriously cheffy food - typical dishes include venison with kimchi bonbons and Anjou pigeon with cherry sorbet, benzaldehyde and duck liver – but it’s a surprisingly inclusive spot; there’s a dedicated vegetarian menu and no dress code. Alternatively, if you’re only in town for the weekend, sign up for a Saturday Culinary Experience at Suite Hotel Pincoffs and you get an overnight stay with breakfast plus a five- to nine- course tasting menu dinner at FG (with paired wines) all wrapped up in one package. fgrestaurant.nl; hotelpincoffs.nl Words by Daisy Allsup
We meet a Swedish ex-pat baking cinnamon rolls to order, a hotelier who hand-dives for scallops and a chocolatier making ganaches with local gin on a road trip through this Atlantic island chain
Looking for restaurants in the Outer Hebrides? Want to know about foodie producers on these northern Scottish islands? Read about our foodie road trip, then check out where to eat in the Northern Scottish Highlands. It’s not unknown for locals to re-purpose microwaves as letter boxes on North Uist, Kate MacDonald tells me. Midway up the Outer Hebrides – the 130-mile chain of islands off the north-west coast of Scotland that are strung together by single-track road and ferry – the low-lying Atlantic outcrop is hit as harshly by wind and rain as its neighbouring isles. If the microwaves offer letters secure shelter then the heather that thrives here offers similar protection for the island’s wildlife. At least, that has traditionally been one of its purposes. Now, the purple-flowered shrub serves another function. Kate and her partner, Jonny Ingledew, recently set up the North Uist Distillery. When they were researching botanicals for their first release, Downpour gin, the couple worked with a forager to create a botanical library specific to the island. Having spent months playing with finds such as pineapple weed, the couple plumped for sustainability: no rare plants would be destroyed in the gin’s making, instead they would focus on foraged heather, which is both abundant and adds a honeyed note to the gin. Named after its strength of flavour rather than the local climate, Downpour gets its gutsy taste from a high ratio of botanicals (lemon, grapefruit, clove, cardamom and coriander among them); dispersing oils from these are what give the gin its distinctive clouding when tonic is added, a reflection of the shadows that skitter across the wide local skies. The gin is a success but it’s also a side hustle, the consequence of a long wait while the distillery’s first whisky matures. “The island, with its watery lochs, peatlands and barley-growing crofts, provides the ideal ingredients for whisky,” explains Jonny when I meet the couple at Hamersay House, in Lochmaddy, for a lunch of fat seared scallops (hand-dived by the hotel’s owner, Niall) with grilled Stornoway black pudding, samphire hollandaise, chorizo and steamed samphire. That barley isn’t just any barley, either. It’s bere, the oldest grain still in use in the British Isles. “Every whisky used to be made with bere but it’s rare now as most farmers have switched to crops with higher yields and pest resistance (but less flavour). In the Hebrides crofters never stopped growing it, as they use it on smallholdings as animal feed.” Kate and Jonny’s distillery will be the only one in the world to use this type of barley in its core line of whiskies. “Most distillers focus on wood, maturing in different casks to instil flavour, but we believe the grain will give our whisky flavour,” adds Kate. The couple’s new distillery is being built up the road from Hamersay House, beside the Hebridean Smokehouse in Clachan, whose shop sells its own peat-smoked salmon as well as smoked scallops, gravlax, fish pâtés and more. Another must for seafood lovers on North Uist is the Namara Café, at Grimsay. If CS Lewis had been a foodie, Namara is what he might have dreamt up rather than Narnia. You don’t have to step through a wardrobe to find it but the entrance is almost as unlikely. You walk through the Kallin Shellfish shop (past shelves of woolly socks, fishing gear and tide charts) then pop out into a little space complete with binoculars for watching seabirds through the panoramic windows. The café is known for its bacon and scallop rolls but the crab rolls – squishy baps packed with crabmeat picked fresh from Kallin’s creels – are worth the journey alone. As I bite into sweet, pinky white crabmeat, tourists staying in one of the island’s holiday cottages arrive to pick up langoustines and lobster. My own base on the island is Tigharry Schoolhouse, a 19th-century school turned holiday home. Within the soaring open-plan kitchen and dining room, a drinks tray includes a bottle of Downpour while a welcome hamper is tailored to individual guests; alongside breakfast basics you might find some Hebridean Smokehouse salmon or a black pudding from Macleod & Macleod in Stornoway. Modern but full of warmth and character, the largely black and white interiors are brightened by scarlet dining chairs, velvety mid-century armchairs, an island kitchen unit made from colourful reclaimed boards and tactile kilim rugs. The kitchen is what draws foodie guests, though. From electric whisks to baking tins, chef knives to pans in every shape and size, luxuries are here as well as essentials. There’s even a choice of two barbecues (Weber on site plus a portable one for beach picnics). And the schoolhouse’s 1,000-strong library includes such carefully chosen cookbooks as The Forager’s Kitchen, by South Uist wild food expert (and local doctor’s wife) Fiona Bird. It would be easy to hunker down here for days, making forays into the kitchen for salmon-dotted oatcakes. But I’ve pre-ordered a bag of cinnamon buns from Emma Axelsson of Uist Scandi Bakery and need to pick them up from her house in Lochboisdale, on South Uist. Originally from Gothenburg, on the west coast of Sweden, Emma met her partner while studying at Glasgow University and, when he got a job in the Hebrides, she followed him north. “Both my parents were professional bakers so it’s in my blood,” she explains, as I swap a fiver for a trio of warm buns. When she arrived she found sourdough bread and cinnamon buns hard to come by so Emma decided to make them herself, along with Swedish specialities like dammsugare and semlor. I take my sticky haul to nearby Frobost beach and eat them while I walk. From here, I island hop north to Lewis which, together with Harris, forms the largest island in the chain. Few people visit Lewis without stopping off at the serene stones that have been standing at Callanish for at least 5,000 years, though foodies tend to go via the Scallop Shack, at nearby Uig, to pick up scallops from the honesty shop (you can currently pre-order them via facebook.com/UigScallopShack). My own route takes me through Harris, with its sweeps of floury white sand and swirls of electric blue water. In what is surely the world’s most spectacularly located workshop, Chris Loye makes his Flavour chocolates overlooking the coast at Niseaboist. A private chef, he started making chocolates as petits fours then created some hand-tempered chocolates for a Christmas market. When they sold out in two days, Flavour was born. Made with single-origin Columbian chocolate, the range includes raisiny dark chocolate buttons, chocolate cubes flavoured with Scalpay honey and – the best-seller – Harris Gin and pink grapefruit ganaches. I think back to those ganaches later, when I join guide Sandra Fraser for a tour of the Isle of Harris Distillery. Opened in 2015, the Tarbert distillery was established by musicologist Anderson Bakewell to create sustainable employment locally. It wasn’t an obvious concept in this religious region – production still ceases every Sunday – but the vision was as much a community project as a distillery and, from 10 employees the staff has grown to 40. Like North Uist, there are plans for whisky, too – the gin was launched while the first whisky release, The Hearach, was maturing – but the gin has been a runaway success, helped by its moreish blend of nine botanicals (plus sugar kelp) and a distinctive rippled bottle that reflects the surrounding waves and rippling sands. “Look closely and you’ll see it also has the odd smooth ridge as though it’s been washed ashore after years at sea,” adds Sandra. The recommended serve is tonic with a pink grapefruit garnish and I get to try this in an unexpected way in the distillery’s café when baker Mairi MacKenzie delivers a crumbly gin and pink grapefruit bundt cake that not only tastes like the drink but looks like the bottle. My final stop takes tracking down but eventually I spy a bright blue caravan near St Clements Church in Rodel: Sam’s Seafood Shack. Sam, a chef from the Isle of Wight who “likes living by the sea”, sought work that could cope with the seasonal ebb and flow of tourists, but wasn’t a traditional burger van. He decided to focus on fish, from Leverburgh and Stornoway, and to change his menu each day according to what’s been caught. When I visit, the menu includes a tomato-y, paprika-spiked fish soup, homemade fish finger rolls and gorgeously briny seaweed roast potatoes topped with crisp fried kale. In this magical archipelago, where microwaves are postboxes and cocktails morph into cakes, why wouldn’t roasties come sprinkled with seaweedy fairy dust, I muse, as I wolf a box of them. More information Rhiannon travelled (safely, before lockdown) on the Caledonian Sleeper from Euston to Glasgow and on to the Hebrides from there (sleeper.scot). Car hire was provided by Car Hire Hebrides (carhire-hebrides.co.uk) and ferry crossings by Calmac (calmac.co.uk). You can also fly from Glasgow to Stornoway, Benbecula, Tiree and Islay. Visit loganair.co.uk to book. For more info see visitscotland.com and #oliveeatsthehebrides. More travel inspiration... 12 small towns across the UK every foodie should visit The UK's best pubs with rooms UK boutique hotels for food lovers 10 exciting UK city breaks for food lovers Best restaurants with rooms UK spa hotels for food lovers Best romantic UK hotels Best seaside staycations Best country hotels
ep 184 - The coolest (and best value) foodie travel destinations for 2020
This week we discuss how to track down the best culinary travel experiences, why you don’t need to spend big to eat out abroad, and the upcoming foodie destinations to look out for in 2020
This week editor Laura Rowe joins travel editor Rhiannon Batten at the Adventure Travel Show in London for a live podcast. They discuss how to track down the best culinary travel experiences, why you don’t need to spend big to eat out abroad (check out how to visit Copenhagen on a budget here), and the upcoming foodie destinations to look out for in 2020 (check out our pick here, from micro-stays in rustic off-grid cabins to alpine hiking in Piedmont and feasts of soft feta and local olives on small Greek islands). View oEmbed on the source website
The Amalfi Coast foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
The greedy Italian himself, Gennaro Contaldo, shares ten of his favourite places to eat and drink along the Amalfi Coast, where he was raised
Looking for Amalfi Coast restaurants? Want to know where to eat in Minori? Local chef Gennaro Contaldo shares his insider tips for the best restaurants along the Amalfi Coast, along with where to find the best pasta, pizza and espresso. Agriturismo Villa Maria, Minori – for local cuisine It’s a bit of a hike but if you book a table at this farmhouse, above Minori [the tiny town Gennaro grew-up in], the owner, Vincenzo, can pick you up from the centre of Minori. All the produce is home-grown and cooked by Vincenzo’s wife, Maria. The couple’s homemade hams and salami are a delight, as is their own wine. There aren’t many tables, so it’s best to book in advance. And if you do decide to hike up to it, you’ll be rewarded with pretty views of the bay and excellent food. The agriturismo is surrounded by an ancient, fragrant lemon grove. There’s a vegetable garden, olive trees and vines to admire, and six country-style, pastel-hued bedrooms to book if you want to stay over, all with lemon-framed terraces. agriturismovillamaria.it Giardiniello, Minori – for lunch Gennaro grew up eating at family-run Giardiniello , in the centre of Minori (it opened in 1955) – the owners, brothers Tonino and Giovanni, are family friends - and you can expect excellent fish dishes made with produce caught that day, handmade pasta and pizza, and a warm welcome from Tonino and Giovanni. In the warmer months there’s even more reason to visit; sit and eat fried anchovies stuffed with smoked mozzarella, lemony seafood salad, spaghetti alle vongole, and grilled local octopus outside in the garden, under a canopy of bright green foliage. ristorantegiardiniello.com Pasticceria Andrea Pansa, Amalfi – for espresso Everywhere in Italy is pretty great at making an espresso but, for a little elegance and an yesteryears vibe, head to Pansa, in Amalfi’s main square, next to the steps of Amalfi Cathedral. Try one of its delicious pastries to-go with your espresso. Gennaro also recommends the hot chocolate. The pasticceria was opened in 1830 by its namesake, Andrea Pansa, and still retains its 19th-century interior, gleaming with gilded mirrors. Try chocolate-dipped lemon and orange peel, or a babà – a Neapolitan speciality that sees a mushroom-shaped sponge cake soaked in citrusy rum syrup, then glazed with jam. Delicious with a short-and-strong espresso. pasticceriapansa.it Torre Normana, Maiori – for a romantic meal This Maiori restaurant used to be an old Norman look-out tower (it was built between 1250 and 1300), so it’s set high in the hills with beautiful views of the Mediterranean. With excellent food and impeccable service it’s the perfect place to woo your loved one over a long, leisurely dinner. Torre Normana is run by four brothers and local ingredients come from their on-site garden, as well as from neighbouring farms, local vineyards and the sea below. Try the restaurant’s signature seafood risotto, handmade ricotta dumplings in an anchovy, hazelnut and walnut sauce, or ravioli stuffed with lemony buffalo ricotta cheese in a butter and mint sauce. To go with it, order a bottle of the restaurant’s own wine, which is made from grapes grown at Vigna Traversa on a hillside outside nearby Ravello. ristorantetorrenormanna.com Sal de Riso, Minori – for a drink This pasticceria is near the seafront in Minori and is great for an aperitivo and cocktails. You can people-watch while sipping on a spritz or negroni, and enjoy delicious nibbles to accompany your drink. If you’ve time to linger, order a slice of ricotta and pear cake, made with Giffoni hazelnuts. Panettone comes with limoncello cream, and the Grandfather Antonio sorbet (it’s served in a hollowed lemon and has a sharp lemon flavour) is the thing to order when the sun is shining. To drink, there are more than 10 local liqueurs to choose from, including versions made from wild Amalfi fennel seeds, mandarins and, of course, Sfusato – the lemon variety so typical to the Amalfi Coast. salderiso.it Ristorante Donna Rosa, Positano – for pasta A 20-minute uphill drive from the sizzling cliffside village of Positano, Ristorante Donna Rosa is a countryside trattoria run by the Villani sisters, Rosida (front of house) and Erika (chef), while Papá Vincenzo (the father of the family) is in charge of a 400-strong wine list. With a little help from her mother, Mamma Raffaella, Erika makes amazing fresh pasta – order the caramelle di aragosta (little tortellini parcels filled with Amalfi lobster). Other must-trys include tubettoni with squid and potatoes, spaghetti tossed with garlic, olive oil and salted anchovies, and turbot served with fine slices of homegrown potatoes. Book ahead to try and guarantee one of the two outside tables – the tiny terrace has unrivalled views of Positano and the glittering Mediterranean beyond. drpositano.com Giuliana’s View, Ravello – for pizza This pizzeria is a little way outside the centre of Ravello but it’s well worth the trip for its amazing views (you’re sitting in the clouds, high above the coast), delicious wood-fired oven pizzas with blistered crusts, and casual, family-friendly vibe. Pizza toppings make the most of homegrown vegetables, local cheeses (including provolone del Monaco) and cured sausage. Giuliana’s View also serves as a b&b; its three sunny bedrooms (one suitable for families) all make the most of those pristine views and guests can wake up to a breakfast of croissants and coffee on the terrace outside. lagiuliana.com Gelateria Buca di Bacco, Positano – for ice cream Visit Gelateria Buca di Bacco in Positano for artisan ice cream in delicious local flavours – my favourite is the sfogliatella, inspired by the shell-shaped pastries that you find all over Campania. It’s right next to the beach and the gelato is made fresh every day. Pistachio, coconut, coffee and chocolate chip are all popular, and vegans will love the dark chocolate sorbet with candied orange pieces. You get plenty of ice cream for your money, but remember to pay at the counter first before picking your flavours. facebook.com/GelateriaBucaDiBaccoPositano Aqua Pazza, Cetara – for seafood Aqua Pazza, in the quaint coastal village of Cetara, is a simple fish restaurant that serves the freshest fish and seafood. It’s famous for its anchovies, which are the best along the whole Amalfi Coast, and it’s a great place to try Colatura di Alci, an amber-coloured fish sauce made by ageing Gulf of Salerno anchovies in chestnut barrels. Try it tossed with fresh spaghetti, then buy a bottle to take home. The focus is firmly on excellent ingredients at Aqua Pazza, served simply and quickly. Seared fresh fish might come with riced potato, olive oil and grated tuna bottarga, and a reimagined pasta alla genovese adds tuna to the pesto and potato mix. Be kind and chances are you’ll get a complimentary bag of fresh Amalfi lemons to take home, or a limoncello at the end of your dinner. facebook.com/acquapazzacetara Where to stay on the Amalfi Coast – Hotel Botanico San Lazzaro, Maiori Donna Clelia restaurant, at the five-star Hotel Botanico San Lazzaro, in Maiori’s oldest quarter, San Lazzaro, juts from the cliffside as if suspended between sky and sea. This creates an infinity effect, with outside tables at the restaurant appearing almost at one with the horizon. You reach the restaurant via a glass funicular so the journey is always a memorable one but, if you happen to be there during a special festival like Ferragosto (celebrated on 15 August across Italy), it’s even more spectacular, with views of fireworks. Marvel at the views over a pizza, or a plate of lobster and chilli pasta, then stay over in one of the hotel’s 19 bedrooms – all come with sea views, Vietri terracotta tiles and hand-decorated furniture. There’s also an impressive garden in the grounds, featuring giant cacti and spindly succulents. hbsl.com Italian chef and restaurateur, Gennaro Contaldo, is the brand ambassador for leading Italian holiday specialist, Citalia. For more information please visit citalia.com Listen to our podcast with Gennaro Contaldo here: View oEmbed on the source website
From micro-stays in rustic off-grid cabins to alpine hiking in Piedmont and feasts of soft feta and local olives on small Greek islands, these are the 20 travel trends we predict for 2020
Looking for travel inspiration for 2020? Want to know which countries to visit on holiday? From UK staycations to wellness retreats in the French Alps, these are the top trips to take in 2020. Central Europe and the Caucasus We’ve long been fans of Europe’s foodie heartlands here at olive, whether that’s warming up with paprika-laced stews in Budapest, travelling vicariously to Warsaw via @foodren’s recipe for Polish pierogi or gingerbread biscuits (rifle through your back catalogue and you’ll find it in the Christmas 2017 issue), or revelling in a dish of meltingly tender roebuck with twice-smoked apple sauce, buttery bread soufflé and birch syrup at chef Ana Roš’ destination restaurant, Hiša Franko, in Slovenia. We predict that more people will be discovering Central Europe’s culinary corners in 2020 (if you haven’t yet been there, we suggest you start in Ljubljana), and continuing further east, to the Caucasus and beyond. Sharp-eyed readers will remember the @edentravels feature we ran on the Black Sea in the Christmas 2018 issue and her descriptions of the heirloom recipes that blend the best of Georgian, Russian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Romanian and Ukranian food culture (shout out to that deliciously lemony ‘Bankers’ fish soup). It’s the last two countries in that list that our money is on for enjoying the largest surge in visitor numbers. The forthcoming publication of Irina Georgescu’s cookbook, Carpathia: Food From the Heart of Romania (look out for Irina’s upcoming feature in the magazine), and Olia Hercules’ next release, Summer Kitchens (a much-anticipated window onto regional cooking culture in the Ukraine), will no doubt tempt more of us to visit those two countries. Experiential travel Turns out we holidaymakers like to immerse ourselves in new places, whether that be picking botanicals for DIY gin in Skye, or joining an Italian food photography workshop in Sardinia. Expect even the most mainstream travel brands to embrace the experiential travel trend this coming year; Ramada by Wyndham recently launched its own series of local insider experiences for guests, called Discovering Red. The aim is to encourage travellers to better explore their destination – in Germany’s Flensburg, for example, you can discover the town’s 300-year-old rum-making history on a distillery tour, then taste Flensburg’s best rums in the comfort of the hotel bar. Elsewhere, this immersive approach has already taken off. In Saint Lucia, for instance, guests at Boucan (Hotel Chocolat’s hotel) are encouraged to visit the adjoining 250-year-old cocoa plantation, with bean to bar tours that literally walk guests through the production process. And the very purpose of Salt, a new community-centred, food-focussed, environmentally savvy resort on the east coast of Mauritius, is to provide authentic experiences for “culturally curious” travellers. Cocktails at the bar come with background stories relating to the island’s heritage, and everything from supper with a Mauritian family to fishing trips with a local fisherman can be arranged. Cheese tourism No, this isn't a bad joke about the return of Top Gun to our screens after a three-decade gap (the sequel will be released in July), but the much-welcomed rise of cheese tourism. We've had brewery tours, distillery tours, farm tours and vineyard tours, but now it's the turn of dairy tourism. Bucking the vegan trend, an increasing number of cheesemakers and creameries are opening their doors to visitors keen to seek out the finest, regional, small-batch artisan cheeses. We’re big fans of cult cheese shops that host tastings and wine-, beer- or cider-pairing events, such as Edinburgh's IJ Mellis and London's Mons Cheesemongers. And cheese-focused bars (don’t miss Palmer Street Bottle in Frome), exclusive dairy tours (we’re thinking of you, Quicke’s) and cheese-making courses such as that at The School of Artisan Food are also guaranteed ways to our hearts. As are festivals (such as Westcombe's annual Beer and Cheese Festival), pop-up cheese events (have you