April Holidays Food Lovers Where To Travel in April

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Need some ideas on where to go on holiday in April? Check out our pick of destinations for a food lover’s break this spring, including a city break in Portugal, tulips in the Netherlands and a Cornish seafood festival.

For more travel inspiration, check out our picks of the best spring holidays or the best European city breaks.

The UK at its best: Cornwall

For a UK escape that combines coastal scenery with serious food credentials, few places rival Cornwall in spring. The tiny harbour village of Porthleven comes alive during the Porthleven Food Festival (24–26 April). More than 150 local producers and chefs (including Josh Eggleton, Jude Kereama and Tom Brown) descend on the harbour for demos, workshops and street-food stalls, with live music in the evenings.

Drive half an hour across the county to base yourself in St Ives. Start the day at Brine for inventive brunch dishes overlooking the harbour – we love the Jaffle toastie, stuffed with fresh crab, Singapore chilli sauce and cheese. For relaxed small plates and cocktails with sunset views, try Silco Bar & Kitchen, while Porthmeor Beach Café pairs bold, spice-forward cooking with sweeping sea views. If you have time for a short coastal drive, book a table at the celebrated The Gurnard’s Head, a characterful pub known for beautifully cooked local fish and seasonal Cornish produce. Check out our full guide to the best restaurants in St Ives for more.

The UK bolthole: The Bath Priory, Bath

In a leafy part of Bath sits this impressive Georgian house, offering old-fashioned hospitality with wide appeal. Behind the ivy-clad building is a vast, not-so-secret garden that is the perfect spot for relaxing in April, featuring a spectacular Lebanon cedar tree, croquet lawn, sunken pond and kitchen garden growing herbs, edible flowers, fruit and veg destined for the dining room. Spring is when the wisteria-covered terrace shines, the perfect spot for taking afternoon tea. You can also order a picnic hamper to enjoy in the gardens, with a bottle of English sparkling wine.

You'll have views of the garden at dinner too. Chef Jauca Catalin’s imaginative menu celebrates seasonal, local produce with some surprising Asian touches: a crab starter is teamed with lime confit, mooli and chilli peanut caramel; wild turbot is a complex dish of scallop mousse, caviar and miso and kombu tea. At breakfast there is a traditional approach, with eggs royale, benedict and florentine, alongside the full English and a fluffy omelette arnold bennett.

Bedrooms are designed for comfort and relaxation, with period furniture, florals and tartan adding warmth to neutral décor.

Rooms start at £275 per night including breakfast, based on two sharing. Check availability at booking.com or expedia.co.uk

The seasonal city break: Porto, Portgual

Portugal is one of Europe's sunniest destinations, with more than 300 days of sunshine a year, so skip the April showers and head for a city break in Porto. Base yourself in the arty neighbourhood of Cedofeita, a network of cobbled streets brimming with independent shops, tavernas and bars. Browse the neighbourhood's galleries before seeking out sunny terraces to soak up the lively atmosphere – an olive tree provides shade for locals catching up over a glass of wine at Aduela, while Restaurante a Taska serves a great value set lunch of hearty Portuguese traditional dishes under the jacaranda trees, which bloom bright purple in spring so you can dine under the blossom.

No-frills bistros in the quieter residential streets include Adega Do Carregal and Lareira – chef Pedro Braga's Mito has a fancier feel for contemporary sharing dishes. Hole-in-the-wall Generosa Pão e Pizza churns out hunky cinnamon rolls and pizza slices all day, to provide sustenance before an evening of wines by the glass at local hub Genuíno wine bar.

Stay at Rosa et Al Townhouse, a six-room hotel, which is a lesson in boutique design – rooms blessed with original wooden floorboards, cornicing and sash windows that lead to balconies. Doubles from £111, check availability at booking.com.

Porto, Portugal old town skyline from across the Douro River.

The cultural moment: Nashville, USA

April is a busy time to be in Nashville, with plenty of festivals to visit – from the annual East Nashville Beer Festival to the Cherry Blossom Festival or Music City Food & Wine Festival. Every corner of Nashville pulses with live music and street food – tuck into The Grilled Cheeserie’s famous cheese toasties or sample from the eclectic range of cuisines at Assembly Food Hall in downtown Nashville. Biscuit Love is where to head for buttermilk biscuits topped with the likes of spicy fried chicken, local sausage gravy or berries and butter toffee syrup. Visit Butcher & Bee for unique meze dishes and standout burgers using locally grown ingredients. Before you leave, Nashville hot chicken is a must. Get it at Hattie B's, where the extra brave should try the ‘shut the cluck up’ spice level.

