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Unforgettable Foodie Destinations to Visit at Least Once in Your Life 

Taste your way around the world with this global gastronomic guide
Taste your way around the world with this global gastronomic guide | © d3sign / Getty Images

Gourmand? Foodie? Gastronome? Forget the labels, you don’t need to be a paid-up member of the gastronomic glitterati to love combining travel and food. Of course, there’s a seemingly endless menu of foodie destinations to discover, so you might need a little help to narrow down the options. Let us be your guide; here are the culinary holidays you need to take at least once in your life.

Bologna, Italy

Bologna is home to many regional specialities – just don’t ask for spaghetti bolognese

The Emilia-Romagna region is known for its unbeatable flavours, but capital Bologna is the culinary highlight. The world may associate the city with spaghetti bolognese, but true foodies know that’s plain wrong. Instead, dine on tagliatelle al ragù – similar, but with the flat tagliatelle pasta and a rich ragu – or tortellini, a stuffed, ringed pasta typically served in a broth.

Other regional delights include cold meats – prosciutto and mortadella – and parmigiano reggiano, a hard cheese with protected designation of origin status.

Where to stay in Bologna

I Portici Hotel and Restaurant

Hotel

The stylish, wood-floored interior of the restaurant at I Portici Hotel, which has a high ceiling with frescoes
Courtesy of I Portici Hotel and Restaurant / Expedia.com
This clean-cut property in Bologna features the only Michelin-starred bistro in the city. The I Portici Restaurant, set in the Eden Theater – a beautifully restored café-chantant, serves artfully presented, innovative dishes prepared with high-quality raw materials. The hotel is also near some of the top attractions in Bologna, including the Teatro Anatomico – part of the oldest university in the western hemisphere – and several farmers’ markets.

Lyon, France

Head to Les Halles de Lyon market for traditional Lyonnaise produce

If you’re looking for an alternative to Paris, meaning top-notch French cuisine without waiting lists and overpriced dinners, then Lyon is it. Often dubbed the gastronomic capital of France, Lyon has 21 Michelin-starred restaurants. It was also the first of four French cities with an International City of Gastronomy space, a culinary centre that hosts anything from tastings to food-focussed film viewings.

Lyon also has an array of fine places to eat – from food markets, such as Les Halles de Lyon, to Michelin-starred restaurants, including the three-star Restaurant Paul Bocuse. Make sure to taste regional specialties including praline tarts, Saint-Marcellin cheese and Beaujolais wine.

Where to stay in Lyon

Cour des Loges

Hotel

An arch leads through to long dining tables at the Cour des Loges restaurant
Courtesy of Cour des Loges / Expedia

Italian Renaissance architecture meets velvet furnishings and elaborate headboards in this regal property in the heart of the old town. Cour des Loges is the ideal place to stay for a luxury escape, especially if you’re fond of all things food. There’s a Michelin-starred restaurant set in a dimly-lit, Florentine stone courtyard and framed by dreamy arches and a spectacular 17m (55ft) high glass canopy. Chef Anthony Bonnet’s menu centres on fine seasonal ingredients and bold recipes, such as pigeon cooked with chestnuts.

Tokyo, Japan

Set aside a few hours to tour the foodie haven of Tsukiji Outer Market

It’s no secret Tokyo has some of the best sushi in the world. But the Japanese capital has so much else to offer. Step into a cool izakaya bar and order cocktails paired with local snacks or pass by the Tsukiji Outer Market for the complete foodie extravaganza – you will need a few hours to explore all the colourful stalls and shops.

Japanese cuisine was added to the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013, and Tokyo is where you can try all kinds of traditional dishes. From ramen and yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) to wagyu beef or the ever-present sticky rice, there’s so much to try here. Don’t leave without tasting the popular okonomiyaki, a pancake made with eggs and yams, and topped with anything from pork to squid or shrimp.

Where to stay in Tokyo

Hoshinoya Tokyo

Boutique Hotel, Ryokan

A woman walks behind a screen past a stylish dining room with a large wood table and shelves with dishes at Hoshinoya Tokyo
Courtesy of Hoshinoya Tokyo / Expedia

Sophisticated yet traditional, Hoshinoya is modelled after a ryokan – a Japanese-style inn. Tatami flooring and onsen baths will instantly put you in a state of bliss, while the basement restaurant is the place to go for Japanese dishes with a French influence. To further immerse yourself in tradition, try the sake tastings and tea ceremonies or watch the sumo wrestlers train in the morning, while savouring their favourite hotpot dish, chanko nabe.

Bangkok, Thailand

Thai street food may be humble, but it has won the hearts of many travellers

Who doesn’t love Thai food? And some of the best is found in Bangkok, where Michelin stars have been doled out to both restaurants and street vendors. Get a taste of the latter at Jay Fai, the first street stall in Thailand to be awarded the mark. Its eponymous owner – she’s not hard to miss in her black beanie and ski mask uniform – does a mean trade in crab omelettes.

Don’t pass up the classics either, pad thai and various curries are popular, as are the pretty-looking mangosteens that fill the floating markets. Cooking classes and food tours are also available around town.