been to the London Cheese Project or one of Homage2Fromage’s tastings yet?) and even whole holidays arranged around cheese, courtesy of the folk at Cheese Journeys. Not sure where to get on board with this latest turophile trend? Make yourself a cheese toastie and sit down to read about our visit to one of Somerset's most inspiring cheese-makers. Slow travel Another trend powered by climate change concerns is that of eliminating air travel from our holidays, or at least rationing ourselves; the mantra many of us are adopting is to fly less and to stay longer when we do to cut down on carbon emissions. Getting further afield means embracing train and ferry travel, easy enough to weekend break destinations just across the Channel such as Amsterdam, Paris and Utrecht. If you want to plan a longer flight-free holiday it’s now surprisingly easy to reach many short-haul destinations from the UK, including the Mediterranean; take the train to the French, Spanish or Italian coasts and then catch a ferry across the sea, especially in summer when many operators put on faster vessels. You can get to Corsica, for instance, in a few hours from Nice, ditto Ibiza from Valencia. It's usually still quicker and cheaper to fly, of course, but much less fun. To plan a rail and ferry journey from the UK, see seat61.com, and to book tickets try RailEurope for trains and Direct Ferries for trains. Greece It’s always been a popular holiday destination, but Greece is set for a renewed influx in 2020. Head to Athens for street food (join the queue at hole-in-the-wall, O Kostas, for the best souvlaki), fresh Greek mountain oregano from the city’s Central Market, fish steamed in assyrtiko wine at new-wave bistro, Vizene, and scented tsoureki (brioche) from Afoi Asimakopouloi, a pastry shop that uses its own milk and butter in every bake. Or, step away from the crowds and discover new flavours in the country’s Pelion peninsula. Visit Six Keys hotel in Afyssos for one of the country’s best high-end restaurants, where Greek chef Ioannis Baxevanis uses foraged ingredients in dishes such as sea urchin with chives and tarama mousse. On the east coast, there’s even a b&b devoted to mushrooms – guests at Amanita are guided through local beech and chestnut forests to find their own penny bun, black porcini, parasol and Caesar mushrooms. The country’s islands are also super hot right now. The bigger, showier destinations like Santorini and Mykonos will continue to pull in the crowds, but for the best food we recommend seeking out the smaller islands. Take Ithaca, for example. There you can beach-hop by boat, swim in dazzling cobalt waters, and graze your way through meltingly soft feta, local olives, just-caught fish and lemon tart. The Levendis Estate is one of our favourite places to stay, stocked as it is with local thyme honey, own-recipe muesli, tapenade made from homegrown olives, and plenty of sparkling coves nearby for swimming. Or sail to the island of Syros to recuperate at The Good Life, an aptly named organic retreat where you can help yourself to plums, peaches and lemons from an on-site farm. Check out our guide to the 10 best Greek island retreats for foodies to learn what else Greece’s enchanting archipelagos have to offer, from freshly picked figs on an organic farm in Syros to home-cooked zucchini pie in Corfu. Micro-stays From rustic off-grid cabins to bijoux one-room hotels and tiny tropical villas, finding time for two shouldn’t be difficult in 2020 with the rise of micro-retreats. Luckily for us, it’s easy to find romantic escapes that put an emphasis on good food. The Shack at Sheepwash Bay on Tasmania’s Bruny Island, for example, is as secluded as it gets, but the owners still deliver freshly baked sourdough to your door – enjoy it alongside fresh oysters foraged from the rocky waterfront right outside. If your fantasies, instead, involve relaxing under the stars in a hot tub made from a vintage Land Rover, book a stay at converted 50s caravan, the Bluebird Penthouse, in Devon’s High Bickerton (if you, like us, think Devon will be big in 2020. Or go completely off-grid at Arnor the Rangers Hut, a rustic wooden cabin hidden within an 130-year-old Scottish forest. The welcome basket of prosecco, tablet (of the fudge-y kind), Shore Puffs (locally made seaweed puffs) and Inverness Coffee Roasting Co. coffee would make a perfect picnic to eat while stargazing. Foodie wellness breaks Instead of sunburnt and bloated, choose to return rested and rejuvenated from your next holiday. We’re not fans of dieting or ‘skinny’ anything at olive, but nourishing the body through good food, fitness and beautiful surroundings can only be a good thing. From alpine hiking in Piedmont, with frequent gourmet picnic stops, to surfing, yoga and tiger nut muffins on a Drift retreat in Jersey, we’ve plenty of healthy holiday ideas for foodies right here. Among them is a Mountain Therapy holiday in the French Alps that encourages guests to challenge that fondue-and-flaming-san-bucas apres-ski stereotype. Participants stay in a cosy, snow-dusted eco lodge and spend their time taking part in ‘snowga’ classes (yoga in the snow), relaxing in a wood-fired hot tub, striding out with some Nordic walking, and eating energising menus free from refined carbohydrates and sugar. Cornwall We’ve reviewed Pig hotels in Devon and Kent, and on both occasions have been impressed by the kitchen gardens, farm-to-fork restaurants and all-round happy atmosphere. Which is why we can’t wait for the next piglet, The Pig at Harlyn Bay, to open near Padstow in June 2020. It’s indicative of an ever-blossoming food scene in Cornwall, which has kept the county in the spotlight for many summers. Fowey is especially in vogue – it may be small, but you’ll still find fresh crab and dill butter sarnies, warm monkey muffins and pizzas topped with squid, mussels and anchovies. Brand new to the town is fashionable Fitzroy, a riverside restaurant with black-framed sash windows and an art deco typeface. Fill your table with fried sprats, ray wing with chicken butter sauce, raw sea bass with chilli and cucumber, and red napa cabbage with plum and sesame. We’ve travelled the whole of West Cornwall to find the best eating and drinking spots for you, including raw chocolate ‘pie’ in St Ives, squid ink linguine in Penzance, steaming bowls of Thai fish stew at a cinema café in Newyln, and curried rice pudding in Marazion. And, if you’ve travelled all that way, why not hop over to the Isles of Scilly while you’re there? Its five inhabited islands promise sparkling turquoise seas, silver-sand beaches, a slow-lane atmosphere, porcelain-white crab and (in season) some of the best strawberries you’ll ever taste. Undertourism The seven wonders of the world didn’t get their reputations for nothing. But in this era of Instagram-insatiability many of the world’s biggest tourism destinations are struggling. To cope with overtourism – numbers of visitors far greater than their inherent infrastructure allows for – Thailand’s Maya Bay has been closed to visitors indefinitely, the Faroes are closing temporarily for “maintenance” in April and cities such as Venice and Barcelona that are especially challenged by cruise ship visitors are either introducing or raising tourist taxes (not just to deter tourists but to help fund the infrasturtcure and waste management services needed to host them). A more mainstream awareness of these issues means there’s likely to be a return to tourists actively choosing to venture off the beaten path in 2020, and a rash of #undertourism posts on Instagram. On our wish list? A tour of Ireland’s cider trail in County Armargh, a trip to Germany’s answer to the Hamptons and an exploration of cafe culture in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. France Time to dust-off your school French, because it looks like we’ll all be dreaming of crossing the Channel in 2020. Rick Stein’s Secret France, which aired on BBC2 in November, studied each region in turn, showcasing everything from salt cod in Uzes (a foodie town that we think will be big next year – check out our guide to Uzes here) to garden-fresh sorrel soup made in family kitchens across Burgundy. Book-wise, look out for Simply Stellar French Recipes, a new French cookbook from Jean Imbert (with a foreword written by Jamie Oliver) that includes a recipe for slow-cooked blanquette with roast carrots. Felicity Cloake is another Francophile, who recently toured France on bike in search of definitive versions of classic French dishes (you can listen to her olive magazine podcast on the subject here). Others, like chef Alex Jackson, owner of a French bistro in Hoxton, are putting a more modern spin on French cuisine. Alex’s new cookbook, Sardine (named after his restaurant), focuses on cooking from Provence and the Languedoc. What’s refreshing is the way his fuss-free recipes reinvent classics, from a tuna, potato, egg and pepper sandwich that puts a harissa-spiked twist on pan bagnat to roast bone marrow ‘boats’ packed with snails and persillade, and panna cotta with cherries poached in pastis. If that doesn’t have you jumping on the nearest cross-Channel ferry, you’re made of stronger-willed stuff than us. Off-season travel Holidays aren’t just for summer. Wrapping up warm and setting off on a wintry coastal walk is a revitalising way to start the year, especially if it’s at a blustery seaside resort like Ventnor on the Isle of Wight (The Royal hotel serves an elegant afternoon tea all-year-round). Devon is particularly romantic when it’s chilly out, and you’ll find better deals on decadent rooms outside the school holidays or summer months. The Cary Arms, squeezed inside the curve of Babbacombe bay, dates back to the 1800s and feels custom-designed to embrace its beachfront views. Book one of its beach huts for undisturbed panoramas of the moody English Channel, and take a trip on the nearby art deco Babbacombe funicular railway (open throughout winter). Aberdovey, a picturesque estuary village in Snowdonia on the west coast of Wales, has miles of wind-whipped sand and dunes to explore, all deserted outside the peak summer months. Take a stroll, then hunker down at the Trefeddian Hotel with buttered bara brith, homemade Welsh cakes and a pot of tea. Finland Still one of the lesser-visited Nordic destinations, Finland will surely get its moment in the spotlight this year. Though ethnically and linguistically distinct from the other Nordic nations, geographically the country is Scandinavian through-and-through (with the hygge credentials to match). If you’ve eaten cinnamon buns in Stockholm, drunk Mikkeler in Copenhagen and licked rye bread ice cream in Reykjavik, then it’s time to hop to Helsinki to sip some Finnish salmon and potato soup (‘lohikietto’ is pretty easy to make at home, too). In Finland's seaside capital, you can grab everything from colourful ceramic plates piled high with pickled cauliflower and lemon labneh, to croissants filled with huge wedges of brie and strawberries. Stroll 10 minutes or so round Töölönlahti Bay to its eastern shore, and you’ll come across a beautiful blue clapboard house. Tucked behind it, set back from the water’s edge, is a tiny blue shed that’s home to a charming café that sells Finnish blueberry ice cream. Or hop on a little ferry from the southern shore of Helsinki to reach Skiffer, a restaurant and party spot that sells chorizo and crayfish pizzas so large that they curl up at either end like a Viking longboat. Fancy something equally Nordic, but more booze-based? We’ve also rounded-up the world’s best beer-based experiences, which includes a brewery-to-brewery road trip along the Norwegian coast. Turkey Sunshine-seekers will find solace in Turkey next year, too. In October, olive travel editor Rhiannon Batten and digital editor Alex Crossley devoted a podcast to why Istanbul is so hot right now (it’s the city’s appealing mash-up between old and new – traditional tea houses and kebab shops nudge up against hip restaurants and cafés – that make it so interesting), and the Club Marvy resort in Izmir is a great example of an easy, family-friendly, sunshine-soaked destination that caters better than the norm for foodies. Despite the resort stretching across 16 hectares of hillside and beach, the majority of ingredients cooked at its restaurants are plucked from owner Ece Tonbul’s mother’s organic 200-hectare farm. The breakfasts are particularly good – feast on flaky boyos breads, hummus, sticky honey, fresh cheese and sundried tomato dips, alongside made-to-order eggs and Turkish tea and coffee. There’s a waterpark and a busy list of activities to keep small people occupied, while adults can make the most of pre-dinner G&Ts laced with pomegranate seeds. Small towns Make way, Paris, Rome and New York – next year is all about letting the little guys shine. We spent much of 2019 unearthing lesser-known foodie towns so that you can visit them in style. Starting with the UK (we’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: it’s all about staycations), Dundee is high on our wish-list. Check out our tips for where to eat and drink in the Scottish city (home to the £80-million, ship-like V&A Dundee design museum), including chef Jamie Scott’s The Newport, which he opened after winning MasterChef: The Professionals. Margate is also getting the attention it deserves (olive editor Laura Rowe swears by Peter’s Fish Factory for the best fish ’n’ chips), following the arrival of The Turner Gallery and the revival of Dreamland, a vintage-style theme park. Check out our foodie guide to Margate for loads more inspiration, and don’t miss our Whitstable foodie guide if you’re exploring more of Kent. Across the pond, swap New York or Boston for little league places like Maine’s Kennebunkport. With its placid dock, iconic colonial weatherboard houses (some on stilts) and lobster restaurants, this is a place that lives up to a tourist’s American dream. Visit during autumn, when coastal Maine shines with vibrant orange, red and yellow foliage, and stay at the White Barn Inn – during ‘the fall’, this charming hotel puts on a mighty display of pumpkins and squashes, wraps corn husks around fences and decorates trees with twinkly fairy lights. Or Rhode Island’s Newport is the place to go for a glitzy hub of bobbing yachts, age-old wharfs and boardwalks. Stay at Grace Vanderbilt to enjoy yoga classes on the rooftop and a Gatsby-style restaurant. West Sweden It’s really time to give Malmö a go, if you’re into Sweden but have already explored Stockholm. Just a short hop over the bridge from Copehangen, Malmö is a foodie’s paradise thanks to local coffee shops, hip bars and artisan food shops stocking some of the Skåne region’s finest produce. Special mention goes to Noir Kaffekultur coffee shop and its sauna-smoked sourdough baguettes. Or visit Gothenburg, also in West Sweden, for giant cinnamon buns and fresh lemon sole at the city’s fish market. Sticking to the fresh fish theme, try traditional sushi crafted using the freshest Scandinavian fish at HOZE. With only six seats at the counter, this minimalist sushi bar is mighty difficult to get into. If you’re lucky enough to secure a spot, you’ll sample a traditional omakase menu that makes the most of foraged elderflowers, unripe strawberries, spruce shoots and scallops. Veggie/vegan breaks Eating less meat has been a core trend of 2019, encouraging us all to live a more sustainable and planet-friendly life. If you’re leading a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, or trying to choose plant-based more often, we’ve got thousands of vegetarian and vegan recipes on our website, olivemagazine.com). In 2020 we reckon it’s going to be a whole lot easier to find plant-based eats on holiday, too. From the UK’s first 100 per cent vegan hotel, in Scotland’s pretty Pitlochry (read our review of Saorsa 1875), to a Goan hotel that serves homemade tofu and makes smoothies from nut milk, you can read all about the world’s best veggie and vegan hotels here. Even in Paris, where steak frites reign supreme, you can eat at excellent vegetarian restaurants (read our veggie Paris guide here), including Jah Jah by Le Tricycle, which blends reggae vibes with flavourful, rainbow-hued ingredients. Don’t miss its raw rolls with carrots, beets and Dakatine peanut dipping sauce. There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian cookery courses to join if you feel your meat-free kitchen skills need a reboot (we love the idea of heading to the Devonshire countryside for a day of vegetarian cooking at River Cottage), and Malmö (we’re all about Malmö – can you tell?) has so many meat-free restaurants that we’ve devoted a whole feature to the best plant-based spots in this edgy city. We’ve also got meat-free guides to Vancouver and New York, and you can even go on an all-vegan skiing holiday, should you wish – companies such as Ski Beat are now offering vegan menus for chalet guests. UK travel Never has it been so fashionable to holiday at home. Staycations cut down on travel time, reduce carbon footprints, support local economies and eliminate tiresome problems like jet lag. Back in August this year, we wrote a whole feature on the best foodie towns to visit in the UK; dive in if you’re seeking a food adventure closer to home this year. The croissants at Bostock Bakery in North Berwick, for example, are so good that NOMA’s René Redzepi sent his pastry chef from Copenhagen to learn from Bostock’s Ross Baxter. And in the Lancashire market town of Clitheroe, you’ll find a heaving cheese counter at Holmes Mill, Clitheroe’s monumental new food hall. We’ve also noticed Kent’s coastal towns smartening up, as they lure in a hip London crowd steering south on fast trains. Deal is the buzzy new kid on the block, and is home to one of our favourite chippies – Middle Street Fish Bar. The UK self-catering industry is also booming, helped by the ever-increasing popularity of sites like Airbnb. We narrowed UK holiday cottages down to our favourites earlier this year, including Loch an Eilein cottage in The Cairngorms with its double-fronted wood-burning stove and charming window seat looking out onto a neighbouring loch. In the craggy Lakeland fells, above Coniston, you can bed down in Beatrix Potter’s old home, Yew Tree Farm, and eat at her original dining table. And if you’re heading to Mounmouthshire, The Piggery is a cosy, traditional farmyard cottage with its own hens (that’s breakfast sorted) and an orchard outside the door. Off-grid escapes Step out of your comfort zone in 2020 – it’s one of our New Year’s resolutions! From off-grid glampsites in Cornwall to glass-roofed 'dens' in Wales and rustic hideaways in the West Country, we suggest that you spend 2020 cuddled-up in a cosy British cabin. Start at Kudhva, an off-grid glampsite near Trebarwith Strand. Four futuristic cabins on stilts are hidden amongst willow groves and dense woodland, and each one has its own firepit – stoke your own barbecue, and drink locally made wines, beers and gins from nearby Hilltop Farm Shop. For something really memorable, drive an hour south of Edinburgh (check out the best places to eat and drink in the Scottish capital here), park up at Berwickshire’s Cove Harbour, chuck your bags in a wheelbarrow and walk through a little tunnel to The Blue Cabin by the Sea, a cornflower-blue bolthole that’s tucked into the grasses above a tiny beach. With its TV, wi-fi, dishwasher and underfloor heating it’s not technically off-grid but it feels the part. You can also buy crabs and lobsters direct from fishermen, who head out from this spot every week day. Japan Japan threw a memorable Rugby World Cup in 2019 (warm hospitality, good-natured sportsmanship and inventive play from a team that reached the quarter-final) and Tokyo is the host for next year’s Olympic Games, so expect a fresh surge of interest in the country next summer. Chef Tim Anderson shared his enthusiasm for Tokyo in an olive magazine podcast earlier this year (have a listen to discover the city’s secret ramen bars), and we’ve picked our own top 10 places to eat in Japan’s capital. It’s not just sushi (although Kyubey is the place to go for that) – Tokyo is also great for cocktails (head to Gen Yamamoto for smart concoctions made from Hokkaidan grapes or sweet potato shochu) and syrupy espressos, from devoted joints such as Bear Pond Espresso. Already in Tokyo? Think about venturing further west when you’re done, to explore Kyoto and Osaka. For a great introduction to Kyoto and its yuzu sake, high-end kaiseki dinners and ramen vending machines, check out our podcast episode here. One of Kyoto’s favourite dishes, yakitori (basically skewered chicken), has reached British shores in a big way, so get cooking our miso-glazed yakitori or salmon version with brown rice as soon as the new year hits. We’ve even got a guide to yakitori, written by the experts at Jidori restaurant in North East London, if you want to prepare for the trend. Bake Off star and regular olive contributor Edd Kimber loves Osaka, the second biggest Japanese city after Tokyo. It’s often referred to as the kitchen of Japan – so much so that there is even a local maxim, kuidaore, which means to eat yourself into bankruptcy. Check out Edd’s foodie guide to Osaka, which includes the best places to go for takoyaki (molten balls filled with chunks of octopus) and fish-shaped waffles called taiyaki. Slow food travel We challenge you not to feel zen after a stay at Oman’s Six Senses Zighy Bay, a destination resort in the country’s Musandam Peninsula. Set among date palms, pomegranate and fig trees, Six Senses welcomes guests with a date smoothie made from the fruits of the resort’s own palms. Chill in your private majlis (a shady outdoor lounging area), wander around the vast kitchen garden, take a farm tour or just swim in the sea then walk barefoot along the beach for dinner at the Shua Shak. This breezy Bedouin-style restaurant is set under a simple palm-leaf canopy and serves a simple set menu that ends with pistachio-flecked kanafeh and starts with a mezze-style spread of hummus, baba ganoush, pickles, olives, flatbread and filo-wrapped, deep-fried Akawi cheese, a feta-like cheese first made in Palestine but now produced across the Middle East. It’s the main course that everyone comes for though, shuwa: flaky lamb that’s been marinated for 24 hours in olive oil, date syrup, bay leaves, onion, garlic, carrot, cinnamon, anise, cumin and rosemary, then wrapped in banana leaves and foil and cooked on coals in a pit under the sand for seven hours. Despite being served within a luxury resort the lamb dish is a true taste of Omani food culture. Food that’s deeply rooted in place, made with care and unique to the destination is what we’ve long been all about at olive - whether that’s tasting the most exquisite handmade pastries in Paris, visiting a co-operative in Morocco that specialises in hand-rolled couscous, learning about sobrasada on a cooking class in Mallorca, tracking down the best falafels in Beirut, tasting woody wild mountain tea in Taiwan or hanging out with pasta grannies in Sardinia. We reckon that 2020 will be the year that everyone else catches on to the diversity and sheer greedy joy of #slowfoodtravel. Words by Rhiannon Batten and Charlotte Morgan
ep 180 – Why Bologna is perfect for a winter foodie getaway
This week we chat about Bologna and why it's a must visit in the winter months