The sleek double rooms at stylish Noelle provide a calm oasis from the buzz of the city, despite being close to Broadway and the heart of the action. Rooms have plush king-size beds, custom furniture and luxurious bathrooms. Make sure you leave enough time to visit Rare Bird, the rooftop bar and lounge, for a golden hour cocktail. Doubles from £237 at noelle-nashville.com, booking.com or expedia.co.uk

Illuminated neon signs and designs covering the bars, restaurants, clubs and stores on Nashville's popular Lower Broadway.

The culinary destination to explore: Western Cape, South Africa

Fly south to Cape Africa to enjoy world-renowned wine, barbecue and fresh seafood. Nestled in the slopes of Table Mountain, the Constantia Wine Route is the oldest wine region in South Africa, famous for its world-class sauvignon blanc and shiraz. Visit Buitenverwachting, renowned for its elegant wines, beautiful lawns and gardens, and wonderful hospitality. Enjoy casual charcuterie with wine pairings and picnics on the lawn, or have a full dining experience at the restaurant, with a focus on local ingredients, farmers and producers.

Cape Town's coastal location ensures fish features heavily in local restaurant dishes. Tuna fishing is a significant industry in Hout Bay, with yellowfin, longfin, bigeye and skipjack varieties in the area. In the calmer bays near Simon’s Town and Kalk Bay you’ll find squid and reef fish. Salsify at the Round House has sweeping views of the Atlantic and Lion’s Head and all the fish in the restaurant is caught by chef Ryan Cole and his brother Donovan.

It's not just all fine dining – Cape Town is excellent at embracing street food culture, as seen through popular food markets like Oranjezicht City Farm Market and Neighbourgoods Market. These markets bring together the best of local farmers, chefs and suppliers for a uniquely casual take on South African cuisine. You’ll find burgers, tapas and the famous Gatsby – a giant sandwich filled with meat or fish, chips and sauces.

Meuse Farm credit Claire Gunn 16 copy — Credit: Claire Gunn

The boutique retreat: AS Boutique Hotel, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Nestled into leafy Knafljev passage, this contemporary boutique hotel is built atop family-run dining institution Gostilna AS, right in the centre of the Slovenian capital. Designed to reflect the style of buildings in the Alpine north, the striking steel structure is entwined with plants in keeping with the area’s green status. The artistic focus continues inside, with a chic library and lounge area, walls lined with Slovenian pop art and contemporary light installations.

The owner’s art collection adorns the 30 smart rooms, along with walnut wood panelling and bespoke corrugated wardrobes. Almost all have balconies that look onto pretty rooftops, many offering glimpses of the castle perched above. The Castle Exclusive room boasts uninterrupted views of the landmark, not only from the floor-to-ceiling windows but also reflected in the glass encasing an intricate wrought iron bedframe.

There are multiple on-site restaurants to choose from: original Gostilna AS is the most traditional, with its atmospheric brick-lined room and sweeping walnut tree-shaded terrace both desirable spaces to enjoy elegant seafood-forward menus featuring grilled shrimp, tuna tartare, pulled veal cheek and strawberry cake. JAZ is highly acclaimed chef Ana Roš’s bistro-style spot, where playful creations showcase Slovenia’s rich bounty. Catering to a lively local crowd, Pop’s Aperitivo plays to Slovenia’s neighbouring Italian influence with casual pizza and pasta dishes, cherry negronis and olive oil fat-washed Italicus spritzes.

Doubles from £222, check availability at booking.com or mrandmrssmith.com

The alternative choice: Utrecht, Netherlands

If you’ve already ticked Amsterdam off your list it is now time to explore more of the Netherlands and plan a spring city break to Utrecht. One of the Netherlands' oldest cities, it offers tree-lined canals, a charming personality and buzzy café culture – plus, proximity to the famous Dutch flower fields, with the flowers in full bloom from March to May.