Digital editor Alex is fresh back from a trip to Bologna, and she chats to travel editor Rhiannon about why to visit Italy in the winter months – think cosy wine bars, hearty ragu and pumpkin pasta dishes, and plenty of Christmas stocking fillers to take back for your friends and family. View oEmbed on the source website Read more about where to eat and drink in Bologna here…
Foodie guide to Nashville: where locals eat and drink
It might be known as Music City but Tennessee’s capital has other strings to its bow, including a food scene big on spicy fried chicken, scallop crudo and caramel clusters
Looking for restaurants in Nashville? Want to know where to eat the in the Tennessee city? Local food writer Jennifer Justus shares her insider tips for the best restaurants in Nashville, along with where to find the best fried chicken, seafood and cocktails. Best Pennsylvania Dutch cooking in Nashville – Josephine Josephine on the 12th (the name is a reference to its location) is a small restaurant combining Southern hospitality with Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. Perch at the bar and order a Mochi-San cocktail made with Roku Japanese gin, Lillet Blanc, suze, grapefruit, lemon and thyme before tucking into cornbread with cultured butter and sea salt. With chef Andy Little at the kitchen’s helm larger dishes are split into ‘vegetables’ and ‘meat and fish’ (think buffalo cauliflower served with celery and blue cheese, or duck leg confit with corn and kale). Comfort food reigns when it comes to desserts, from warm oatmeal raisin cookies to chocolate peanut butter cake. Pop by on the weekend for a lazy brunch of cinnamon sugar doughnuts with apple cider caramel or fried bologna with sunny egg and American cheese. Best fried chicken in Nashville – Bolton’s Spicy Chicken & Fish Some Nashville hot chicken joints are as famous as the town’s country stars, and deservedly so. But Bolton’s Spicy Chicken & Fish is a more laid-back locals’ favourite. Order a plate of cayenne-spiced fried chicken on white bread or a slab of hot fish scattered with mustard, onion and pickles. Best burgers in Nashville – Butcher & Bee As well as superior burgers and sandwiches (fried avo, trout melt, grilled cauli with harissa) and a bounty of locally grown ingredients, Butcher & Bee is also known for its mezze dishes – try the turnip cacio e pepe, or the grilled radish with green tahini and shallot butter. Best food market in Nashville – Azadi International Food Market Surprising but true: Nashville is home to the largest Kurdish population in the United States. Drive down Nolesville Pike and you’ll find markets like Azadi International Food Market brimming with dates, lentils and pistachios, and the scent of freshly baked flatbreads wafting from their in-store bakeries. 391 Elysian Fields Ct (00 1 615 315 0940) Best cocktails in Nashville – Black Rabbit Velvet, leather and exposed brickwork tip a hat to neighbouring Printers Alley, and its associations with printing presses, gambling and drinking. Straddling the line between bar and restaurant, Black Rabbit serves craft cocktails and small plates including rabbit rolls – buns stuffed with rabbit terrine, mustard and poppy seeds. Best doughnuts in Nashville – Five Daughters Bakery Owned and run by Isaac and Stephanie Meek, along with their five daughters, family-run Five Daughters Bakery has seven sites across the South. Best known for its croissant-style, 100-layer doughnuts, the flavours range from chocolate sea salt to maple glaze, with seasonal specials available each month (think huckleberry or pumpkin chocolate cheesecake). If you're not a pastry lover, tuck into chewy ginger molasses - or classic chocolate chip - cookies. Best cosy restaurant in Nashville – Treehouse A former home in East Nashville, Treehouse has a warm, dinner-party vibe, with a fairy-light-strewn bar and rustic seating. Chef Jason Zygmont turns out Insta-worthy dishes: think scallop crudo in a dainty moat of spiced pork broth with jerusalem artichokes and nasturtiums. Best chocolate shop in Nashville – Goo Goo Cluster Howell Campbell created the iconic Goo Goo Cluster – a nougat, caramel, peanut and chocolate cluster – in 1912. At the Goo Goo Cluster shop you can buy various varieties, or make your own in one of the store’s chocolate classes. Best bakery in Nashville – Dozen Bakery What began life as a pop-up has blossomed into a bricks-and-mortar bakery and café, the Dozen Bakery. Fill up on buttery croissants, madeleines and scones, or grab a baguette and a barley salad, zesty with lime and the crunch of greens and crushed peanuts. Best seafood in Nashville – Henrietta Red Peek in the kitchen at hot new dining spot Henrietta Red and you’ll find chef Julia Sullivan and her mostly female team calmly turning out on-point plates of wood-roasted oysters, or trout with white beans, rocket and dill vinaigrette, to a buzzy crowd. Best distillery in Nashville – Green Brier Distillery Think Tennessee whiskey and Jack Daniel’s probably comes to mind. But before Prohibition, Green Brier Distillery sold more of the hard stuff than Jack. Brothers Charles and Andy Nelson revived the family business in 2009 and tell their family’s American Dream story over tastings on their distillery tours. HOW TO GET TO NASHVILLE British Airways launches direct flights from Heathrow to Nashville in May 2018. Return fares will start from £641 (ba.com). WHERE TO STAY IN NASHVILLE Double rooms at the sleek Noelle hotel cost from $232 per night, room only (noelle-nashville.com). More info: visitmusiccity.com TRUST OLIVE Nashville-based writer Jennifer Justus is the author of Nashville Eats – a collection of stories and recipes from Music City. She also leads tours for Walk Eat Nashville (jenniferjustuswrites.com). Photographs by Sam Angel, Christen Clemins, Getty
ep 172 – Why Turkey should be on your travel hot list
This week we chat about why Turkey should be on your travel hot list
This week travel editor Rhiannon chats to digital editor Alex about her recent trip to Turkey. They discuss Istanbul’s east-meets-west culture and the city’s appealing mash-up between old and new (traditional tea houses and kebab shops nudge up against hip restaurants and cafes). Then, they move on to a resort on the Aegean coast, where the restaurant's chefs use ingredients from the farm – such as pomegranate, vine leaves and homemade feta – in dishes and cocktails. View oEmbed on the source website Learn about Turkish coffee culture with our expert barista Celeste Wong's guide, including traditional rituals, how to order it and the perfect recipe for at-home brewing. Click here to read our review of Club Marvy in Turkey…
Milan foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Graze on ossobuco, salads laced with orange, fennel and thyme honey, and scoops of velvety hazelnut gelato in Italy’s design capital
Looking for restaurants in Milan? Want to know where to eat in the Italian design capital? Local food and travel writer Jaclyn DeGiorgio shares her insider tips for the best restaurants in Milan, along with where to find the best saffron risotto, pillowy pizza and gourmet gelato. Next discover our favourite foodie city breaks by train. olive's top 10 foodie must-visits in Milan Ratanà – for risotto Each plate at Ratanà fuses old-school Milanese food culture with contemporary flair. Chef Cesare Battisti is a carnaroli whisperer, so make sure you order risotto, either a seasonal speciality or “alla Milanese” (with saffron and bone marrow) to go with ossobuco. ratana.it Tipografia Alimentare – for lunch Speciality coffee and artisanal baked goods are available all day at Tipografia Alimentare, while the lunch menu changes weekly, with at least four vegetarian choices. Recent dishes include tacos stuffed with wild Nero di Parma pork belly, Lucca red beans, spring onions, chillies and coriander. tipografiaalimentare.it Crosta – for baked goods Crosta is a bakery, pizzeria and bottega rolled into one. At lunch, try the pillowy pizza alla pala topped with marinara sauce and stracciatella cheese or prosciutto. Dinner is all about the pies: try the fior di latte, sausage and friarielli (greens typical of Campania). @crosta_milano Trippa – for meaty dishes Diego Rossi’s minimal menu at trattoria Trippa might include snails, spleen and horsemeat, and the more familiar gnocchi al ragù; however, the lustrous vitello tonnato (veal with tuna sauce) and crispy slivers of fried tripe are the must-tries. trippamilano.it Pasticceria & Dessert – for sweets and pastries Don’t miss Pasticceria & Dessert, Marcello Rapisardi’s pastry shop in the tranquil Piazzale Bacone. As well as classics like cannoncini (little pastry horns filled with vanilla cream), there are chocolates flavoured with marine plankton, and pâte de fruit in edible bonbon wrappers. pasticceriarapisardi.com Nebbia – for an Italian-style bistro Located on a sleepy street near the Naviglio Pavese, Nebbia melds Italian traditions with French bistronomy. Keep an eye out for risotto with sweet Montoro onions and tart Calabrese bergamot, finished with a sprinkling of dehydrated capers. nebbiamilano.com Gelato Giusto – for gelato Vittoria Bortolazzo puts her Cordon Bleu pastry degree to good use at Gelato Giusto, concocting gourmet gelato from top-quality ingredients. Flavours range from a creamy fior di latte to a velvety Tonda Gentile Romana hazelnut, and there are plenty of vegan choices to boot. If it’s on the list, order a scoop of the refreshing Uva Fragola grape. gelatogiusto.it QuBi – for cooking classes Where better to master risotto than the Lombardian capital? During a specialist cooking class, QuBi chefs Gabriele and Mariagiulia teach participants how to prepare the city’s signature broth-based rice dish step by step (vegans get to prepare a version senza butter and cheese). qubipersonalchef.com FUD Bottega Sicula – for al fresco dining When the comfort-food craving hits, turn to FUD Bottega Sicula. Its burgers, sandwiches and salads are crafted from the finest Sicilian ingredients. Order a Littel Itali salad (with orange, fennel, olives and thyme honey) and eat it at one of the outdoor tables to soak up the energy of the buzzing Navigli quarter. Dip into the bottega before you go, for edibles such as Sicilian olive oil and honey. fud.it Where to stay in Milan – La Favia urban guesthouse The four-bedroom La Favia guesthouse, an urban hideaway tucked inside a refurbished 19th-century building, takes its inspiration from owners Fabio and Marco’s travels: no two rooms are the same. On sunny mornings, start the day with breakfast in the rooftop garden – eggs cooked to order, pastries, cakes, bread, homemade jams, fruit and juice squeezed from oranges grown in the owners’ own citrus grove. lafavia4rooms.com Words above by Jaclyn DeGiorgio. Jaclyn is a Milan-based food and travel writer who runs food tours (asignorinainmilan.com). Follow her on instagram @jaclyndegiorgio More places to eat and drink in Milan Rossi & Grassi – for deli products At Rossi & Grassi pack yourself a gourmet picnic from the seductive deli counter (try the lentils with artichoke or arancini), or stock up on artisan cheese, dried porcini and homemade pasta. rg.mi.it La Latteria – for simple cooking Its handful of tables and no reservations can make La Latteria a tricky place to get a seat. But simple is sensational here: bottarga with juicy tomato, plump slices of goose roasted with potato, and a carafe of house wine costs €60 per person. (Mon to Fri only.) 0039 2 659 7653 La Rinascente – for cocktails on the roof Have cocktails on the roof at La Rinascente, a department store with the best Duomo views in town. Drink an Aperol spritz within near-touching distance of the cathedral’s curling gothic spires. Inside, buy this season’s Bialetti Moka Alpina coffee pot, styled to look like an Italian Alpino mountain guard, complete with a neat feather-capped lid. rinascente.it N’Ombra de Vin – for a boozy dinner Under N’Ombra de Vin’s vaulted ceilings eat fish crostini, veal meatballs and burratina salad, plus a bottle from the 1,000-strong list. At weekends, kitsch crooner acts encourage the polished crowd to push plates aside and dance on the tables. nombradevin.it Princi – for flashy bakes Princi, the flagship bakery in Rocco Princi’s growing international empire, is still the flashiest and buzziest. Cure foggy heads with a stracchino-filled focaccia (a Lombard cheese sarnie) and cappuccino. princi.it Viale Papiniano – for an outdoor food market Try Milan’s outdoor food markets. At Viale Papiniano’s you’ll find pungent cheese and fennel-scented salsiccia. Ponte Rosso – for lunch Lunch at the playfully decorated Ponte Rosso to eat puntarelle (winter chicory) with a punchy anchovy dressing and ‘stinco alla birra’ (beer-marinated ham hock) with Milanese saffron risotto. Find room for a glass of pistachio gelato. trattoriaponterosso.it Enoteca Cotti – for wine At cavernous Enoteca Cotti buy regional Italian wine ranging from a €10 chianti to a 15-year old-Barbaresco for €399. Staying at Antica Locanda Solferino? Make a quick bottle stop; it’s just opposite. enotecacotti.it Da Rita e Antonio – for pre-theatre dinner Tuck into Neapolitan pizza, cotoletta alla Milanese (breaded veal cutlet) and a carafe of house for around €30 per head at Da Rita e Antonio. This is the perfect pre- or post-theatre dinner spot; Teatro dal Verme is next door, a more affordable experience than La Scala. 0039 2 875 579 Words above by Sarah Barrell Costanza – for foodie apartments Created by Milan-based Costanza Cecchini Bonfanti, with input from renowned designer Ilse Crawford, these three contemporary apartments (in the city’s Porta Venezia district) all have design at their heart. Housed in historic buildings, the spaces offer a peaceful retreat from the city, with a modern approach, calming natural colour schemes, lots of greenery and a peppering of local artwork (including watercolors by Roberto Bonanomi and origami by Uros Mihic). Better still, for visiting foodies, the apartments’ sleek yet practical marble kitchens mean you can cook your market goods with ease each day. The largest property, the Pastel Home, also comes with a separate dining area. costanzamilano.it Words above by Ellie Edwards Photographs: ALAMY, Matteo Carassale/SIME/4Corners, Stefano Amantini/4Corners.Guido Baviera/SIME/4Corners
Rome foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Feast on suppli (mozzarella-filled fried rice snacks), pistachio gelato slicked with whipped cream, glasses of chilled grechetto and bowls of cacio e pepe in the Italian capital
Looking for restaurants in Rome? Want to know where to eat in the Italian capital? Local food stylist Alice Adams Carosi and food writer Rachel Roddy share their insider tips for the best restaurants in Rome, along with where to find Roman sandwiches, slices of pizza and the best gelato. olive’s must-visits for foodies in Rome Castroni – for coffee Stop for coffee at the Castroni emporium on Via Cola di Rienzo. Its house bar is wedged beside shelves of the best Italian specialty produce; find a spot at the bar and sip a cappuccino al vetro (cappuccino served in a glass) surrounded by the smell of just-ground coffee and the buzz of the Prati neighbourhood. castronicoladirienzoshop.it Mercato Rionale Niccolini – for fresh produce If you’re self-catering, the outdoor market on Via Niccolini (open every day but Sunday in Monteverde Vecchio) is the place to head for the pick of the season’s crops. Seek out buffalo milk ricotta and chargrilled mozzarella at Alimentari Carlo in the middle of the strip, as well as one of Rome's best fish stalls. Via Giovanni Battista Niccolini Ristorante Piperno – for cosy, old-school atmosphere Double fried carciofi alla giudia are one of the undisputed pillars of the Roman table. For some of the best, make your way to Ristorante Piperno, tucked down a small street in the city’s Jewish ghetto. It serves meltingly soft artichoke hearts encased by crisp leaves in Rome’s most charming dining room. ristorantepiperno.it Marigold – for fresh, modern cooking Chef Domenico Cortese, of microbakery and restaurant Marigold, exalts the best of every season in dishes like shaved fennel and puntarelle with toasted hazelnuts, and aubergines with roasted pepper romesco salsa. Completing the picture are Sofie Wochner's sourdough breads and a great natural wine list. Book for dinner, on Friday and Saturday nights only. marigoldroma.com The Pasta Factory – for pasta lessons As the name suggests, Veronica Paolillo’s unique studio kitchen lies in an old pasta factory. Which is appropriate since her focus in the small group workshops she leads is firmly on pasta. Learn how to make three different types of pasta before enjoying them first-hand at a shared meal with your fellow students. airbnb.co.uk/experiences Supplizio – for street food The original Roman street food, supplì is a mozzarella-filled fried rice snack. At Supplizio, in the middle of the meandering streets around Via dei Banchi Vecchi, you can try a perfect rendition of the original tomato supplì, as well as cacio and pepe and carbonara varieties. supplizioroma.it Circus Maximus Farmers Market – for porchetta sandwiches The long tradition of bringing herb-stuffed and crackling-coated roast pork from the hinterland towns into the city continues with the selling of porchetta sandwiches. One of the best porchetta paninos is to be found at the Campagna Amica Farmer's Market in Via San Teodoro every Saturday and Sunday. circusmaximumfarmersmarket.wordpress.com Il Goccetto – for wine Enoteca are the best kind of wine shops: those you can have a drink in. Even better if they serve small plates of appetisers alongside the wine, as Il Goccetto does. If you’re visiting in the summer ask for a glass of chilled Grechetto from northern Lazio. facebook.com/Ilgoccetto Spoon Gelateria – for artisan gelato Steps away from Piazza San Pietro, Spoon Gelateria is Rome's newest gelato gem. The purist’s pick is hazelnut, pistachio and chocolate with a slick of whipped cream, or try a scoop of the Gentillini made with the iconic Roman biscuits. @spoongelateria Urbana 47 – for a foodie place to stay in Rome A modern twist on the guesthouse tradition, Urbana 47’s pared-back bedrooms are set above a happening bar and pizzeria in the ivy clad streets of the Monti neighbourhood. Its owners have been leaders in the drive to use more seasonal, local and ethically raised produce in Rome’s kitchens, using free-range eggs from one of Lazio's best poultry farms in dishes and offering an impressive local wine selection among other policies. Breakfast is typically Roman and no-frills (a coffee and a cornetto) but if you’re after something more substantial you can order eggs with toast and seasonal vegetables, mushroom and mozzarella omelettes, eggs benedict or croque monsieur made with mozzarella down in the restaurant. urbana47.it Panificio Bonci – for pizza It’s hard to walk past this spot, on Via Trionfale, without stopping for a slice of pizza al taglio, maybe potato and mozzarella or a classic pizza rossa. If you’re self-catering you’ll also want to pick up a loaf made using the best organic stoneground flours, or a bag of artisan pastries. bonci.it Piatto Romano – for comfort food Aged sheep's milk pecorino cheese is a cornerstone ingredient in the big four Roman pastas: cacio e pepe, carbonara, amatriciana and la gricia. Pull up a chair at Testaccio trattoria Piatto Romano and dive into a bowl of pasta cooked the way it should be – simple, unsophisticated and blanketed with pecorino. piattoromano.com Words by Alice Adams Carosi, June 2019 Trust olive: Alice Adams Carosi is a cook, food stylist and the creator of Latteria studio in Rome (latteriastudio.com). Spending time at the city’s markets is happily part of her job description. Follow her on Instagram @alicekiandra.adams Rachel Roddy's best places to eat and drink in Rome Armando – for traditional Roman food Metres away from the Pantheon, Armando is a quietly elegant, but not at all precious, trattoria serving excellent, traditional Roman food. Try the fettuccine con le rigaglie (fresh egg pasta with chicken livers) and the torta antica. armandoalpantheon.it VinoRoma – for wine tastings Hande Leimer’s wine tastings at VinoRoma are illuminating and relaxed. Her most popular tasting is ‘My Italians’, a two-hour event held in her handsome studio near the Colosseum. vinoroma.com Mordi & Vai – for sandwiches At Mordi & Vai ex-butcher Sergio Esposito’s sandwiches are some of Rome’s greatest (and best value). The classic, panino con l’ allesso, is a soft roll dipped in rich meat broth, filled with meltingly tender boiled beef. mordievai.it Il Gelato – for gelato In case of indecision, nocciola e cioccolato (hazelnut and chocolate) is a good default position at Il Gelato. A brisk 10-minute walk from the Colosseum other favourites at this gelateria include lemon and wild strawberries, pear, port and almond, and the Roman favourite, stracciatella. ilgelatodiclaudiotorce.com Forno Campo de' Fiori – for pizza Get to Forno Campo de’ Fiori by 11 to grab a late-morning snack. Order a slice of both pizza bianca (olive oil and salt) and pizza rossa (with tomato). Don’t stand by the door or the bins – take your hot pizza into the relative calm of Piazza Farnese and eat it beside one of the fountains. fornocampodefiori.com Testaccio market – for market shopping Modern and bright Testaccio market is as tremendous and genuine as its grubbier previous incarnation. Wander between stalls selling fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and cheese, then buy mozzarella from Lina (box 89), bread and pizza from Artenio (box 90), and tomatoes and strawberries from Gianluca (box 32). Between Via Aldo Manuzio and Via Beniamino Franklin Flavio al Velavevodetto – for pasta At trattoria Flavio al Velavevodetto, partly burrowed into Monte Testaccio, the quartet of classic roman pastas – carbonara, gricia, amatriciana and cacio e pepe – are all superb. In season, order artichokes either Roman-style (braised whole with mint and garlic) or Jewish-style (deep-fried until they look like an exquisite bronze flower). ristorantevelavevodetto.it Bar Barberini – for coffee Rome is peppered with bars in which the real business of life is conducted over small cups of espresso, drunk standing at the counter. Follow suit at Bar Barberini; pay first, stand at the counter holding a small coin on your receipt, order, and drink in both coffee and atmosphere. Via Marmorata 41, 00 39 06 575 0869 Best street food in Rome Demand for more affordable dining options has brought delicious changes to Rome's food scene, not least a growing number of venues providing high-quality street food. At Trapizzino in Testaccio thick and spongy pizza corners are toasted, sliced open and filled with spoonfuls of hearty Roman dishes like oxtail stew, braised beef, aubergine parmigiana and meatballs. Head to historic bakery Antico Forno Roscioli (Via dei Chiavari 34), where pizza con la mortazza (mortadella-filled flatbread) is an inexpensive sandwich served year-round. Across the river in Prati, porchetta (deboned roast pork) sandwiches, are the specialty at Birra e Porchetta (Via Ciro Menotti 32) and the pizza con la porchetta (roast pork filled flatbread) from Panificio Bonci (Via Trionfale 36) has to be the city’s most satisfying street-food bite. Trust olive: Rachel Roddy is a Rome-based food writer. Her first book, Five Quarters: Recipes and Notes from a Kitchen in Rome is published by Saltyard books.
Florence foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
The best places to eat and drink in Florence, Italy. Gin sommeliers, sandwiches laced with truffle cream and black sesame seed gelato are shaking up the restaurant menus in Tuscany’s food hub
Looking for restaurants in Florence? Want to know where to eat in the Italian cultural capital? Local food writers Emiko Davies and Nardia Plumridge share their insider tips for the best restaurants in Florence, along with where to find natural wines, slices of pizza and the best gelato. I’ Brindellone – for local bistro vibes I’ Brindellone sits on the corner of Via del Leone, near Piazza del Carmine, a resolutely un-touristy spot in the San Frediano district. It’s where the locals come for an honest bistecca and down-to-earth service. Piazza Piattelina, 10; 00 39 055 217879 Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino – for offal In Florence’s cutest piazza, Osteria Tripperia Il Magazzino specialises in making offal undeniably delicious. The house antipasto plate is a must; their lampredotto meatballs will turn even the pickiest eater into an offal fan. The pear and taleggio cheese risotto is definitely worth a trip. Piazza della Passera 2; 00 39 055 215969 Trattoria Mario – for a busy trattoria You can’t come to Florence and not have lunch at Trattoria Mario. It’s very busy, with a no-bookings policy, so you may well find yourself eating elbow-to-elbow with other diners, but it’s a Florentine institution – and worth the crush. trattoria-mario.com Le Volpi e L’Uva – for natural wines For a glass of wine, look no further than lovely wine bar, Le Volpi e L’Uva. The carefully chosen (and often changing) list of boutique or natural wines here means you’ll always find something wonderful to drink. The crostini with lardo, honey and black pepper or a platter of Italian cheeses go down well, too. Piazza dei Rossi 1R, 50125; 00 39 055 2398132 Cafe Verrazzano – for coffee and pastries My favourite spot for a snack is Cafe Verrazzano. It serves some of the best coffee in town as well as delicious pastries, focaccia and cecina (thin, crêpe-like pancakes). There’s not much space to sit, so sip your coffee standing up, as locals do. verrazzano.com Zeb Gastronomia – for a family-run atmsophere Mother and son Giuseppina and Alberto Navari serve fresh spring flavours at the 21-seat Zeb Gastronomia. Sit at the gallery table and enjoy dishes such as pecorino and pear ravioli, which are made to old family recipes. Ditta Artigianale – for coffee Redolent of cafés in New York and Melbourne, Ditta Artigianale serves rare coffee blends by barista Francesco Sanapo. At night, gin sommelier Cecilia creates sublime cocktails – try the Gin Mule. via dei Neri, 32; 00 39 055 274 1541 Il Mercato Centrale – for street food The recently opened food hall at Il Mercato Centrale is a worthy addition to Florence’s legendary culinary scene. Head to SUD for southern-style pizza or go for the local delicacy, a tripe sandwich, at Il Lampredotto. Taste Florence – for foodie tours Visit some of the best food spots in town by joining one of Taste Florence’s morning walks (9.30am–2pm, €79). You’ll discover San Lorenzo’s renowned food market and family-run shops, with tastings of cheeses, salumi, sweets and wines. La Prosciutteria – for a quick bite When exploring Florence, a panino is the ideal quick bite between galleries. At La Prosciutteria choose from an array of freshly sliced meats in ciabatta; other fillings include truffle cream and marinated aubergine. Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina – for Tuscan wines Oenophiles should head to Enoteca Pitti Gola e Cantina, where brothers Eduardo and Zeno Fioravanti’s extensive list of Tuscan wines range from bold Brunello to softer Chianti Classico. Resident chef Donatella’s delicious Tuscan cuisine complements the booze. La Bottega del Buon Caffè – for Michelin star dining Riverside restaurant La Bottega del Buon Caffè received its first Michelin star in 2015. Chef Antonello Sardi creates delicate dishes from the finest Tuscan produce, much of which is grown at the restaurant’s country farm. Gelateria Santa Trinita – for gelato No Italian trip is complete without sampling the local gelato. Gelateria Santa Trinita next to the Santa Trinita bridge hand-makes its selection every morning. Try sesamo nero (black sesame seed) or cioccolata fondente (dark chocolate). Words by Emiko Davies and Nardia Plumridge Photographs Getty, Phototravel/Corbis, Rob Streeter
Beirut foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Explore the Lebanese capital via crunchy ‘blonde’ falafel, za’atar-sprinkled saj bread, rose loukoum ice cream, buttery wines and zingy homegrown salads
Looking for Beirut restaurants? Here are our favourite restaurants and hotels in the Lebanese capital, plus where to get the best ‘blonde’ falafels, pomegranate sorbet and saffron cake. Falafel Aboulziz – best street food Just off the main drag in the shop and café-lined Hamra neighbourhood, this small falafel joint is known for its crunchy little ‘blonde’ falafel; they’re paler than standard falafels because they have a different spice mix to the standard ones. Although the blend of eight different spices is a closely guarded secret, it’s safe to assume the rest of the recipe includes beans, chickpeas, cumin and parsley. Most people buy to take-away, either as a plate of falafel drizzled with a punchy tahini, garlic and lemon sauce, or with the falafel stuffed into a wrap along with parsley, mint, tomatoes and radishes, but there’s a small counter with stools if you want to eat in. Either way, six falafel or a wrap will set you back only about £1.50. facebook.com/FalafelAboulziz/ Oslo Ice Cream – best ice cream parlour This ultra-modern ice cream brand has two branches in Beirut, one in Verdun and one in Mar Mikhael. Though it also stocks a range of prettily packaged, bite-sized biscuits (tiny brownies, chocolate halva sablés, mini meringues) the pricey but heavenly ice cream is the must-buy. Go for one of the Middle Eastern-influenced flavours such as pistachio, pomegranate sorbet or, best of all, rose loukoum – rosewater ice cream peppered with little chunks of rose Turkish delight. osloicecream.com Tawlet – best lunch restaurant Tawlet opened in Mar Mikhael a decade ago as a spin-off to an ethically-driven farmer’s market, Souk El Tayeb (see below), and is part of an initiative that now includes five other projects across Lebanon, from markets to restaurants to guest houses. A homely, human take on building bridges between Christians and Muslims (albeit a stylishly designed one), the idea was to celebrate common ground, the shared territory in this case being food. Operating under the motto Make Food Not War, the recipe at Tawlet is a simple one: every day a home cook from a different region of Lebanon is invited to cook a buffet lunch. It’s a two-way win: the cook (always a woman, always a home cook) gets a rare opportunity to earn some income and an often equally rare sense of being valued (some of the chefs are from refugee communities) while the diners get to try the humble but delicious regional Lebanese dishes that are normally only rustled up behind closed doors. Founder, Kamal Mouzawak, explains that cooking is done by men in many Lebanese restaurants and is often seen as a performance. “Home cooks don’t care about that,” he says. “They want to take care of people by feeding them, not performing for them.” “In 2007, having already run the farmers’ market for three years, we set up a food and feast festival. We’d take people to, say, a cherry festival as a day out and think we’d better give them lunch but we didn’t want to serve generic tabbouleh, hummus and barbecue. We wanted to eat what the locals were eating, the dishes that were special to that particular area. Women are the guardians of these traditions so we put the word out to find the good cooks in each village. There would, perhaps, be someone who was known for her beans with tomato, another who was known for her baking and so on. They would come together and cook one dish each that they’d learnt from their mothers and grandmothers.” Two years later, that same approach was taken with the setting up of Tawlet in Beirut. On the day we visited the kitchen was being led by Fadia, a farmer from Tripoli, with help from the site’s permanent staff. After sitting down to a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, homemade grenadine juice or Lebanese wine, we filled our plates from a vast rainbow of salads, stews and pastries set out on the buffet counter. Stand-outs included a gently spiced cauliflower salad with lemon juice and yoghurt, little bite-sized beef pastries flecked with pine nuts and cinnamon, spicy little bullet-like sausages, rice garlanded with lentils and fried onions, a deep pink beetroot and tahini salad, velvety Lebanese okra cooked with garlic, onion, tomatoes and pomegranate molasses, freekeh laced with roast veg and herbs, and a meatball-like kibbeh doused in a rich, tomato sauce. There were desserts, too: an almost equally vast array of pistachio and lemon cake; crème caramel; halabiya (milk pudding swirled with rosewater, sugar and pistachios); fresh pomelo dotted with pomegranate seeds; semolina cake soaked in sugar syrup; sweet little pancakes that looked like wobbly cream horns stuffed with orange blossom ashta; and pistachio karabeej served with natef, a ‘cream’ made with soapwort, sugar syrup and rosewater. It was delicious, educational and the most sure-fire way to get an insight into Lebanese food culture on a whistlestop visit to the city. As Kamal summed up, “Politics, traffic… these things un-nurture you but this kitchen (I’m not going to say restaurant) nurtures you. Yes it looks good, too, but it’s not about aesthetics. It’s about creating a nurturing space.” soukeltayeb.com/tawlet Sip coffee – best coffee shop Beirut isn’t short on artisan-brewed coffee (other recommended places for a cuppa include Aaliya’s Bookshop, also in Gemmayzeh, and Kalei Coffee in Mar Mikhael) but newish Sip hits the spot with a short but sweet food menu of salads (mixed greens with avocado, sesame seeds, lemon oil and parmesan), all-day breakfast options (halloumi bagels, flatbread and labneh with olives, cucumbers and tomatoes…), a range of cakes freshly made by a local baker, seasonal juices and ice creams. Décor is minimalist but leafy with a plaster pink and sage colour scheme and pretty tiled floor and the coffee is as hipster-friendly as the surroundings. Single origin, small-batch, freshly roasted coffees are the name of the game, with drip, cold-brew and iced lattes on offer alongside flat whites, espressos, macchiatos and more, and a choice of almond and coconut milks for non-dairy drinkers. facebook.com/siplebanon/ Liza – best for fine Lebanese dining If you’re in Beirut for a special occasion make sure you book in for dinner at this fairytale Ashrafieh restaurant. Set within an Ottoman-style palace with ornately fretted arched windows, handsomely patterned floor tiles, a dolls house-like series of different rooms and a shimmering atmosphere helped by flickering candles, pendant lighting and mirrored panels, it’s a showstopper. The prices are as grand as the surroundings but, fortunately, the food warrants the expense and, as with most culinary experiences in Beirut, portions are huge. There’s nothing especially inventive about the menu of Lebanese classics but they’re served with precision and panache. Order from a long list of mezze items, grills, main dishes and desserts or, if there are four or more of you, avoid any dithering by choosing one of the restaurant's set menus. Highlights of our meal included grilled halloumi with a membrillo-like tomato ‘jam’, pinkie-sized sausages spiked with cinnamon and served with a sumac and pomegranate molasses dipping sauce, a spinach-like creamed chicory salad topped with slivers of fried saj bread and onions, an exemplary tabbouleh (made, as is the norm in Lebanon, with very little bulgur but lots of parsley), perfectly grilled chicken kebabs marinated in garlic and lemon, and a smoky, slow-cooked rendition of baba ghanoush. The usual dessert suspects are all on offer too, from saffron cake to milk puddings, karabeej to ice creams and sorbets made in-house with local ingredients (pistachio, rose, lemon, strawberry). The most interesting (to me – it can be a bit of a Marmite dish) was Liza’s take on meghli, a Lebanese rice flour pudding made with star anise, cinnamon and caraway and topped with nuts. Normally served to celebrate a child’s birth, it was fresh, slightly grainy and fruity, a refreshing rather than cloying way to end a meal. If dinner is out of your price range, go for brunch instead. Served on Sundays from noon to 4pm, Liza's beautifully presented buffet is a popular item on the city’s weekly food calendar but you can order à la carte as well. lizabeirut.com Ixsir winery – best vineyard tour A small winery in Batroun that’s winning a growing following for its high-end, sustainably produced wines, Ixsir is around an hours’ drive north of Beirut (allow 90 minutes at busier times). A good day trip in combination with a visit to the archaeological remains at nearby Byblos, the winery has taken a 400 year-old stone house and blended it with a hi-tech winery, underground art gallery and minimalist, almost Nordic-chic, restaurant. Cultivating vines in a range of terroirs (sites at different altitudes with varying climates) across Lebanon, the company only produced its first bottle in 2008 but now turns out 450,000 per year – three reds, three whites and two rosés. All are temptingly easily drinkable but we particularly liked the dry Altitudes Rosé, with its complex, spicy flavours, the buttery Grande Reserve white and the Grande Reserve red with its tobacco and dark chocolate notes. For the full experience, stay on for lunch at the winery’s restaurant. Operated by Nicolas Audi, a well-known Lebanese restaurateur, the setting is magical (especially on a sunny day, when you can eat outside beneath mulberry trees, on a terrace overlooking the surrounding vines). All the Lebanese classics are in attendance here - from tomato and walnut salads dressed with pomegranate molasses to a herby tabbouleh, silky hummus and juicy marinated skewers of chicken and beef, grilled over charcoal – but they’re given a lighter, modern touch. Don’t miss dessert; hits on the day we visited included a fruit salad scattered with almonds and pistachios and drizzled with homemade peach syrup and orange blossom water; maamoul made with honey and rosemary; and a twist on sahlab and halawet el jeben that involved rosewater ‘ice cream’ (actually made with egg white and mastic) sprinkled with pistachios and a little cloud of sesame candy floss. ixsir.com Taste Lebanon – best foodie walking tour A tour company with a foodie slant, Taste Lebanon offers a range of trips from intensive five-day food tours taking in six different regions across the country (and, among other highlights, the chance to try baking saj bread, harvest wild herbs to make za’atar, visit olive oil presses and vineyards and learn how to make the nation’s famed kebbeh, a dish of minced lamb and bulgur) to seven-hour culinary walking tours of Beirut. Traversing the city on foot promises the best way to get a feel for its cultural make-up, and the startling contrasts that co-inhabit its space – French-speakers and Arabic-speakers, ancient cathedrals and grand modern mosques, wealthy partygoers in ballgowns and impoverished refugee families living all in one room. Having a local to guide you along the way is also a likely method of subverting one of the more obvious of these contrasts, the gap between public and private. To visit Beirut and experience only its hotels, restaurants, museums and shops would be to miss what makes it special: the joyful gatherings of family and friends - be that a weekday dinner around a shared table or a wild, all-generations night out at the city’s Music Hall cabaret night – that hold this war-ravaged city together. Along the way, of course, you’ll get a more tangible flavour of the city via stops at Beirut’s best falafel outlets, Armenian bistros, mezze restaurants and much more. tastelebanon.co.uk Central Station – best bar It would be easy to walk past this bar, in the heart of Mar Mikhael, but that would be an error. In this party neighbourhood the streets are saturated with a glammed-up, good time-seeking, self-possessed crowd most evenings and, from the outside, Central Station is much less striking than the beautiful people milling around it. Duck inside, however, and the vibe is a compelling combination of upbeat yet mellow, with a DJ sensitive to whoever happens to be present at the time and a slightly older, easy-going, less ostentatiously showy clientele. What they come for is the cocktails, an expertly mixed, regularly changing selection with some seriously innovative options. Among them is the Reconstructed Falafel, a refreshing, herbal concoction made with vodka distilled with falafel spices – think coriander, basil, mastic, lemon and parsley mint oil rather than anything more earthy - and the Reconstructed Baklava (rum, baklava syrup, lemon and honey). They’re delicious, clever and not as gimmicky as they sound. facebook.com/Centralstationbeirut/ Souk El Tayeb – best farmers' market The market that kicked off the Tawlet phenomenon (see above), Souk El Tayeb has been running since 2004 and now operates at Beirut Souks, in the Downtown district, twice a week. A smaller market takes place on Wednesdays but Saturday’s event is the biggie. Every stallholder present grows or makes what they sell and, like the restaurant, the aim is to help people across Lebanon without more obvious opportunities both make a living and gain a sense of value. It’s also a way of celebrating and perpetuating the country’s rural craft techniques, many of them culinary ones. Prices are more urban than you might expect but it helps to know that money is going to families who need it, and who may not otherwise have access to a source of income. A point that hit home at the first stall we visited when we discovered that Oumali (“mother of Ali”), from south Lebanon, has managed to put her children through school with her takings from selling manoush - saj bread filled with za’ater, labneh, vegetables and tomatoes - at Souk el Tayeb, and from occasional stints at the stove at Tawlet. It’s also a great way to see the diversity of the country’s food scene, with Georgina (a stallholder from north Lebanon who sells the traditional meat dish of kibbeh, in every shape and size) and Nabil and Nada (farmers from West Bekaa who sell their own-grown, and artfully packed, pickles, preserves and distilled flower waters) rubbing shoulders with Elmir (a hip Beirut craft beer producer) and The Good Thymes (a next-level za’atar business from south Lebanon selling a variety of blends, including one made with goat kechek, sumac, sesame seeds and sea salt). Alongside these are fresh veg stalls selling the local (tiny) okra and wild asparagus, kaak bread, falafel, recycled glassware, dried fruits, honeys, handmade soap scented with wild herbs and much more. One word of warning: don’t be tempted to buy any olive oil as you’ll have it confiscated at the airport, even if it’s in checked-in luggage (see below). soukeltayeb.com The Phoenicia Hotel – best hotel Majestically located, with views out to sea from almost all of its bedrooms, this ship-like hotel (there are 446 rooms) is an iconic Beiruti landmark and a perfect reflection of the city’s ‘live for the moment’ attitude; burnt out during Lebanon’s civil war it subsequently closed for 25 years but is now back to offering dizzying levels of opulence (for an instant history lesson, spot the battle-scarred carcass of the former Holiday Inn behind as you recline by the Phoenicia’s glamorous, mosaic-tiled outdoor pool). We liked the rooms in the Phoenician Tower best, with their Arabic-laced balconies and toned-down colour schemes. Resolutely traditional elsewhere, with acres of marble and velvet and deep-pile carpeting, the Phoenicia’s blingy glamour is joyful, and surprisingly inclusive judging by the range of guests (though sit in the bar in late evening and you'll witness the floor-skimmingly frocked and glossily coiffed regulars cascading down the foyer’s sweeping staircase into waiting taxis). Home to a big-hitting collection of modern art, with works by Howard Hodgkin, Andy Goldsworthy and Richard Long among it, the hotel also maintains an impressive service mentality. Daily deliveries of fruit, chocolates, jammy little raspberry macarons and freshly baked madeleines appear via housekeeping, and no request goes unanswered, whether you’d like more Ila toiletries in your bathroom, a customised massage in the spa or a small-group cooking class in the hotel’s penthouse suite courtesy of the Phoenicia’s Culinary Institute (a local membership-based cooking club which hotel guests can tap into if workshops are taking place during their stay). The Cascade Lounge bar wraps around a fountain in the centre of the hotel and acts as a lobby lounge as well as a drinks space, so it’s bustling around the clock. Afternoons see the space play host to an elegant afternoon tea service while, come cocktail hour, it cranks up the glitz. If you have a hefty wallet you can sip your way through a range of rare whiskies, cognacs and wines but we recommend keeping it simple with a G&T, or a bottle of Lebanese wine from nearby Ixsir winery (read on for more on that) with a bowl of moreish jumbo cashews, pistachios and pecans on the side. Restaurants-wise, there are three options – the Amethyst Lounge and shisha bar operates around the hotel’s outdoor pool in the summer months while indoors, year round, there’s a choice between Italian-themed Rossini and Mosaic, a contemporary, light-filled, largely Lebanese dining room that also hosts themed events throughout the week (sushi, French, Sunday lunch…). The standout food experience at the hotel, however, is the breakfast buffet. Served in Mosaic, it’s one of the best we’ve tried (and we’ve tried a lot on our #olivetravels). A vast series of counters totter under the weight of fresh fruit and nuts; freshly pressed juices; myriad continental rolls, breads and patisserie; cereals and granolas; jams, local honeys, date syrup and carob molasses; homemade halva flavoured with pistachio or swirls of chocolate; local cheeses, labneh and butters; huge trays of house-made knafeh set beside jugs of lemon- and orange-blossom flavoured sugar syrups; olives of all shapes, sizes and colours; salads, hummus and moutabal platters the same could be said of; hot stews and meat dishes; Middle Eastern breads from khebez to sesame-sprinkled kaak and made-to-order saj. Our tip? Queue up for the saj bread and watch it being cooked in front of you on a domed griddle then drizzled with your topping of choice (za’atar, kishk…). Then, grab some fresh fruit and a bowl of warm ful medames to go with it (slicked with olive oil, lime juice and a dusting of paprika) and take the whole lot outside to enjoy on the terrace with views out across the palm-peppered harbour and corniche (as per the image below). phoeniciabeirut.com Rafic Hariri International Airport – best food souvenirs It isn’t often that we include an airport’s duty free shopping area in our foodie guides but this isn’t your average airport shopping experience. Go through to departures in plenty of time (and with plenty of space in your hand luggage) to stock up on nuts, dried fruits and Lebanese sweets (all sold by weight) as well as bottles of pickles, slices of freshly made sfouf cake (made with turmeric and orange blossom water), Lebanese wines, cigars and even jars of kishk (milk, yoghurt and cracked wheat that’s been fermented, dried and powdered). One note of caution: no matter how professionally sealed it is, if you buy olive oil in Lebanon and try to bring it home in your checked baggage you will have it confiscated from you at a pre check-in customs scan. Save yourself hassle and money by buying it in Departures instead. Words and photographs (except Phoenicia Hotel pool image) by Rhiannon Batten, May 2019