For top-notch seafood, visit the huge atrium dining room in Vis en Meer and order a seafood platter from the lively open kitchen. Dutch colonial history means The Netherlands also has a thriving Indonesian food scene with excellent cooking and BLAUW, serving Indonesian rice tables, is worth a visit. For drinks, Talud9 is a coffee bar by day and wine bar by night, all delivered in a pretty period warehouse on the canal.

Eye Hotel is a smart boutique hotel in the centre of the city. Housed in an ancient eye hospital (hence the name), rooms have a Scandinavian feel with light and bright decor and a variety of room sizes to choose from (doubles from £109 per night, check availability at booking.com or expedia.com). Amsterdam is just a 20-minute train ride away, in case you haven't been and want to combine two flower-filled city breaks in one.

The scenic pick: Tokyo, Japan

Japan's cherry blossom season is famous around the world and while the precise best time to visit depends each year on the weather, most cherry blossom festivals begin around the end of March and can last well into the month of May. Visit Tokyo for plenty of scenic opportunities along with a jam-packed food scene, from super-fresh sushi to Michelin-starred ramen at Tsuta. Katsu fanatics should head to Mai Sen for their signature tonkatsu that attracts queues, whilst family-run Kyubey is the place for high-quality sushi.

Soak up contemporary Japanese design with a stay at stylish OMO5 Otsuka. Situated on the third floor of a sky-high modern building, there are 125 rooms with an upmarket hostel feel. The OMO Café specialises in vol-au-vents for breakfast and lunch, alongside pastries made on site, all served with OMO speciality coffee. Head out with one of OMO’s 'rangers' for a foodie tour of the local area. Tailored around specific niches, you can choose between a local brewery crawl, a tour specialising in nostalgic Showa-style food, and one highlighting the hippest foodie spots in the neighbourhood.

Doubles from £99 per night, check availability at omo-hotels.com, booking.com or expedia.com.

Cherry blossom full bloom in Tokyo , chidorigafuchi park , Japan

The slow travel adventure: Norway’s fjords

Few places capture the spirit of slow travel quite like Norway’s fjords. In April, as winter loosens its grip, the landscape feels especially magical: waterfalls swell with snowmelt, the days grow longer and the jagged peaks of the Sunnmøre Alps are often still dusted with snow. On the glassy waters of Hjørundfjord, boats glide quietly across the reflective surface while red and yellow wooden houses dot the shoreline below towering mountains.

The art nouveau harbour town of Ålesund makes an ideal base for exploring the western fjords over five to seven days. Travelling in spring means fewer visitors and a more peaceful atmosphere, perfect for drifting through the landscape by boat, bike or on foot and stopping in small villages and farming communities along the way.

Food is central to life here. At Sjøbua, set inside former fishing warehouses on the harbour, the kitchen celebrates local seafood with dishes such as salted clipfish croquettes, sweet prawns from nearby Midsund and halibut terrine. Mornings might begin with cinnamon buns and strong coffee from Butikken, before setting out along fjordside trails — ideally with a bar of Kvikk Lunsj in your pocket.

To embrace the local rhythm, end the day with a sauna overlooking the fjord before plunging into the icy water — a bracing but invigorating ritual that feels especially rewarding in Norway’s crisp spring air.

The blow-out trip: Mexico City, Mexico

We named Mexico City as one of our global cities that should be on everyone's bucket list and in April temperatures are still warm and dry, with the purple jacaranda trees coming into bloom.

You'll want to set aside five or so days if you want to really get around the city's world-class restaurants. We suggest starting at Central de Abasto food market. It’s where 80 per cent of CDMX’s ingredients come from, so is a great spot to immerse yourself in the colours, flavours and scents of the scene, trying fresh guava and cactus as you go. Our favourite breakfast comes from Fonda Margarita, a no-frills café under a corrugated iron roof where diners can start their day with frijoles refritos con huevos (fried corn tortillas, cheese, beans, salsa and eggs), churros and hot sweet coffee.

For a definitive high-end Mexican restaurant experience, book a table at Contramar in Roma Norte, which opened in 1998. Famous for its showstopping dessert trays, chef Gabriela Cámara’s buzzy kitchen turns out the likes of whole fish – butterflied, grilled and painted with parsley sauce on one side and smoky red adobo on the other – in a beautiful blue dining room. Another hero dish is its tuna tostada, which comes topped with chipotle aïoli and sushi-grade tuna.