Saint Lucia foodie guide: where to eat, drink and shop
Eat shrimp-stuffed rotis on the beach, dine at a chocolate-obsessed restaurant, drink signature rum cocktails, barter for raw cacao sticks, and stay over in a gingerbread cottage on the lush Caribbean island
Looking for Saint Lucia restaurants? Here are our favourite restaurants on the Caribbean island, plus where to get the best rotis, rum cocktails and fish curry. With a fruitful climate, the plentiful Caribbean Sea and culinary influences that stretch from East India to West Africa, Britain and France, it’s no surprise that food is a central element of Saint Lucian culture. Fish soups and chicken stews are often found on local menus, while breadfruit, figs, pineapples, bananas, yams and scotch bonnet peppers are easily available. Fried and baked dough products are also commonplace on Saint Lucia, perhaps best experienced in the national dish: Johnny cakes (think savoury donuts) with salt fish (sautéed fish with peppers and onions). Best street food on Saint Lucia Jump Up If you’re staying in the north of the island don’t miss this street party, which takes place every Friday night in Gros Islet. Rum shacks and grill stalls start setting up shop at around 6.30pm, but the drinking and dancing don’t get fully going until much later; if you’re there to party, don’t even think of going before 10pm. For a more gentle experience, go at around 7pm and head to Duke’s Place for some of the best, home-cooked fish on the island. At a bank of metal-drum barbecues, huge quantities of lobster, marlin and mahi-mahi are cooked. Join the (fast-moving) queues to take your pick, then move along makeshift tables choosing rice and “auntie’s” fig salad (doused with a gorgeously garlicky dressing, the ‘figs’ are actually green bananas, prepared as a vegetable rather than a fruit) to go with it. Next, head over to the Duke’s Place bar to order a rum punch, then take your haul over to one of the adjacent picnic tables to chat to a mix of locals and tourists while you eat; a huge dinner and a couple of rum punches will cost you less than a tenner. Bay Street, Gros Islet Liz Hot Roti They may be a traditional Indian flatbread, but, for Saint Lucians, rotis are a delicacy in their own right. On Reduit Beach, in Rodney Bay, Liz (look for her ‘Liz Hot Roti’ sign) fills them with everything from marinated goat meat to shrimp, plus homemade hot sauce, for the perfect beach lunch. It’s just a makeshift stall, which Liz also sells warm coconut cake and fruit juices from, but it’s so successful that imposters have taken to mimicking her… so be sure to buy the genuine article! Reduit Beach, Rodney Bay Best beach bar on Saint Lucia The Naked Fisherman Part of the Cap Maison resort, this Smuggler’s Cove beach bar serves casual lunches and dinners on some evenings (snow crab claws, lobster cocktails, burgers, creole barbecue boards…) at beachside tables. Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, it’s worth going for a sundowner. Not only does the bar serve its own, island-brewed, Naked Fisherman IPA, but it’s also known for its signature rum cocktails (try Saint Lucia’s treacly Chairman’s Reserve Rum in a Spicy Mango, with mango purée, lime juice and homemade jalapeño syrup). If you want slightly more refined dining, head to the resort’s main restaurant, The Cliff at Cap. It’s open-air with a dramatic clifftop setting: below you, frigatebirds swoop over the ocean and, if you squint, you can see over to the island of Martinique. The menu veers towards creative French/West Indian cooking (signature dishes include ceviche of reef conch and ahi tuna, and Kurobuta pork belly with razor clams, squid and coconut foam), but The Cliff is also a great spot for a drink: the bar has an impressive selection of rums. nakedfishermanstlucia.com; capmaison.com Best chocolate experience on Saint Lucia Boucan hotel See exactly where the cocoa in your Dizzy Pralines comes from at Hotel Chocolat’s 250-year-old plantation (and adjoining boutique hotel), near Soufriere. Set against the Piton mountains, 1,000 metres above the Caribbean Sea, Boucan hotel is as indulgent as a Rocky Road slab. Relax with a pick-your-own cacao-oil massage (try heady cacao-rose, or fragrant cacao-cinnamon), take a dip in the infinity pool, head off on a plantation tour or make your own chocolate bar on a bean-to-bar experience. Rooms, called ‘luxe pods’, have four-poster beds, open-sky rainforest showers and lush Petit Piton views from your own private veranda. Plus they’re decorated in rich mahoganies and ivories, to subtly reflect those chocolate hues. The restaurant (perfectly placed for Petit Piton panoramas) makes use of the entire cocoa pod: fresh, tangy pulp in cocktails and sorbets, and roasted cacao nibs for spice. Try yellowfin tuna with a cacao nib crust and garlic cacao butter sauce, with a side of white chocolate mash. And Rabot Chocolate Lava for dessert, inspired by nearby Soufriere volcano – a dome of chocolate sponge with a molten chocolate interior, made entirely from Hotel Chocolat cacao beans. hotelchocolat.com/uk/boucan Best casual dining spots on Saint Lucia Jambe de Bois There’s a Robinson Crusoe vibe at this Pigeon Island café, with its driftwood furniture, brightly painted rope swings and waterside setting. The island (now connected to Saint Lucia by a causeway) is popular with day-trippers from hotels in neighbouring Rodney Bay, who come to snorkel just offshore, or hike up to the Fort Rodney. Many of them detour into this appealingly hippyish spot along the way. Home cooking is the order of the day, with simple dishes such as callaloo soup, homemade crab cakes and banana crumble. It’s also a great spot to sit and sip a Piton beer overlooking the water. Pigeon Island, 00 1 758 450 8166 Martha’s Tables Run by a local mother-daughter duo, Martha’s Tables sits just beneath Petit Piton in Soufriere and serves straight-up home-cooked food on its verandah. Try breadfruit balls (the prickly oval fruit tastes like freshly baked bread when cooked), and freshly-caught mahi mahi in Martha’s rich and spicy special sauce. marthastables.com Hardest Hard In Castries, Hardest Hard is where locals go for lunch. It’s a humble menu – six-or-seven ‘plates’ to choose from, and the same number of drinks (try tamarind juice) – that gives a great flavour of Saint Lucian cuisine. From gentle saltfish bake to not-for-the-faint-hearted salted pigtail bouyon, it’s all piled high on bright yellow plates; although the kitchen runs out of food quickly at lunch time, so get there early. facebook.com/hardesthard.rb Flavours of the Grill Flavours of the Grill promises just that: locally-caught seafood or meat, simply grilled and served in curries (shrimp in coconut curry is a favourite) or alongside garlic potatoes, rice, okra and green beans. The simple, modern restaurant is just south of Rodney Bay (it’s recently moved from its original Gros Islet location), and there’s live jazz every Friday night – enjoy it with a banana daiquiri in hand. Close to the Windjammer Landing, near Rodney Bay Best romantic dining spots on Saint Lucia Orlando’s It’s strictly local ingredients here (including pure vanilla pods and extra virgin olive oil), transformed into light, elegant dishes. Set at the northern end of Soufriere, Orlando’s is an al fresco restaurant – you eat in a courtyard garden – that serves ‘Ti Manje’ (small plates) of Caribbean food: cucumber and saltfish salad, for example, and mahi mahi with sweet potato crust, skewered on sugar cane sticks. orlandosrestaurantstl.com The Coal Pot Across the bay from Castries, and next to genteel Vigie Marina, The Coal Pot has been cooking fresh fish for over 50 years. Try kingfish, barracuda, dorado or lobster, served with ratatouille and fiery ginger sauce, or authentic St Lucian ‘crab back’ – local crab sautéed with herbs in a garlic-butter sauce. Food is served on patterned plates painted by the owner, flickering lanterns lend the space a romantic feel, and its waterside location makes for the perfect (if slightly smug) holiday snap. facebook.com/The-Coal-Pot-Restaurant Best market on Saint Lucia Rough-around-the-edges Castries market, first established in the 1890s, is the biggest on the island, with over 300 regular vendors and a Vendor’s Arcade annex (a far more recent addition) on one side that acts as a showcase for local restaurants and craftspeople. You can buy everything from green figs to banana ketchup, hats made of grass and raw cocoa sticks here (grate the latter and mix with bay leaves, cinnamon and nutmeg to make Saint Lucian hot cocoa tea). The best time to visit is early on a Saturday morning – when in-the-know locals do their shopping. John Compton Highway, Castries Best places to stay on Saint Lucia East Winds Resort For a pampering experience with a more local flavour than some of the larger resorts – and a more intimate setting (there are only 30 guest cottages plus a beach house) – this leafy, all-inclusive retreat, right on La Brelotte beach in the northwest of the island, is a recommended option. Accommodation is scattered between pretty gingerbread cottages and older rondel-style suites in the extensive gardens, plus a handful of beach apartments; all are spoiling, with vast beds, luxury bathrooms and conscientiously stocked mini bars (unlimited chilled champagne can also be supplied if you really want to celebrate). At the heart of the resort is a beachfront bar, restaurant and open-sided lounge area, while just behind them are two elegant pavilions – one for expert yoga and pilates classes (included in the price), the other home to a spa. Other activities included in the rates are watersports, garden tours (ask to see the on-site banana ‘museum’, where several varieties of the fruit are grown) and cooking classes (ours, with chef Linton, taught us how to make posh battered fish, the delicate crispy coating a blitzed-up mix of onion, garlic, hot sauce, sage, basil, sweet peppers, olive oil and lime juice). Breakfasts are a highlight, with a different fresh smoothie or juice available every day and, alongside the usual suspects (toast, local jams, tropical fruits, bacon and eggs), a choice of fresh pancakes and omelettes made to order. Local flavours pop up, too: johnny cakes with green figs and saltfish, perhaps, or little homemade coconut and cinnamon rolls. Lunches, meanwhile, are different every day but revolve around marinated and barbecued meats and fish (weeks later, one of our party is still talking about East Winds’ barbecued spare ribs), stews, paella and brightly coloured salads and sides (jackfruit salad, buttered greens, pickled veg, dasheen balls…). If it’s on offer, try the shrimp soup, a wholesome-tasting light, peppery broth laced with plump seafood. In the unlikely event that you get hungry during the day, homemade cake is served in the lounge each afternoon (we happened to be there over the island’s Independence celebrations, and also got to try local sweets such as sour-sweet tamarind balls and coconut fudge) and there’s an all-day bar menu listing items such as grilled fish skewers. Save space, though, for imaginative four-course evening dinners. Overseen by aptly named executive chef Tomislav Čukman, elegantly presented dishes range from tuna confit with potato salad to Caribbean-style green banana bouillon, seared barracuda with cauliflower and wasabi cream and chocolate and raspberry entremets (traditionalists can opt for the likes of grilled pear with prosciutto crisp, roast rack of lamb and banana donuts with spicy toffee sauce). As for the bar, while it’s all-inclusive at East Winds, a grown-up crowd means no-one overdoes it. Piton beers and house wines are popular and fruit punches (with or without rum) are always available. There’s usually a cocktail of the day, but our advice is to try the local rum. Chairman’s Reserve, produced on the island, is a smooth, failsafe choice with honeyed, tropical fruit notes; but if you want something a step up from the standard, ask for a glass of Admiral Rodney rum, with its vanilla and toasted oak flavour. eastwinds.com For more information on the island, see stlucia.org Words by Rhiannon Batten and Charlotte Morgan Photographs by Rhiannon Batten, Steve Barnes and Hotel Chocolat
Why stay in one spot, when there’s so much more to see? Jump in the car, follow our routes, and really get to know these foodie destinations – rooftop bars in Azores, Scottish neighbourhood bistros and farmers' markets in Australia
Looking for foodie road trips across Europe? Want to know the best road journeys through America? Here are the best foodie road trips to take this year. Coastal Slovenia Flanked by the Italian port cities of Trieste and Venice to the north and Croatia’s beaches to the south, Slovenia’s coastline is, at just 28 miles, a neglected treasure. But this little seashore flaunts a surprisingly eclectic mix of culinary influences, where northern Italian and Croatian dishes morph into brilliantly off-key versions of the originals. Here you’ll find thick fusi pasta, yellow with egg yolks and rich with butter and truffles; melt-in-your-mouth Boskarin stew tossed through fat gnocchi or piled onto oozy polenta; dry-cured Karst ham; pungent sheep’s cheeses; and an unending supply of fresh fish. For the latter, head a few miles out of Koper – the largest coastal town – to Gostilna Trattoria Norma, a family-run taverna serving exceptionally fresh shellfish, including razor clams, scallops and king prawn-stuffed ravioli doused in Istrian olive oil, all paired with crisp wines from their generations-old vineyard. A little more up-market, Restaurant OKUS in Koper is a must-try, in particular for its overnight Venetian-style fish stew. Skip dessert for ice cream at Sladoledarna, a local institution with flavours that range from apricot and lavender to coffee and stout. Further down the coast, stop at the colourful fishing village of Piran before heading to Rizibiz in neighbouring Portorož (try the truffle tasting menu). Istrian Bistro is an equally popular spot for a bottle and a bite, its ingredients supplied by a handful of small-scale local producers. One such producer is the Butul family farmstead. Set in an oasis of olive, pomegranate and fig trees, beehives and vines, it offers B&B accommodation as well as meals. Everything here is made from scratch: the breakfast spread includes three-day fermented bread, home-preserved anchovies, tangy pickled aubergines, thick honey, and fig jams. Keen ambassadors of a slow Mediterranean way of life, the Butuls are a genuine representation of Istrian Slovenia. São Miguel, Azores A Portuguese outpost, flung into the Atlantic, the Azores archipelago has fermented its own food culture, and each island has independent tastes. Not least main hub São Miguel – the ‘green island’ – which offers some of the Azores’ most dramatic volcanic scenery and some of its best produce: tender beef, grilled with roast garlic and sautéed peppers; cozido (meat stew); small-yet-sweet Azorean pineapples; sea-salty lapas (limpets) grilled with cumin; and fluffy, muffin-like bolo lêvedo bread. Stay in capital Ponta Delgada, where the marina-front Azor Hotel has a rooftop bar where you can drink Azorean wine and scan for passing whales, and a restaurant that majors on local flavours – limpet rice, pork rinds, pineapple strudel. Grab breakfast at Louvre Michaelense, founded as a grocery store in 1904 and now a hip spot for pastries. With a quick stop at the Augusto Arruda pineapple plantation, to tour the greenhouses and buy ananás liqueur, follow the south coast to Vila Franca do Campo to try traditional queijadas (cheese tarts) created by the town’s nuns in the 17th century. Lunch on cozido in Furnas, where this hearty concoction of pork ribs, pig ears, blood sausage and yam is simmered in volcanic hot springs for eight hours. Drive cross-island to the north coast for a cuppa at Gorreana, home of Europe’s oldest tea plantation, which has cultivated organic teas since 1883. Then head on to Porto Formoso, where family-run Quinta dos Sabores serves intimate farm-to-table dinners. Continue west along the coast to the affluent plateau-top town of Ribeira Grande, with its charming old centre. Find coffee and artisanal truffles at O Chocolatinho and great sushi by the sea at Santa Barbara. In São Miguel’s far west is Sete Cidades, a protected landscape of blue-green crater lakes. It’s also home to Quinta da Queiró, where a handful of barns has been converted into apartments and a teahouse lays on sweetmeats, liqueurs and other regional produce. Asturias, Spain In northerly Asturias, mountain and sea collide in beautiful, belly-filling fashion. Attractive fishing villages spill over with hake, monkfish, lobster and crab, and prickly sea urchins can be plucked right off the rocks. Inland, where rare-breed livestock roam alpine pastures, farmers are fuelled by pantrucu and sabadiego sausages, and by fabada asturiana – a rich stew of white beans, pork shoulder, bacon and black pudding. Start in medieval Oviedo, capital of Asturias. Buy a box of Moscovitas from Rialto, which has been baking the almond-chocolate biscuits for more than 80 years. Then head north to the coast: Asturias has 200-odd beaches, but remains pleasingly undeveloped. Stop in Gijón to shop for almond-praline Gijonesa cake and gorgeously packaged sardines at La Gijonesa. Pause in Lastres to see fishing nets being made the traditional way. In the harbour town of Ribadesella, visit a sidrería, where expert escanciadores pour Asturian cider from up high to aerate the brew. At Sidrería la Guia, order fresh mussels or Galician octopus. After pretty seaside Llanes, turn inland. It’s amid the mountains that you’ll find Asturias’s 40-odd cheeses, from nutty Gamonéu to creamy Afuega’l Pitu and potent blue Cabrales, which is aged in caves. Some queserías offer tours – try Francisco Bada. The Sidrería Casa Niembro, in Asiego, is owned by the family who run the town’s Ruta’l Quesu y la Sidra tour; its menu features local produce including Cabrales, tortos (maize pancakes) and cod croquettes. With the Picos de Europa range to your left, head west, via Cangas de Onís. Two delightful spots to stay lie hereabouts. La Casona de Con is an old hamlet converted into a countryside retreat, while Posada del Valle is a family-run farmstead set amid organic orchards and pastures that supply the restaurant. Book a table at Michelin-starred Corral del Indianu, in nearby Arriondas, for inventive dishes such as a modern take on fabada. En route back to Oviedo, stop in Redes Natural Park, a Biosphere Reserve protecting the Cantabrian Mountains and producers of the intense Casín cheese. Argyll, Scotland A scenic hop-skip north of Glasgow lies a loch-pocked region oft overlooked by those dashing for the Highlands. Slow down to eat your way around Argyll, where the fish is fresh and abundant, and a foodie revolution is underway. Following the Clyde north, aim for Helensburgh, the riverside Victorian resort that’s fast gaining a reputation as a gastronomic hub. Opened in 2017, neighbourhood bistro Sugar Boat is the sort of place you always hope to stumble upon – from its open kitchen comes seasonal, local produce at reasonable prices; try the thick, saffron-infused bouillabaisse. The grass-fed, well-aged Aberdeen Angus beef at Cattle & Creel is an excellent alternative. Finish with chocolates from CocoaMo – master chocolatier Ruth Hinks uses ethically sourced cacao, foraged ingredients and local inspiration to create ever-changing flavours. Next, curl round onto the Cowal Peninsula, ignoring (for now) Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, to discover Argyll’s secret coast. Here, looking over Loch Fyne, sits Inver, an inconspicuous crofter’s cottage that’s producing some of the most highly rated food in the country. Chef Pam – who worked at Copenhagen’s Noma – creates modern Scottish miracles, from pig’s head with pickled greengages to ginger-hot whipkull (Shetland custard). Stay overnight in one of Inver’s bothies to make the most of the natural wines and own-recipe Fyne Ales. Further north, via Loch Awe and Loch Etive, is Oban, Scotland’s ‘Seafood Capital’. Opened in 2018, Etive has added to the port’s high-class offering, with an estimable whisky list and innovative use of local produce. Return to Glasgow via Loch Lomond. Martin Wishart’s restaurant – and the rest of Cameron House Hotel – is set to re-open in autumn, following a post-fire restoration. In the meantime, stop off instead at Tarbet’s Skipness Seafood Cabin where seafood – creel-caught langoustine, salmon from Skipness Smokehouse, Loch Fyne oysters – is served no-frills and super-fresh. Finish at Auchentullich Farm Shop, a family dairy farm that’s branched out into homemade ice cream. Transylvania, Romania Exploring the food scene in mountainous Transylvania isn’t about finding hot new chefs using foam and blowtorches. This is a rural region where you’re as likely to eat in a local home as a restaurant; where ingredients are fresh and organic; where dishes – paprika-y goulash, olive oil soaked aubergines – are simple and delicious. The uni town of Cluj-Napoca is a good starting point, and a shot of civilisation before heading into deepest bear-roamed Transylvania. Consider a raw/veggie dinner at hip Samsara before dishes swerve meat-wards. Head south, stopping at a vineyard – the Transylvanian terroir and climate is perfect for white wines. Jidevi sits in the Târnave region, where viticulture dates back to 600 BC; the vineyard produces wines from a range of grapes including the dry, fresh Romanian variety, fetească regală. Continue towards the tiny Saxon village of Copșa Mare, where original, pastel-hued houses have been converted into guest accommodation. Breakfasts comprise honey, yogurt, fresh bread and apple juice from nearby Mălâncrav, where Prince Charles has an estate. Detour to Moşna to meet Willy Schuster, who campaigns for peasant farmers and hosts lunches on his organic farm. The walled old town of Sighișoara, alleged birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, is close. Here, amid the Dracula-themed tat and cobbled alleys, look for restaurants serving Romanian specialities: sarmale (pork-stuffed cabbage rolls), barbecued mititei (skinless sausages) and ciorbă (sour soup). Located in a 16th-century townhouse, Casa Krauss serves truly Transylvanian dishes such as tocăniţă din ardeal – pork neck seasoned with cumin and tarragon, topped with pastry. It has guestrooms too, featuring canopied beds and frescoed walls. A little south, the village of Saschiz is home to a chapter of the Slow Food movement. Here you can see traditional Transylvanian food culture in action: small gardens full of vegetables (eaten fresh or pickled); vines draped over every courtyard; sourdough bread baked in outdoor ovens; sheep’s milk churned into cheese by the shepherd; and chickens ranging free. Join a courtyard dinner, and raise a shot of pálinka, the potent home-distilled fruit brandy that accompanies every meal. The Hudson Valley, New York State 30 minutes by train from New York’s Grand Central Station, the city of Yonkers is where Manhattanites flock at the weekend to escape the mayhem (and to fill up on beer and crunchy fried sprouts at Yonkers Brewing Co). It’s a green spot, with forests, farmland and quaint towns, sweeping waterways and vineyards. Beneath the sleepy façade, however, the region is home to a hive of entrepreneurial activity. Sprout Creek Farm, for example, makes award-winning cheese – Doe re mi is a creamy, fresh goat’s cheese while margi has a buttery sweetness, like brie. Try earthy green garlic soup with manila clams at their restaurant, with a glass of rkatsiteli (like a chenin blanc, and the first grape planted in New York State). Stay over at Hotel Tivoli in sleepy Tivoli, a cluster of pretty, pastel-painted clapboard houses 30 minutes north of Hyde Park. Owned by artists Brice and Helen Marden, the hotel is a colourful, eclectic little place with contemporary artworks on the walls and the farm-to-table Corner Restaurant. Devon Gilroy’s Mediterranean-inspired menus feature a knockout fresh mackerel escabeche with periwinkle broth and tear-and-share Moroccan bread. North again, the town of Hudson in Columbia County, two hours by train from New York, has long been on antique-hunters’ radars. However, since a bunch of Brooklyn hipsters decamped here recently it’s also seriously upped its gourmet game. Among said hipsters is chef Zak Pelaccio, who opened Fish & Game in an old blacksmith’s forge. Studying the menu, mint julep in hand, you pick tapas-style, or order a whole aged spit-roast duck or steamed black bass for the table. The garganelli is exceptional: pungent pork ragù and hand-rolled penne. Also in Hudson is Grazin’, an original 1940s burger joint with a modern outlook on fast food. Not just field-to-plate, Grazin’s sign brags ‘Farm-to-Table-Direct’. All the meat served here comes from owner Dan Gibson’s nearby farm, his herd of grass-fed Black Angus cattle producing fantastic burgers. Find more places to eat and drink in Hudson Valley here... Sylt, Germany Sylt is the largest island in the North Frisian archipelago and, at its widest, is eight miles long (but only 320 metres across in places, where you can see the sea on both sides of the road). It’s famous for its wild, white sand, a continuous stretch fringed with towering grass- and wildflower-sown dunes. The Landhaus Stricker is a quaint and cosy Relais & Chateaux hotel in the island’s distinctive cottage style. Try the seven-course tasting menu at the Michelin-starred restaurant, including lukewarm gorgonzola foam served with sweet beetroot, fig confit, wild herbs and sauternes vinaigrette. Kiosks nearby sell the island’s famous fish sandwich, a crunchy roll filled with matjes – marinated herring with onion. Sansibar, a legendary beachside bistro, is a sprawling wooden shack with rustic tables and a huge covered deck. It’s a prime sunset spot for a cocktail or cold beer. Try the local seafood platter of matjes, sweet beetroot, salmon with sour cream and dill, and brown shrimp. In Rantum, just a little further on at the narrowest point of the island, is Hafenkiosk 24, a tiny makeshift café and smokery. Inside are trays of butterfish, salmon and eels hanging from hooks. On the marina there’s also a whisky distillery Sylter Trading and, around the harbour, a Fairtrade coffee roaster, Kaffeerösterei Sylt, with a contemporary café. Here, sacks of beans sit in one corner while piles of cakes line the counter (including Frisian torte, made from puff pastry, cream and plum jam). There’s no shortage of seafood joints on the island and, on the revamped harbour, there’s one of many branches of Gosch, a maritime-themed restaurant chain that’s now nationwide, along with a fish market selling anything from matjes rolls to fish soup. List is where you’ll find the latest venture from another of the island’s top chefs. Alexandro Pape had a Michelin star. Now he’s gone back to basics, producing sea salt (sylter-meersalz.de). In August 2016 he opened a microbrewery in the same building. You can take a tour and stock up on artisan jars of salt and beer in the sleek shop, before heading to Keitum to his new low-key eatery Brot & Bier. The open sandwiches – shrimp and egg on rye – are piled artistically high. Uzes, France Uzès is surrounded by truffle plantations and hosts a truffle festival every January, while confectionary giant Haribo opened Le Musée du Bonbon here in 1996. Today, spindly liquorice plants line the entrance to the museum and even the air outside is laced with a sugary sweetness. Your ticket comes with a bag of sweets to suck as you wander from room to room. Pressing a button releases a puff of vanilla, cacao or liquorice into the air. This less well-known corner of France (the Gard) is just 40 minutes from Avignon, where you can jump off the Eurostar as it hurtles on to Marseilles. The area has no fewer than a dozen AOP/AOC and five PGI products that have gained protection, including beef and rice from the Camargue, olives, olive oil and strawberries from Nîmes, sweet onions from the Cévennes and Pélardon goat’s cheese. Today, Uzès is a honeypot, but until about 50 years ago it was a rundown little town. The French government designated it a ville d’art et d’histoire and helped to restore the ruined buildings. Parisian restaurateurs and hoteliers soon began to trickle down opening chic b&bs such as L’Artemise, an old mas (farmhouse) a short walk out of town, its rooms splashed with contemporary art. Spend a night at La Maison d’Uzès, where the restaurant (all parquet floors and vibrant velvet chairs) has a Michelin star and its chef, Christophe Ducros, celebrates the Gard’s local produce. An eight-course tasting menu includes a dish of local asparagus with slithers of kumquat and salty caviar with an orange vinaigrette was light and zesty. The nearby Place aux Herbes is crowded with stalls piled high with local asparagus and strawberries. Graze on local Picholine olives and Pélardon goat’s cheese, sampling artisanal olive oils and stocking up on pungent tapenades and garlic confit, a tub of addictively fragrant white spheres. Join the queue at boulangerie Fougasse d’Uzès for fougasse, the local speciality, a hot flaky focaccia-style bread, filled with anchovies and olives. More places to stop off in Uzès here... The Fleurieu peninsula, Australia The Fleurieu has a Mediterranean climate, laid-back vibe, wild, windswept beaches, swathes of silvery olive groves, a clutch of field-to-fork eateries and farmers’ markets along with more than 70 boutique wineries. Within the peninsula, McLaren Vale is the birthplace of the South Australian wine industry and home to some of the world’s oldest grapevines. McLaren Vale’s d’Arenberg Cube, a dazzling glass and steel structure that has been dubbed ‘Willy Wonka’s wine factory’, materializes out of the vines like a half-finished Rubik’s Cube. Sample wines with names as intoxicating as the vintages: The Anthropocene Epoch, for example, is the company’s first biodynamic wine, all ballsy beetroot and berries. Or try Alpha Box & Dice, one of the new kids on the block, where the wine cellar is a ramshackle old stable strewn with vintage armchairs, a piano, pinball machine and stuffed armadillo. For lunch in the McLaren Vale, head to Bocca di Lupo. It combines contemporary Australian and Italian cuisine in innovative dishes such as baby beetroots, liquorice sponge, walnut and chocolate. Or eat at Star of Greece, a rickety beach shack teetering on the clifftop at Port Willunga. At The Salopian Inn, chef-owner Karena Armstrong serves contemporary Australian dishes such as soy-braised kangaroo tail with chilli caramel and szechuan salt. Next, graze your way round Willunga Farmers’ Market. Willunga is a picture-postcard heritage town with just a whiff of the Wild West. Mooch around stalls of organic fruit and vegetables, local honey, charcuterie and cheeses and buy bags of juicy peaches and tiny, crunchy Paradise pears. Little Acre Foods stand has long queues but it is worth the wait for moreish mushroom panini oozing deep, dark mushrooms smeared with melted raclette and gruyère. After a few days in McLaren Vale, venture south to the tip of the peninsula, jutting into the Southern Ocean. Driving through quaint Port Elliot with its low-slung old buildings, cool beach boutiques, old-fashioned grocery stores and heritage trail, clock the queue snaking out the door of the legendary Port Elliot Bakery, famous for its meat pies. Salento, Italy Le Stanzie farm is the place to start – its field-to-plate farmhouse restaurant produces everything it serves, from homemade ricotta to bread baked in an original stone oven. Inside there’s a cool warren of rooms, where rustic tables are spread with jauntily checked cloths. At a table beside a fireplace the size of a studio flat, the dishes come thick and fast: bowls of beans cooked on an open fire, creamy ricotta, and the local specialty, orecchiette cime di rapa (handmade ear-shaped pasta with bitter turnip tops and pane cotto). Those in search of modern elegance can check into La Fiermontina, a 17th-century house turned luxury hotel, replete with cutting-edge art. Or into one of several revamped masseria (fortified farmhouses) that pepper the local landscape – places such as Masseria Trapana and newly refurbished B&B Don Totu. Helen Mirren and her filmmaker husband, Taylor Hackford, even own a chic little bar here, the Farmacia Balboa in Tricase. There’s an 18th-century winery in the village of Scorrano. Giovanni Guarini’s family has been producing wine and olive oil here for 25 generations. The vineyards are organic and in the summer there are tours, tastings and alfresco dinners at the Duca Carlo Guarani winery. Their mandarin oil is a revelation – it’s exquisitely delicate, perfect with pasta, fish and salad. Luxury villa company The Thinking Traveller offers a range of Think Experiences drawing on their local expertise, such as cheese-making at Le Stanzie and a hands-on course learning how to make pasticciotto, Puglia’s signature pastry, with award-winning chef, Giuseppe Zippo. They also give suggestions on where to eat, including rustic seafood restaurant Osteria del Vico for antipasto dell’ osteria – a moreish medley of fish featuring Gallipoli’s famous red shrimp served crudo with olive oil and crumbled hazelnut, fried mussels with ricotta scianti (strong ricotta) and breadcrumbs. Don’t miss Zippo’s bakery Le Mille Voglie, in the medieval village of Specchia, and its pasticciotto leccese (a short-crust pastry filled with creamy custard). Words by Sarah Baxter and Lucy Gillmore Photographs by Getty
Brussels foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Brisket platters with smoked-butter potatoes, smashable chocolate desserts and cocktails made with mandarin soda are on the menu in the Belgian capital
Looking for restaurants in Brussels? Want to know where to eat in Belgium's capital? Local food writer Emma Beddington shares her insider tips for the best restaurants in Brussels, along with where to find the best traditional Belgian food, cheese and frites. For more foodie travel inspiration, check out our guides to the best restaurants in Berlin, best restaurants in Paris and best restaurants in Marseille. olive's must-visits for foodies in Brussels La Fruitière – for cheese At lunchtime, the tasting room at new cheese shop La Fruitière offers mixed platters, fondues and inspired sandwiches (think warm smoked ham and raw milk tomme du jura or fresh Belgian goat’s cheese on sourdough baguettes) with well-priced wines by the glass. facebook.com/lafruitierebrussels Chouconut – for afternoon tea Peaceful Chouconut serves rare leaf teas and jewel-bright miniature choux buns. Try delicate lemon and yuzu, pear and blackcurrant, or go all out with the indulgent chocolate, caramel and peanut Snickers version. Its chocolate and Guérande salt shortbread or mango and passion fruit caramels make perfect gifts. chouconut.com Humphrey – for sharing plates Noma alumnus Yannick Van Aeken dishes up exciting sharing plates at Humphrey, his cool canteen in indie record label PIAS’s headquarters. Choose from revved-up comfort food (wings with blue cheese) or Scandi (seaweed asparagus salad), and save space for the chocolate dome you smash to reveal homemade truffles. humphreyrestaurant.com Cipiace – for cocktails Rickety, joyful trattoria Cipiace is an unexpected place to find some of the best and most surprising cocktails in the city: try a few with its excellent artisanal charcuterie and cheese antipasto platter. The Preferito, with grappa, chestnut honey, bitters and homemade mandarin soda, is highly recommended. cipiace.be The Cantillon Brewery – for beer and brewery tours The Cantillon Brewery hasn’t changed its method for making its seductively sour, naturally fermented gueule beers since it opened in 1900: take a tour around the atmospheric copper vats and ancient wooden barrels, then taste the wares: the cherry kriek is deliciously fruity. cantillon.be Holy Smoke – for smoked meats The giant smoker imported from Dallas in the entrance sets the scene: Holy Smoke is all about meat, smoked slow and low. Don’t miss the meltingly tender brisket platter, served with smoked-butter potatoes and some imaginative salads. The bourbon bar and cocktails are worth a trip in their own right. facebook.com/HolysmokeBrussels Crab Club – hidden gem Deliberately under the radar, with no phone or website, sparse but stylish Crab Club is well worth searching out. The menu changes daily according to Thai-French chef Yoth Ondara’s mood, but expect the likes of beautiful garlicky razor clams, delicate sesame-crusted scallops and roast whole wild fish. 7 Chaussée de Waterloo, 00 32 472 55 46 95 Where to stay in Brussels Double rooms at Jam Hotel, a converted former art school, cost from €89. Chyl is a sustainable shop and veggie café that also has guest rooms. Doubles cost from £65, room only (chyl.be). More great places to eat and drink in Brussels Vegan fine dining in Brussels: Humus & Hortense Brussels’s cool cocktail speakeasy, Hortense (see below), hooked up with chef Nicolas Decloedt to open Humus & Hortense. This grand-café-style space serves a plant-based twist on traditional Belgian fine dining. Its six-course tasting menu might include cucumber and elderflower escabeche, aubergine with fermented cream, smoky roast radicchio and shiitake, and butternut panna cotta. The signature crackers, made from ancient varieties of wheat, and served with pumpkin hummus and purple salsify, are worth the trip alone. humusrestaurant.be Brunch in Brussels: Pistolet Original Crusty pistolet rolls are Belgium’s answer to Proust’s madeleine, and Pistolet Original gives them the gourmet treatment, with rolls by celebrity baker Yves Guns filled with top-notch local produce. Order the unmisssable Américain steak tartare with cress. Buffet dining in Brussels: Les Filles In a sunny flower-filled room, Line Couvreur’s fantastic home cooking at Les Filles is a hug in culinary form. A selection of starters is delivered to the long refectory tables, then you help yourself to the generous, simple mains such as beef tagliata with a slow-baked comté gratin, and indulgent puddings. Food market in Brussels: Place Flagey The picturesque weekend market at Place Flagey is a must-visit, with new trucks and stalls appearing each week. Try a plump, ‘kouign’ pancake from Breton crêpe specialist Ty Penty served with its own salted caramel sauce and sparkling dry cider. (Place Flagey, 00 32 2 478 872 963) Wine bar in Brussels: Comptoir des Galeries The stylish, welcoming new bar from Michelin starred Julien Burlat, Comptoir des Galeries specialises in artisanal charcuterie, natural wines and indulgent bar snacks, from luxe lobster croquettes to homemade black pudding. Perch on a stool and order a handmade brioche bun stuffed with soy-glazed pork belly for a quick, delicious lunch. Chocolate shop in Brussels: Frédéric Blondeel Brussels without chocolate is unthinkable, but bypass the big names and drop into the bustling workshop and tasting room of artisan chocolatier Frédéric Blondeel for a box of his subtly flavoured ganaches. The aromatic lemongrass and chili criollo hot chocolateis the ideal winter warmer, too. Bistro in Brussels: La Buvette Working out of a beautiful tiled Art Deco former butcher’s shop, La Buvette showcases Nicolas Scheidt’s considerable talent in transforming often-neglected, inexpensive ingredients into something sublime and surprising. Expect a succession of small, beautiful dishes, such as perch with creamed potato and morel sauce, Japanese-influenced slow cooked pork broth, or crab, kohlrabi and shellfish sauce. Words by Emma Beddington Photographs by Getty, Juan Wyns, Heikki Verdurme, Ian Dagnall/Alamy, Yoann Stoeckel
Cape Town foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Summer in South Africa means platters of crayfish and local oysters, and glasses of local chenin blanc enjoyed by the water’s edge
Looking for restaurants in Cape Town? Want to know where to eat in the South African capital? Local food writer Ishay Govender-Ypma shares her insider tips for the best restaurants in Cape Town, along with where to find killer brunches, the freshest seafood and local food markets. The Pot Luck Club – for dinner with a view Luke Dale-Robert’s The Pot Luck Club, headed up by rising star Wesley Randles, sits on the 6th floor of Woodstock’s Old Biscuit Mill lifestyle centre. Wraparound views of Cape Town and a chic, laidback ambiance set the tone for tasting plates of impeccably prepared local ingredients with an Asian influence; think grilled duck breast with naartjie and yuzu dressing. thepotluckclub.co.za Bo-kaap – for Cape Malay cooking Book a historical walk in colourful Bo-kaap, an iconic area renowned for its commanding views over the city and its tight-knit, traditional Cape Malay community. Shireen Narkedien, a Bo-kaap resident and guide can also arrange a meal in the home of a local after the tour, featuring Cape Malay classics like chicken curry and koeksisters – spiced, coconut-flecked doughnuts. shireen.narkedien@gmail.com Saucisse – for picnic ingredients The city’s numerous parks and Kirstenbosch National Botanical gardens are perfect for picnicking. For platters of the best Western Cape produce – think goat’s milk labneh, cumin-studded boerenkaas, chorizo, homemade pâtés, pickled South African peppadew peppers and spreads – head to Saucisse. Even the (eco-friendly) packaging is a step up from the norm at this deli. saucissedeli.co.za Neighbourgoods Market – for market vibes The Saturday Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock is a great place to pick up artisanal staples and vegetables if you’re self-catering (or food souvenir hunting). Many shoppers stay on for a street food brunch from one of its stalls, from steak sandwiches at Kitchen Cowboys to cultivated Saldanha Bay oysters from Mother Shuckers. neighbourgoodsmarket.co.za Truth Coffee – for coffee and brunch You don’t have to search far to find a well-made, Fairtrade coffee in Cape Town but Truth Coffee is a pioneer of the craft. The café in the emerging Fringe district is an ode to steampunk, with vintage machinery, miles of metal pipework and leather-aproned baristas. Cold brews are the order of the day, though the team also make great standard espressos and flat whites. truthcoffee.com Fish on the Rocks – for fish and chips Fish and chips is a must in Cape Town. Take yours up a gear by ordering snoek, a large-boned member of the barracuda family. Eat it outdoors with the locals at no-fuss Fish on the Rocks in Hout Bay. Fish comes served with slap chips doused in vinegar and you’ll find the 25-minute drive from the city centre worth every bite. fishontherocks.com Harbour House – for fresh seafood At the V&A Waterfront, a shopping and dining complex, settle in for a magnificent view of the harbour and the mountain at waterside Harbour House (middle right) and take your pick from a fine selection of seasonal seafood caught by the restaurant’s own trawler; in late December it’s all about crayfish. harbourhouse.co.za Mariam's Kitchen – for foot-long sandwiches Few foods say Cape Town like a robust gatsby, a foot-long (or even longer) submarine filled with ingredients such as spicy masala steak, slap chips (proper chippy-style chips) and a variety of sauces. Cheap and cheerful, the ones at Mariam’s Kitchen are the city’s best. 33 Heerengracht Street; 00 27 213 007 277 Publik – for wine and cheese A contemporary butcher with a wine bar at the front, Publik is well worth a visit for its excellently curated list of local, and some international, wines. Prime quality biltong (dried, cured meat) from the meat counters and platters of local cheese and crunchy gherkins keep punters lingering. A wine flight is highly recommended. publik.co.za Devil's Peak Brewery – for South African beers With a view of Devil’s Peak Mountain, the Taproom at the aptly named Devil’s Peak Brewery is one of the best craft beer venues in the country. Start with a beer tasting at the bar, then move to a table for a casual lunch or snacks paired with beer, like pulled pork crubeens with amber ale or flash-fried broccoli with English ale. devilspeakbrewing.co.za Where to stay in Cape Town The Silo You’ll want a good head for heights to check into The Silo. This incredibly luxurious Thomas Heatherwick designed property occupies six floors above the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, which was originally built in the 1920s as a grain store. At the time it was the tallest building in sub-Saharan Africa and it remains an iconic spike in the city’s skyline; expect show-stopping views of the waterfront and beyond from its dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows (with bathtubs perfectly positioned for soaking up the views). The hotel is a reimagining of the former grain elevator, with 28 bedrooms, a spa, a range of cafés and bars and – the main event – a rooftop restaurant and pool. Doubles from £848 per night, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/2/2024/04/The-Silo-hotel-a5599ee.jpg" width="4000" height="2666" alt="VRimg File Description =Attributes= Version: 1.3 Compressed: true Resolution { width: 4000 height: 4000 pixelAspectRatio: 1 } Render Region { renderRegion: false xmin: 0 ymin: 0 width: 4000 height: 4000 } Regions Info { regWidth: 64 regHeight: 64 whatsXY: MaxSize } Camera Info { transform: matrix projection: perspective aperture: 36 fov: 71.4487 targetDistance: 22952.9 nearRange: 0 nearClip: 0 farClip: 1e+030 focalLength: 25 fNumber: 10 } Scene: "BIDEN HOTEL VIEW APPROVALS 007.2 bathroom01.max" =Channels= Alpha (float3) RGB color (float3) VRayExtraTex_Map #772673 (float3) VRayIlluminance (float3) VRayLighting (float3) VRayMtlID (float3) VRayObjectID (float3) VRayRawShadow (float3) VRayReflection (float3) VRayRefraction (float3) VRayRefractionFilter (float3) VRaySpecular (float3) VRayZDepth (float)" title="The Silo hotel" /> Trust olive: Ishay Govender-Ypma is an award winning Cape Town-based food and travel journalist. She also writes a food blog, foodandthefabulous.com Photographs: Hillary Fox/Cape Town Tourism, Getty, Haldane Martin, Sophie Smith Photograph
Seville foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Tapas is still at the heart of eating out in this orange tree-filled city. But the Andalucían capital also means vermouth, honey ribs and manchego ice cream
Looking for restaurants in Seville? Want to know where to eat in the southern Spanish city? Local food writer Shawn Hennessey and travel writer Aoife O'Riordain share their insider tips for the best restaurants in Seville, along with where to find the best tapas, vermouth and paella. After check out the our Bologna foodie guide and the 10 things we love about Sicilian cuisine. Best tapas restaurants in Seville The spiritual home of flamenco, Seville is also the birthplace of tapas. One of the best ways to experience Seville’s fabulous gourmet scene is to engage in your own little ‘tapeo’ – a relaxed wander around some of its many bars. You can also ask for a media ración or ración, which are larger than a tapa. Eslava Sixto Tovar’s Eslava bar is at the forefront of innovative tapas in Seville. Park yourself at the counter for must-try honey pork ribs and award-winning huevo tapa, along with a recommended wine. There are plenty of traditional pork and fish dishes, too, and manchego ice cream to finish. Casa Morales Founded in 1850, and into its fourth generation, the historic charm of Casa Morales is hard to beat. There are front and back sections, with the latter featuring massive terracotta wine urns. Enjoy some salt cod with salmorejo, tortilla de patatas or lomo en manteca, with vermouth, sherry or house wine alongside them. It’s the perfect place to start a “tapeo” tour in Seville. Calle Garcia de Vinuesa 11 Bodeguita Romero This family-run bar is always busy and friendly and serves some of the best traditional tapas in town. Don't miss the pringá (hot toasted pork bun), the braised pork cheeks or the spinach with chickpeas. Pedro and Angeles are in charge of the bar and kitchen, while son Alejandro is responsible for their extensive wine list, including some top quality sherries. bodeguitaromero.es Cañabota A modern restaurant specialising in top quality fish and seafood, Cañabota also has an eclectic wine list that includes international wines (unusual for Spain), and a wine-by-the-glass menu that changes monthly. Food-wise, expect seasonal menus with daily specials based on what's good and fresh at the market; recent hits have included swordfish toasts with garlic and truffle, and razor clams with pancetta and warm salsa verde. Calle José Gestoso 19 Enrique Becerra Cross into El Arenal to find this third-generation family-run bar and sample some of the house specialities: albóndingas (lamb meatballs with mint sauce), salt cod in filo pastry parcels, or bacon wrapped langostines in sherry sauce. Many of the dishes also appear in the restaurant’s cookbooks. enriquebecerra.com Bodeguita Casablanca Tucked around a corner from Seville's Cathedral is the sophisticated tapas restaurant, celebrated for its prawns in garlic, whisky tortilla and potato salad tapas. Adolfo Rodriguez Jurado 12, bodeguitacasablanca.com Bar Las Terasas Stop for a drink at this atmospheric bar in the buzzing barrio Santa Cruz. Order a Cruzcampo beer or a glass of fino and a plate of expertly sliced jamón ibérico de bellota, cured ham from free-range, acorn-fed "pata negra" pigs. Santa Teresa 2; 00 34 954 213069 Best bars in Seville Premier Sherry & Cocktail Bar Sherry is Andalucía’s most iconic wine, yet is often misunderstood. Versatile and fascinating, there’s a sherry – or sherry cocktail – for everyone. Let José and his expert team at the Premier Sherry & Cocktail Bar help you discover yours. Vermutería Yo Soy Tu Padre Pre-lunch is the traditional time for vermouth, and at Vermutería Yo Soy Tu Padre it’s made in-house by owner Estebán, using a sherry wine base and his own secret herb recipe. Try it served over ice with a snack of jamón. 70 Gravina, 00 34 619 470 784 Lama La Uva Boutique wine shop Lama La Uva has an excellent selection of regional wines to sample or take away, and English-speaking owner Ana Linares is happy to arrange small, casual tastings. She also sells artisanal olive oils and preserves, and can slice and vacuum-pack top-quality hams and cheeses for you to take home. Best cafés and breakfast spots in Seville Bar Europa A quick coffee, a glass of freshly pressed orange juice, and a slice of olive oil-rubbed toast is the classic Sevillano breakfast. This narrow bar with pretty tiles and local punters is the ideal spot. Siete Revuelta 35, bareuropa.info Suitcake Take a break from sightseeing with merienda, the Spanish equivalent of afternoon tea, at Suitcake, a quality café and pastry shop that makes everything on the premises. Try the chocolate truffle cake with orange, or a lemon curd palmera. Confiteria la Campana Stop for a coffee at this renowned pastry shop and choose between its delectable array of handmade sweets and cakes. Sierpes 1/3; confiterialacampana.com Best restaurants in Seville Fargo Restaurante At Fargo Restaurante, in Seville’s trendy Soho Benita neighbourhood, you’ll find locally sourced organic meat and fish, and a terrific selection of regional wines. The menu changes weekly, so check with owner Yann for what’s fresh from the market. La Moneda Tapas are not the only way to eat out in Seville. This classic old-school restaurant specialises in seafood from nearby coastal towns like Huelva. Don’t miss the coquinas – fingernail-sized clams sautéed in garlic and olive oil. Almirantazgo 4, 00 954 223642 Sahumo Sahumo means to perfume with smoke in Spanish, which classically-trained owner/chef Dario Dominguez does to perfection with his wood-fired grill. The small but varied menu includes smoked salmon from the Canaries, grilled aged Galician beef with bearnaise sauce and tender grilled whole squid. Zaragoza 18 Best food markets and shops in Seville Feria Seville’s oldest market, Feria, is the preferred option for local chefs. Try tapas in the new food court, set in a magnificent fish hall, or eat delicious seafood at La Cantina, which boasts a 13th-century church wall as part of its terrace. Plaza Calderón de la Barca Lonja del Barranco Gourmet Food Market Set a few hours aside to try all the food on offer at this indoor food market, from steak to seafood, tacos to croquettes. Dig into a bowl of spicy paella or try over 150 artisan cheeses from all over the world. If you're visiting in the summer, make sure to grab a few scoops of fruity sorbet from Mascarpone. Calle Arjona, s/n, 41001 Sevilla, Spain Salsamento A modern version of the traditional abacería (food shop with a small bar), at Salsamento you can relax with a drink and some chicharrones de Cádiz (like pork scratchings) while deciding what to take away with you from a range of quality charcuterie and seafood preserves. C. Jerónimo Hernández, 19, 41003 Sevilla, Spain Triana and Taller Andaluz de Cocina A two-in-one experience, at Taller Andaluz de Cocina you can combine a Triana market tour with a hands-on cooking class with chef Victor and his team. Learn how to cook dishes such as spinach with garbanzos, or authentic paella, with ingredients fresh from the market, then enjoy the fruits of your labours. Mercado de Abastos de Triana, Pl. del Altozano, S/N Locales 75-77 Metropol Parasol food market Nicknamed ‘the mushrooms’ Metropol Parasol dominates the Plaza de la Encarnación with its futuristic-looking wooden structure. Underground is a museum displaying some of the city’s Roman walls and artefacts while above it is one of Seville’s best daily food markets. Make sure you visit the stalls selling jamón de ibérico bellota; it can be vacuum packed to take home (from €60-120 per kg). On the upper levels there is a 30-metre high walkway with panoramic views which you can access through the Antequarium below. Plaza de la Encarnación; espacio-metropol.com Seville Concierge walking tour Ex-Londoner Peter Tatford has called Seville home for the past 15 years. He combines a love of history and local culture with his knowledge of food and wine, offering a variety of informative walking and tapas tours that will get you started the way you mean to go on. sevilleconcierge.com Where to stay in Seville Looking for places to stay in Seville? Here are some boutique hotels in the area. Corner House Doubles at the Corner House, in the buzzy Alameda de Hércules (one of Seville’s most iconic squares), are very affordable. There's also an in-house restaurant/bar, El Disparate, serving a selection of traditional and innovative dishes; if you're lucky grab one of the tables on its spacious terrace, overlooking the square. Doubles from £86, check availability at thecornerhousesevilla.com, booking.com or expedia.co.uk Hotel Palacio Conde Torrejon This four-star boutique hotel is set in a baroque palace just off the Alameda, near the city centre. Lovingly restored by a local interior design firm it looks fresh and modern while retaining original arched columns in the courtyards and timbered ceilings in some of the rooms. The excellent in-house restaurant, Origen, is run by chef Javier Abascal. Doubles from £75, check availability at hoteloneshotpalaciocondetorrejon09.com/en/, booking.com, expedia.co.uk or lastminute.com Hospes Casas del Rey de Baeza The Hospes Casas del Rey de Baeza is a charming hotel housed in a beautiful 18th-century ‘corral de vecino’ (characteristic of the city, these are apartments built round a courtyard) in the barrio Santa Cruz. Doubles from €135 per night, check availability at hospes.com, booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Corral del Rey Splash out with a night at this super-stylish hotel on a cobblestone street of the picturesque barrio Alfalfa, close to the Cathedral and Alcazar. Doubles from £282, check availability at corraldelrey.com, booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com Alfonso XIII Dating from 1929, this neo-Mudéjar-style building is Seville’s grandest hotel. Its restored art deco American Bar is the perfect backdrop for a sophisticated sip before dinner; try a Mimosa - a blend of champagne and orange blossom. Doubles from £482, check availability at marriott.com, booking.com or expedia.co.uk What else to do while you're in Seville Seville’s historic centre is dotted with architectural treasures but the Unesco World Heritage-listed CATHEDRAL is the real showstopper. It was built on the site of an earlier mosque and its iconic bell tower, the Giralda, is one of its predecessor’s only remnants. Around the corner, the stunning Royal Palace, the ALCAZAR, spans Islamic, Renaissance and Baroque periods through its dazzling azulejo-tiled interior and fabulous gardens fragrant with jasmine and orange blossom. Stroll down towards the riverbank to the majestic ochre and white PLAZA DE TOROS DE LA MAESTRANZA or bullring, the setting for Bizet’s opera, Carmen. Afterwards head to Calle Sierpes, the city’s main shopping thoroughfare, where the shops reopen in the late afternoon. Monasterio de Santa Maria Del Socorro Many of Seville’s convents are known for their handmade pastries and sweets – dulces and yemas - and this is no exception. Bustos Tavera 30; santamariadelsocorro.es HOW TO GET TO SEVILLE Return flights from a range of UK airports to Seville start from £50 (ryanair.com). TRUST OLIVE Shawn Hennessey has lived in Seville since 1993 and is a certified sherry educator. She is also the founder of Azahar Sevilla, and offers unique food and wine experiences in her adopted city (sevillatapastours.com). Photography: lonely planet magazine/yadid levy, alamy, ken scicluna/Awbi-images
Tallinn, Estonia foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Estonian kitchens are a small but significant component of the New Nordic food scene, with stylishly simple cafes and restaurants tapping into local ingredients, chefs infusing menus with far-flung influences and a resurgence of artisanal beers and ciders. Want to find out more? Here are some great places to eat and drink in the capital, Tallinn.
Looking for Tallinn restaurants? Want to know where to eat in the Estonian capital? Local food writer Katrina Kollegaeva shares her insider tips for the best restaurants in Tallinn, along with where to find the best cinnamon buns, New Nordic cuisine and classic Estonian food. Parrot MiniBar – best cocktail bar in Tallinn Tropical chic meets Nordic cool at Parrot MiniBar. Try cocktails inspired by the owners’ love of travel (‘Bon Vivant’ is made with vodka, quince and lemongrass cordial), alongside locally inspired snacks including macarons with cowberries (foraged, and deliciously tart). facebook.com/parrotminibar Røst – best bakery in Tallinn Inside Tallinn's recently redeveloped Rotermann Quarter, with its clutch of independent stores and cafés, Røst bakery specialises in two things and does them both extremely well: Scandinavian-style cinnamon and cardamom buns made on site, and great coffee sourced directly from roasters. rost.ee Juur – best new Estonian cuisine restaurant in Tallin The ‘New Estonian’ cuisine at Juur is worth the 15-minute drive from Tallinn. Try the duck with ‘tipsy’ cowberries, lamb from Hiiumaa island with hemp-flour bread and carrot mustard, or wild mushroom ice cream – all served on speckled crockery. restoranjuur.ee Lido Solaris – best for fast-food in Tallinn Looking like a gingerbread house but operating like a workers’ canteen, Lido Solaris is a Baltic fast-food chain offering good-value dishes, mostly made from scratch. Regulars love the gigantic pan of spuds slowly sautéed until they caramelise. lido.ee Ülo – best vegan restaurant in Tallinn Ülo champions plant-based dishes (without entirely shunning meat or fish) and fuses global flavours with local ingredients. Try the mushroom ramen with aubergines and lime leaf, or chamomile meringue with quince mousse. facebook.com/Kopli16 Balti Jaam – best food market in Tallinn Tallinn's Balti Jaam market, run down during Soviet times but recently renovated, retains plenty of charm. Grannies sell their own produce (the best sauerkraut!) next to artisanal bakeries (pick up a rye sourdough from Muhu kiosk), confectionary stands (thin, rolled waffles from Waffle Fairies) and street-food stalls (look out for Taiwanese bao with Estonian kimchi at Baojamm). astri.ee/bjt Nikolay Café – best Russian pies in Tallinn The retro décor at Nikolay Café includes mismatched furniture and kitsch lamps, but there’s nothing outdated about the menu. It focusses on pirogi, amply filled Russian pies made with brioche-like dough. Choose by the slice from savoury (try the kurnik, with chicken, rice and mushrooms) or sweet (the one with tvorog – curd cheese – is a must). nikolay.ee One Sixty – best restaurant in Tallinn for meat lovers BBQ joint One Sixty, set in a bikers’ store in the trendy Telliskivi area, is as cool as it gets. Order the 10-hour, hickory-smoked ribs and a pint of Tanker, the local craft beer. onesixty.ee Ööbiku – best restaurant in Tallinn for Estonian ingredients Ööbiku, a 45-minute drive from the city centre, started life as a pop-up in a renovated farmhouse. Now it’s open five days a week, serving five-course menus cooked by Kristina and Ants (a judge on Estonia’s Bake Off). Try local lamb with burnt celeriac purée, and traditional karask bread with hand-whipped soured cream butter. oobiku.ee Salt – best fusion bistro in Tallinn A tiny, bustling basement restaurant, Salt draws its influences from both Estonia and Asia (try the deer tartar with fir aïoli, or the caramelised guinea fowl with pickled peaches, pumpkin-ginger cream and lime-orange sauce). Owner Tiina tends the tables herself, and is happy to recommend local ciders. saltrestoran.ee Peatus – best café-bar in Tallinn You’ll find both artists and foodies in Telliskivi, an area of the hip Kalamaja district of Tallinn. Many of them congregate at Peatus, a bar-café in a converted train carriage that serves classic dishes with fun twists (think beef stroganoff with onions marinated in beetroot and ash-roasted cauliflower). peatus.eu Tallinn Supperclub – best supper club in Tallinn The only ‘official’ supperclub in Tallinn, this one was founded by Canadian-Estonian Kristina, a chef and a food writer, who sources many of her ingredients from her own farm. Dinners are intimate and take place in her charming apartment in the Old Town. In December expect an authentic Christmas feast including blood sausages with marjoram and lingonberry jam. facebook.com/TallinnSupperClub Köök – best cooking class in Tallinn Run by an Englishman, Tim, and his Estonian wife, Stina this cookery school offers a range of different workshops in rooms beneath beautiful medieval arches. The focus varies – and is often quite international – but in December the team have planned a class on Estonian seasonal cooking (expect dishes such as sea trout with kefir sauce or braised wild boar with apples). kokakool.eu F-hoone –best craft beer bar in Tallinn This spacious but cosily converted warehouse is the perfect spot to while away a long winter afternoon sipping craft beers (try dark Põhjala Öö ale – “as dark as Estonian winter nights”) and hearty broths like borsch with rye bread and lardo. It’s great for breakfasts, too – the curd cheese syrniki with sour blackberry jam are delicious. fhoone.ee Matsimoka butchery – best charcuterie in Tallinn Cured meats are treasured by Estonians despite the veggie-leaning New Nordic revolution. In the basement of an unassuming shopping mall, you’ll find this stall selling a wide selection of local charcuterie. Look out for elk sausage and ‘300 year-old recipe’ frankfurters, made without additives using meat from Estonian farms. facebook.com/matsimoka Leib - best New Nordic food in Tallinn One of the forerunners of the New Nordic wave in Tallinn, but still going strong, Leib means bread in Estonian but there’s much more than its delicious black rye bread on the menu. Sit amid simple surroundings (all wood and wool with a huge terrace - ask for a blanket to sit out if it’s chilly!) and order the legendary beef tartar with pickled veg and crème brûlée with rye bread crumb. One of the owners is a sommelier, too, so it’s worth asking for wine recommendations. leibresto.ee Talleke ja Pullike – best authentic Estonian food in Tallinn For a really authentic experience venture out to Lasnamäe. Here, among high-rise Soviet tower blocks, you’ll find this warm, low-key tavern. It’s genuinely loved by locals (you’ll need to book on weekends) for its steaks grilled in a high-tech charcoal oven. Try central Asian staples like Lagman soup with home-made noodles or Uzbek lamb Plov. tallekejapullike.ee Art Priori – best tasting menu in Tallinn Literally a feast for all senses, the interior at this sophisticated city restaurant veers towards the gothic, the artwork on its walls changing in accordance with its seasonal tasting menus. The latter are veg-focused and theatrical, such as a sorbet of Estonian apples with edible ants and nasturtium snow. artpriori.ee WHERE TO STAY IN TALLIN Self-contained studios at 14th-century Villa Hortensia cost from €65 (hoov.ee). More info: visittallinn.ee. HOW TO GET TO TALLINN Return flights from London to Tallinn cost from £45 (ryanair.com). TRUST OLIVE Katrina Kollegaeva is a food anthropologist, writer and chef. She grew up in Estonia and now lives in London (@katrinakollegaeva). Images by Kate Prihodko, Girti Suun, Marek Metslaid
Comporta foodie guide: where to eat and drink
For a weekend of local wines, fresh seafood and earthy rice dishes head an hour south of Lisbon to the wild sand-fringed coastline, pine forests and stylish beach retreats of Comporta, in Portugal
Thinking of a Comporta holiday? Want to know the best places to stay in Comporta? Read our guide to Comporta restaurants, bars and villas in Comporta including sublime Comporta If you want to enjoy Comporta at its rustic, back-to-nature best go now. The fashion crowd may already have discovered this picture-perfect village and the beaches and towns that surround it (Christian Louboutin and Philippe Starck have houses there) but the striking modern holiday homes they have built are low-rise and discreet, hidden behind umbrella pines, cork oaks and immaculately staged coastal gardens. Likewise the few beach bars and fish restaurants that have sprung up on the area’s fine, flaxen sand are, for now, carefully managed and heavily restricted. With whispers of larger hotel companies moving in, however, this beautifully wild-edged enclave of barefoot luxury may not remain that way for long. Only 90 minutes’ drive south of Lisbon (read our guide to the best places to eat and drink in Lisbon here), the area has long been protected by its status as a natural reserve (at its northern end is the Sado estuary, home to bottlenose dolphins, flamingos and storks, whose giant nests can be spotted balancing on the top of the telegraph poles that run alongside the region’s roads). Add a handful of hippie-chic shops and galleries into the mix, local vineyards, upmarket horse riding and kayaking operators, a smattering of rustic rice and seafood restaurants - plus a couple of more elegant options for craft cocktails and finer Portuguese dining - and you have a recipe for the perfect summer weekend away. Where to eat and drink in Comporta village Comporta itself is a small, pretty village lined with cobbled streets, blue and white-painted rice barns, shuttered, low-rise buildings and stately, sweet-scented Indian neem trees. A stroll around the village won’t take longer than half an hour but there’s plenty to distract you along the way... Colmo Bar – a hip little juice and cocktail bar that opens summer-only (lavandacomporta.com) Casa da Cultura Comporta – a gallery, shop and wine bar (casaculturacomporta.pt) Mercearia Gomes – a grocery store with floor-to-ceiling shelves tightly packed with rice, wine, cheese, sardines, local fruit and veg, oils and soaps (@merceariagomescomporta) Cavalarica – a beautifully elegant restaurant and cocktail joint set in an old stables right in the centre of town (cavalaricacomporta.com) Cegonha Join the locals at Cegonha (“stork” – a nod to the region’s most emblematic birds), a simple roadside restaurant specialising in grilled meat and fish cooked over coals, and served in huge portions. It has the feel of a social club, with staff and locals smoking, chatting and watching TV, but it’s welcoming and friendly. We tried the porc Alentejano – pork with clams – huge hunks of creamy, paprika- and bay-laced pork, scattered with sweet little clams (Rua do Comercio; 00 351 265 497 658). Whatever you do, drive out of town at sunset to gaze over the Sado Estuary, stopping off at the little fishing village of Carrasqueira to admire its sun-drenched tangle of boardwalks and stilted fishermen’s shacks. Dona Bia It’s easy to miss workaday roadside restaurant Dona Bia as you drive south out of town but make sure you don’t. There’s nothing showy about its comforting, homely recipes (grandmother-style traditional regional dishes are the name of the game) but the cooking – and the pricing – is excellent and its light, bright tables get understandably busy. Rumours are that this is where local chefs go to eat after work and we believe them. If you want to try the region’s rich, earthy rice dishes, or staples like coriander clams, Alentejan pork or steak with homemade chips, this is where to find them at their rustic best. The restaurant is especially known for its fish, however, and often serves seabags (check out our best sea bass recipes here), turbot and razor clams. We plump for grilled sardines, their plump flesh and scorched skin hinting at a wood-fired oven. Served with waxy little boiled potatoes and a simple but perfectly dressed salad it proves the point that sometimes simple is best. EN 261, Comporta; 00 351 265 497 557 The best beach restaurants near Comporta Sal Restaurante at Pego Beach Home to one of Comporta’s best stretches of pale gold sand, Praia do Pego draws visitors for another reason, too; walk to the beach from the car park and the first thing you see is Sal Restaurante, a cute little beach bar at the top of the dunes, overlooking the sand. It is now comfortably on the beaten tourist trail but don’t let that put you off. Inside is a cute mishmash of casual, fisherman-chic beach style (white-painted wooden tables, a ceiling strung with buoys, anchors and other flotsam), ideal for a casual lunch. Or, bag a table on its terrace in the early evening and while away that heat-drunk hour or so, when the sun starts to drop and people start to billow off the sand, with a glass of local white and something to stave off hunger pangs until later in the evening; try the octopus salad, the soft octopus spiked with tiny cubes of crunchy red onion, chopped parsley and peppery olive oil. If you happen to be staying at Sublime Comporta let the team know; guests get preferential access to the best sun loungers and (with 24 hours notice) otherwise impossible table reservations. restaurantesal.pt Comporta Café at Comporta Beach The closest beach to Comporta village would be dreamy anywhere else but is slightly outshone in the region by gorgeous Pego and Carvalhal. If you’re staying in town and have no wheels it’s well worth hanging out on, however. At the end of the day head to the Comporta Café to swing in one of its hammocks, or sit back on one of its Adirondack chairs with a Negroni or a jug of sangria to share. It’s not as chichi or friendly as Sal, or as authentic as O Dinis, but it’s a popular spot on a busy beach and hits that beach bar spot. comportacafe.com.pt Where to stay in Comporta – Sublime Comporta This 17-acre estate - its rooms, suites and cabana villas peppered among umbrella pines, cork trees, frangipane flowers and olives - is a blueprint for low impact hotel design in the region, stylish and subtle rather than dominating the surrounding landscape. First opened in 2014 it is currently going through an expansion, imminently adding more rooms to its current stable of 34. Under architect Jose Alberto Charrua most of the hotel’s rooms and suites are set within ultra modern villas (a gorgeously tactile, contemporary take on the region’s distinctive traditional thatched cabanas). Inside all is minimal and white, with the odd pop of polished concrete or warm wood (so minimal, in fact, that it took us a while to get the hang of the handle-less, push-clasp wardrobe doors). Some are larger two or three-bedroom suites, with private dining areas, fireplaces and plunge pools. Others are one-bedroom (some cabanas can be split so you can just take one room) but still have show-stopping bathrooms, with sculptural white baths and generous stocks of Claus Porto toiletries. We loved the simple welcome gifts - bowls of cashews and fruit, plus a bottle of chilled rosé from the neighbouring vineyard. If, like us, you are lost without a cup of tea in bed first thing, however, we recommend packing a travel kettle and some teabags; coffee machines are provided but not kettles and it will cost you dearly (€15) to order a cuppa on room service. Though not directly on the beach (the closest is a five-minute drive away), the vibe is that of a grown-up, romantic, beach retreat. There’s also a dedicated spa, using organic Amala products for its range of soothing treatments, and a yoga pavilion. Perhaps surprisingly, given the serene atmosphere, families are welcome, too. A children’s pool – separate to the main rim-flow pool (pictured above) - is open all year round and there’s also a children's playroom. Really it’s all about gentle indulgence, however. The hotel’s lobby bar is one of the most successful we’ve seen, a glamorous, high ceiling’d space that invites you to wallow with a drink or a book. If you’re keen to delve deeper into the hotel’s drinks list, it offers a premium wine-tasting experience in its wine cellar; there’s a focus on wines from across Portugal but, in particular, on those from the Setubal DOC. Sem Porta restaurant at Sublime Comporta Food is another highlight of the hotel. Sem Porta (“without doors”) is the hotel’s airy main restaurant (see picture above), its mid-century furnishings (tan leather banquettes, cantilevered chairs…) and floor-to-ceiling windows divided from the lobby bar by breezy gauze curtains (Food Circle, a kind of rustic chef’s table dining experience set within the organic kitchen garden and cooking only over fire, also runs throughout the summer and on Friday and Saturday evenings in the shoulder season). Under Tiago Santos (previously head chef at Bar Douro, read our restaurant review of Bar Douro here) in London and, before that, at various stellar Portuguese restaurants), both settings make much of seasonal and regional ingredients and influences, with exquisite rice dishes and ingredients sourced from local fishermen and wineries (look out for wines and olive oils from the neighbouring winery, Quinta do Brejinho da Costa on the menu and in the hotel’s shop). The kitchen garden, in front of Sem Porta, also supplies the chefs and there are plans to expand this side of things further; one of Portugal's leading permaculture experts, Graca Saraiva, has been working with the hotel to encourage biodiversity on site, and to establish a dedicated seed bank. Breakfast ticks (almost) all the right boxes. Sem Porta’s long wooden serving tables are almost invisible, screened by platters of gorgeous fresh sheep’s cheeses, finely sliced fruit, cereals, tiny pastel de nata pastries and deliciously creamy homemade yogurt. We’re not generally fans of bacon and eggs kept warm but, here, the hot breakfast basics are kept warm in Le Creuset casseroles balanced over giant clay hot pots and we were impressed (omelettes are, thankfully, made to order). The only other surprise was that none of the servers had heard of – or were able to deliver - a flat white. Check out our step-by-step guide to making the perfect Portuguese custard tarts here The main event, however, is lunch or dinner at Sem Porta. It’s a lovely space to eat in, its cavernous proportions designed to mimic the area’s ancient blue- and white-painted rice storage buildings. In this case the colours have been left muted and natural, with great use of wood, glass and foliage, and the large space gives each table plenty of privacy, without feeling clinical. Speckled crockery in a range of earthy colours, produced for the hotel by the local pottery, are another great example of the attention to detail here. Our meal gets off to an impressive start with water bread, light goats milk butter and beautifully grassy olive oil, served with a glass of toasty sparkling Soalheiro wine, made with green Alvarinho grapes. After a tiny taster of oyster vichyssoise (this is one of Portugal’s largest oyster-producing regions) topped with a sliver of crispy fish skin (a relevation - it tastes just like a posh potato crisp), we move on to soft cuttlefish with crispy tapioca pearls (not rice, of course, but a clever play on the combination) and perfectly paired sharp-sweet passionfruit gel, a dot of much needed colour and zing in an otherwise understated dish. The highlight, however, was a dish of tender guinea fowl served over cabidela-style rice (like a rich, nutty risotto this was made with blood, vinegar, red wine gravy and a hint of garden mint) and paired with a light but liquorice-y and leathery Douro red, a 2009 Piorro. For dessert, we choose grilled pear matchsticks with pear toffee baba cake, topped by a gorgeously boozy cloud of Ferreirinha-laced (brandy) cream, a small scoop of pear sorbet and a shower of cornflower petals straight from the garden. It’s a heady, indulgent mix that leaves a surprisingly light footprint, rather like the hotel itself. sublimecomporta.pt Words and images by Rhiannon Batten
Palermo, Sicily foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
Sicily’s largest city is famous for its street food, but don’t miss the grilled fish, suckling pig cooked with pears and breakfasts (yes, really) of brioche buns filled with gelato
Looking for restaurants in Palermo? Want to know where to eat in the Sicilian city? Local food writer Gina Tringali shares her insider tips for the best restaurants in Palermo, along with where to find the best gelato brioche, sourdough pizza and Sicilian sandwiches. For more inspiration, see our Bologna foodie travel guide, our best ever Italian recipes and the 10 things we love about Sicilian cuisine. Now learn 10 things we love about Puglian cuisine. Mercato il Capo – for market grazing Be mesmerised by the banter of the vendors at Mercato il Capo as you shop for capers from Pantelleria, bread baked in ovens stoked by olive branches, and wild fennel. Stroll the market with a paper cone of snails marinated in olive oil, parsley and garlic, or sfincione (thick pizza topped with tomato sauce, onions and a dusting of caciocavallo cheese). Via Cappuccinelle; enter at Porta Carini. Pasticceria Cappello – for Sicilian desserts Down a run-down lane, Pasticceria Cappello is a temple to Sicilian desserts, going beyond the classic ricotta-filled cannoli, cassata Siciliana and frutta martorana (marzipan pastries); don’t miss a fried, ricotta cream-filled iris and the settestrati, a mini-dessert of chocolate mousse, hazelnut cream and chocolate sponge. pasticceriacappello.it Ferro di Cavallo – for a Sicilian trattoria A typical Palermitano trattoria, Ferro di Cavallo opened its doors in 1944. Within its rustic red walls, at simple wooden tables, enjoy polpette di sarde, pasta con acciughe e mollica and bollito prepared by the Ciminna family. ferrodicavallopalermo.it Nino u'Ballerino – for Sicilian sandwiches A culinary rite of passage in Palermo, visit Nino u’Ballerino to try a pani c’a meusa, a traditional sandwich made with beef spleen and lung sprinkled with ricotta cheese, grated caciocavallo cheese, or a spritz of lemon juice, served on a sesame bun. ninouballerino.it Gelateria La Delizia – for gelato brioche buns Follow local custom and start the day with gelato heaped inside a sweet and soft brioche bun at family-run Gelateria La Delizia. Choose between nut, pastry and fruit flavours; coffee, pistachio and almond are outstanding. ladeliziagelateria.it Gagini Social Restaurant – for communal dining At the Gagini Social Restaurant, local, slow, and seasonal reign. Book a seat at the communal table and chat with fellow diners over the tasting menu, or order the pasta buttons stuffed with Slow Food-blessed Madonie provola cheese and served in chicken broth. The Nebrodi suckling pig cooked with pears, mustard and cabbage is also good. gaginirestaurant.com Friggitoria Chiluzzo – for fried food Queue-up at Friggitoria Chiluzzo for Palermo’s renowned fried snacks. The cart’s specialty is pane panelled – square fritters of chickpea flour topped with potato croquettes and served in a seeded bun. Pair this with traditional meat ragù and pea-stuffed arancini to go. facebook.com/panineria.chiluzzo Trattoria da Salvo – for casual seafood grill Sit at a streetside plastic table at Trattoria da Salvo, in the lively Kalsa quarter, and watch cooks toss whole fresh fish, shrimp and calamari on smoky outdoor barbecues. These are served alongside daily pasta specials but the grilled seafood platter is the dish to order. Via Torremuzza 19, 00 39 334 335 1329 Where to stay in Palermo Double rooms at the Hotel Porta Felice cost from €115, room only. Trust olive: Food writer Gina Tringali divides her her time between Rome, Naples and Sicily, designing gastronomic tours (italyfoodandwinetours.com) and writing (gtfoodandtravel.com) the team reminisce about their favourite foodie adventures in Italy; plus, editor Laura talks about the recent renaissance of authentic, regional Italian restaurants in the UK olive magazine podcast ep62 - Gibraltar gastronomy and Italian food adventures View oEmbed on the source website
Aarhus, Denmark, foodie guide: where to eat and drink
This year’s capital of culture, Denmark’s second city, is an ideal place to spend a winter weekend. Try the hot cinnamon rolls, cured salmon and cockle-warming beers
Looking for restaurants in Aarhus? Want to know where to eat in the Danish city? Local food writer Elly McCausland shares her insider tips for the best restaurants in Aarhus, along with where to find the best cinnamon buns, hip coffee shops and seafood bistros. Gurdeep Loyal's best restaurants in Aarhus Often overlooked for Copenhagen, Denmark’s second city is just as exciting from a culinary perspective, renowned for its eco-credentials and craft coffee. Langhoff & Juul is an organic restaurant rooted in sustainable principles with a menu that includes dishes like tartar of beef with pickled tomatoes, and calvados berries with chantilly cream and dark chocolate. The stylishly minimal Restaurant Hærværk has a daily seasonal menu connected to the land where its ingredients are grown – showcasing produce like mussels, celeriac and locally bred meat, hung behind glass doors for diners to see. And the hip Street Coffee Brammersgade is one of the best places for coffee: its dark-roasted espresso blend combines beans from Central America, East Africa and Indonesia, into a chocolaty floral coffee with notes of red fruits and cherries. La Cabra – for coffee in Aarhus At stylish café La Cabra, in the Latin Quarter, they roast their coffee in-house. Pair a cup with a freshly made cinnamon bun or some avocado toast. Or join one of the café’s home brewing classes. lacabra.dk Langenæs Bageriet – for Danish pastries in Aarhus You can’t visit Denmark without indulging in a buttery baked good or two. Langenæs Bageriet is a great bakery and stocks everything from rye bread to cinnamon horns and chocolate Danish. langenaesbageriet.dk Globen Flakket – for brunch in Aarhus Enjoy the cosseting Danish concept of hygge by piling your plate with waffles, granola, salads, fresh fruit, cakes, crusty bread and roast salmon at Globen Flakket, a cosy canal-side restaurant. The hot chocolate is good too. globen-flakket.dk Haute Friture – for Danish hotdogs in Aarhus Haute Friture is a Latin Quarter institution, known for its gourmet hotdogs; the Hot Duck features duck confit in a spring roll with chilli, mushrooms and cranberries, topped with chilli and soya mayo and a wakame seaweed salad, all tucked in a bun. facebook.com/hautefrituredk/ Oli Nico – for seafood in Aarhus An atmospheric cross between a British chippy and a French bistro, Oli Nico serves fabulously fresh fried fish (to take away or eat in) and great value three-course set dinners; think cured salmon, apple and fennel salad, beef bourguignon and blueberry and white chocolate cheesecake. olinico.dk Nordisk Spisehus – for New Nordic cuisine in Aarhus For exciting modern cooking with a delicate Scandinavian influence, book a table at Nordisk Spisehus. Every two months its set menus take on a new theme but typical dishes include ox with artichoke and sage or blackberries with marzipan and honey. nordiskspisehus.dk Spiselauget – for gastropub food in Aarhus Set inside Godsbanen, a converted railway station that’s home to flea markets and pop-ups, Spiselauget is a relaxed, modern restaurant serving gastropub-inspired food: seasonal dinner options include trout with kohlrabi and smoked yogurt. spiselauget.dk Aarhus Central Food Market – best food market in Aarhus Near the station, Aarhus Central Food Market is the perfect lunch spot for indecisive foodies. Browse the stalls for classic smørrebrød (open sandwiches), organic juices, Asian street food and fresh seafood. Hip porridge stall Grød serves everything from chia seed porridge with peanut butter to dal and congee. aarhuscentralfoodmarket.dk L'Estragon – for elegant dining in Aarhus At organic restaurant L’Estragon expect artistic and seasonal plates, such as cod with pumpkin, fennel and blackberry or local mussels with potato, spinach and apple. Go the whole hog and order wine pairings to match your chosen menu. lestragon.dk Fairbar – for craft beers in Aarhus A volunteer-run, non-profit café and bar that supports a range of charities Fairbar’s big attraction – aside from its regular live music nights – is its wide range of Danish and foreign craft beers. Look out for warming winter ales from local brewery Humleland. fairbar.dk WHERE TO STAY IN AARHUS, DENMARK Double rooms at Hotel Oasia start at £107, b&b. <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=71026X1546147&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fhotel%2Fdk%2Fcity-oasia.en-gb.html%3Faid%3D304142%26label%3Dgen173nr-1FCAEoggJCAlhYSDNYBGhQiAEBmAExwgEDYWJuyAEM2AEB6AEB-AECkgIBeagCBA%26sid%3D33c3fa277f0d08b0b1bd2df681f354b8%26srpvid%3D80de7291086d0bc4%26checkin%3D2019-02-15%26checkout%3D2019-02-16%26ucfs%3D1%26srpvid%3D80de7291086d0bc4%26srepoch%3D1540570659%26highlighted_blocks%3D25229106_120155042_0_1_0%26all_sr_blocks%3D25229106_120155042_0_1_0%26room1%3DA%2CA%26hpos%3D1%26hapos%3D1%26dest_type%3Dcity%26dest_id%3D-2739400%26srfid%3D3abc3d5b365a0d9e2a453050dae8b1f1017297f6X1%26from%3Dsearchresults%3Bhighlight_room%3D%23hotelTmpl" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">For the best deals on rooms at Hotel Oasia, click here hoteloasia.dk HOW TO GET TO AARHUS, DENMARK Return flights from Stansted to Aarhus start at £30 (ryanair.com). More info: visitaarhus.co; danishfoodregion.eu Written by Elly McCausland. Elly is a freelance food writer and cook who lives in Aarhus and has her own blog Nutmegs, seven.
Naples foodie guide: where locals eat and drink
The best places to eat, drink and stay in Naples where strong fragrant coffee, pastries peppered with candied citrus and sublime pizza make this chaotic Italian city a culinary knockout
Looking for places to eat in Naples? Want to find the best pizza in the Southern Italian city? Local food writer Gina Tringali shares her insider tips for the best restaurants in Naples, along with traditional cafés, local street food haunts and pre-dinner aperitivo bars. Best pizza places in Naples 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo Visiting Naples without eating pizza would be sacrilege. For the best, head to the seafront at Mergellina and pizzeria 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo. Order a stellar marinara, or one with braised escarole (endive), gaeta olives and piennolo tomatoes, and grab a local craft beer to drink with it. 50kalò.it Pizzaria La Notizia Visiting Naples without eating pizza would be blasphemy. Head to smart Vomero and Pizzaria La Notizia for a classic with a twist, the margherita DOP or the San Gennaro with yellow piennolo tomatoes, oregano, anchovies, black olives, parsley and basil. Pizzeria Da Michele is a very popular pizza places in Naples that sees queues down the street. There's a branch in London, click here to find out where to get it... Antica Osteria Pisano – best for authentic Neapolitan food For home-style Neapolitan food in Naples head to Antica Osteria Pisano, going strong since 1947. Order the marinated anchovies, zeppoline di mare (fried dough with seaweed) and fried calamaretti to start, then pasta with seafood and a bottle of greco di tufo. End with a glass of house amaro, made with herbs. Ai Monti Lattari deli – best food market hangout in Naples In Naples' bustling Pignasecca market, Ai Monti Lattari deli sells Neapolitan snacks like taralli and tortano (pork- and cheese-studded bread). Ask Eva for a tasting of her family’s fior di latte, provola affumicata and caciocavallo cheese. Via Pignasecca 10; 00 39 081 551 9554 Pizza a Portafoglio di Gennaro Salvo – best street food in Naples Wander along Via Toledo toward Naples' Piazza Plebiscito for street food at Pizza a Portafoglio di Gennaro Salvo. Order a pizza a portafoglio (it’s folded like a wallet), a crocchè di patate and frittatine di pasta. It’s worth the wait. Via Toledo 244; 00 39 081 2665 1218 Trattoria de Nennella – best lunch spot in Naples Join the boisterous lunch crew at Trattoria da Nennella in the Quartieri Spagnoli for home-style dishes served at tables adorned with red-and-white-checked tablecloths. Try the creamy pasta and chickpeas or pasta with potatoes and provola cheese for the ultimate Neapolitan comfort food. Il Vero Bar Del Professore – best place for coffee in Naples Knock back a luscious caffè alla nocciola (espresso with hazelnut cream) at Il Vero Bar Del Professore. Or, if sweet coffee isn’t your thing, order a caffè shakerato senza zucchero (espresso shaken with ice) on a hot day. Trattoria da Cicciotto – best seafood restaurant in Naples Ask for a table overlooking the bay at Trattoria da Cicciotto, where elegantly dressed Italians take in the view of Capri while dining on the freshest local seafood. Order spaghetti alle vongole cooked perfectly al dente by chef Vincenzo. Give our easy spaghetti alle vongole recipe a go here... Cantine Sociali – best place for cocktails in Naples Fashionable locals mingle on the outdoor patio at Cantine Sociali in upscale Chiaia. Follow suit by savouring a glass of prosecco, Fiano di Avellino or a pre-dinner cocktail. Moccia a Posillipo – best café in Naples Whether you’re craving a sweet, flaky sfogliatella, a rum-soaked baba with whipped cream, a pillowy pizzetta or just a caffè, pull up a seat on the balcony at Bar Moccia a Posillipo and you can enjoy them with unparalleled views of the sea, Mount Vesuvius and the bay. Centrale del Caffè – for coffee Chic coffee bar Centrale del Caffè sells three coffee blends by the kilo. Go early for a cappuccino and a brioche roll, or after lunch for a caffè (espresso) and a slice of torta della nonna (custard cake). centraledelcaffe.it Attanasio Sfogliatelle – best bakery in Naples Whether you prefer your sfogliatelle flaky (riccia) or smooth (frolla), Attanasio Sfogliatelle, a cult bakery 10 steps from the city’s Central station, comes up trumps. They’re served warm, straight from the oven, filled with sweetened ricotta and candied citrus. sfogliatelleattanasio.it Pignasecca market – best traditional food market in Naples Graze your way around lively Pignasecca market, Naples’ oldest outdoor food market. Stalls are filled with sputtering clams, fresh bread and fat, ripe tomatoes, but keep your eyes peeled for holes-in-the-wall selling pizza a portafoglio; piping hot pizza, folded over. Via Pignasecca Le Zendraglie – for a traditional, family-run vibe No frills Le Zendraglie packages offal for steadfast locals or serves it at its few tables. The Fiorenzano family transforms these cuts into traditional Neapolitan delicacies, including a selection of seafood and vegetarian dishes. Try tender centopelli (tripe) dressed with freshly squeezed lemon or a bowl of pasta and beans. Via Pignasecca 14; 00 39 81 551 1993 Gay Odin chocolate – best chocolate in Naples It may have nine shops across the city but Gay Odin still makes chocolates with artisanal savvy. At the Via Vetriera outlet you can get a sneak peak at their production and buy a box of the foreste; shaved milk chocolate shaped like logs. gay-odin.it Friggitoria Vomero – for street food snacks in Naples Take the funicular to upscale Vomero for fritti (deep-fried snacks) with a panoramic view of the bay. Friggitoria Vomero serves delicious fried arancini, polenta and potato croquettes, scooped into a paper cone, to go. Via Domenico Cimarosa, 44; 00 39 81 578 3130 Veritas – for fine dining in Naples At Veritas, chef Gianluca D’Agostino (previously of Locanda Locatelli) delivers elegant food that’s big on regional and Mediterranean flavours. Order the ‘dalla terra alla luna’ tasting menu or go à la carte and savour his signature dish, mezzi paccheri pasta with pomodorini del piennolo; Vesuvian tomatoes with mussels and green peppers. veritasrestaurant.it Enoteca Belledonne – for aperitivo in Naples Well-heeled locals converge in trendy Chiaia to sip on wine and cocktails. Follow them into rustic wine bar Enoteca Belledonne for a glass of coda di volpe. enotecabelledonne.com Osteria La Mattonella – for simple pasta dishes in Naples In Quartieri Spagnoli take the hidden lift beside Ponte di Chiaia and step back in time at Osteria La Mattonella. Hand-painted tiles from the early 18th century line the walls of the Marangio family’s simple restaurant. Order the pasta alla Genovese; pasta with a beef and three onion - white, yellow and Tropea - sauce. Via Giovanni Nicòtera 13; 00 39 81 416 541 Il Miracolo dei Pesce – for seafood in Naples Out past fishermen’s boats at Mergellina minuscule Il Miracolo dei Pesce serves the daily catch to take away or eat in. Try fried mullet, sea bass or anchovy balls and grilled fish. Largo Sermoneta 17; 00 39 81 769 0778 Pan’e Muzzurell’ – for food shopping in Naples In the city’s historic centre cubicle sized Pan’e Muzzurell’ sells a range of top-notch local groceries. Grab a DOP cheese – a chunk of provolone del Monaco or mozzarella di bufala - or a made-to order-sandwich. Via Domenico Capitelli 14; 00 39 81 551 5030 Il Gelato Mennella – for gelato in Naples A few choice flavours made with natural local ingredients is what Il Gelato Mennella offers. If you’re a nut lover order a scoop of nocciola di Giffoni made with = hazelnuts from Salerno, and another of noci di Sorrento made with walnuts from Sorrento. pasticceriamennella.it La Trattoria Castel dell’Ovo – for a local seaside dinner in Naples To skip dinner at the seaside resort of Borgo Marinaro in the shadow of Castel dell’Ovo would be a shame. Locals flock to barebones restaurant La Trattoria Castel dell’Ovo, aka ‘O Tabbacaro, to dine on zuppa di cozze (mussels and octopus sauté) and spaghetti with vongole. Via Luculliana 28; 00 39 81 764 6352 HOW TO GET TO NAPLES Return flights from various UK airports to Naples cost from around £60 return (easyjet.com; ryanair.com). WHERE TO STAY IN NAPLES Doubles at Costantinopoli 104 cost from £160, b&b (costantinopoli104.it). More info: visitnaples.eu. TRUST OLIVE Food writer Gina Tringali divides her time between Rome, Naples and Sicily, designing foodie tours and writing for Casa Mia Italy Food & Wine Tours (italyfoodandwinetours.com) and GT Food & Travel (gtfoodandtravel.com).