Where to stay in Bangkok

Hotel Muse Bangkok Langsuan

Boutique Hotel

Medici Kitchen & Bar, at Hotel Muse Bangkok Langsuan in Bangkok, with wood floors, metal arches, and wooden barrels on the wall.
Courtesy of Hotel Muse Bangkok Langsuan / Expedia.com

This beauty blends European decor with Asian elements, offering premium rooms and suites with king-size beds and deep-soak tubs. Hotel Muse is also a popular foodie hub, thanks to its two restaurants: Medici Kitchen & Bar, serving gourmet Italian, and Babette’s, a 1920s-style steakhouse perfect for romantic dinners. Don’t miss the latter’s signature wagyu tomahawk beefsteak, washed down with wine from the cellar.

New Orleans, Louisiana, US

NOLA cuisine is unlike any other in the United States

New Orleans cuisine is not your typical American fare. Creole and French influences make for a fascinating – and unique – mix of flavours and culinary experiences. From fine dining to street food and a sophisticated cocktail scene, NOLA’s got it all.

There are so many cool things to try here. There’s the messy barbecue shrimp – less barbecue, more jumbo gulf shrimp sautéed in a Worcestershire-spiked butter sauce – and po’ boys (a NOLA-style sub sandwich typically with meat or seafood). You could also try Creole turtle soup, made with green turtle or snapping turtle meat – a delicacy once popular in the White House. Don’t forget to try the luscious beignets, a fried-dough pastry sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Where to stay in New Orleans

Loews New Orleans Hotel

Hotel

A waiter lays a window table at the Poydras & Peters restaurant at the Loews New Orleans Hotel
Courtesy of Loews New Orleans Hotel / Expedia.com
For a foodie-friendly base in New Orleans, you won’t go wrong with the Loews. The in-house Poydras & Peters restaurant – the name a tribute to the historic Poydras Market once based just a few blocks away – is a great place to taste contemporary Creole cuisine, as well as classic American fare. Dishes use fresh, local ingredients to bring NOLA food history to life. Head to Bar Peters for Cajun-inspired entrees, light bites and hand-crafted cocktails.

Mexico City, Mexico

Tacos al pastor is just one of many classic tacos to be discovered in Mexico City

Get your daily dose of vitamin T – that’s tortillas, tacos, tamales and tostadas – with a gastronomic galivant around Mexico City. The street eats here aren’t expensive, so bounce from stall to stall trying their specialities. If you don’t want to walk far, tour Mercado Medellín – a traditional market in Roma Sur with a variety of street food stalls. And if you’re vegan, visit Por Siempre or La Pitahaya in Roma Norte for the best plant-based tacos in the city.

For an upmarket meal, visit Pujol – though you’ll need to book well in advance – for a modern take on traditional Mexican cuisine. Order the seven-course taster menu, which features a signature mole dish – Mole Madre, Mole Nuevo – which has been developed for more than 2,000 days. And for a foodie trip that’ll also help you understand pre-Hispanic Mexico, head south to the canals of Xochimilco, where you can see chinampas – floating gardens once used for farming – and drink pulque on colourful barges known as trajineras.

Where to stay in Mexico

Las Alcobas

Boutique Hotel, Hotel

The modern and stylish Dulce Patria restaurant at Las Alcobas
Courtesy of Las Alcobas / Expedia.com

Book yourself in for a five-star foodie getaway at Las Alcobas, a boutique hotel in the trendy Polanco neighbourhood. It’s got two restaurants: Anatol, where local ingredients are used in an Italian-inspired menu, and Dulce Patria, a modern Mexican helmed by award-winning chef Martha Ortiz. And when you’re not chowing down, there’s a hotel spa with a Mayan healing ritual that showcases indigenous ingredients and techniques.

Istanbul, Turkey

For traditional eats in Istanbul, you can’t go wrong with döner kebab

International food chains are not a thing in Istanbul – and why would they be? The city is a cultural mix (eastern Mediterranean, Asian and Middle Eastern blending with eastern European and Caucasian traditions), which explains the great diversity in flavours, spices and dishes.

Each Turkish city has its own version of staples such as döner kebab, pide (Turkish flatbread) and the honey-filled baklava, plus different mezzes. But rest assured you’ll find it all in Istanbul – from döner and köfte (Turkish meatball) to kumpir (a packed jacket potato) and lahmacun (a thin piece of dough topped with minced meat, vegetables and herbs). Don’t miss the popular balık ekmek, a sandwich containing a filet of fried or grilled fish and vegetables.

Where to stay in Istanbul

Hotel Les Ottomans

Boutique Hotel, Luxury

A waterside dining terrace with tables covered in white cloth at Hotel Les Ottomans
Courtesy of Hotel Les Ottomans Bosphorus / Booking.com

It hardly gets more palatial than this 10-room boutique on the banks of the Bosphorus strait. This 18th-century mansion was gutted by fire in 1933, but restored in the 1980s – the regal decor is now made up of gold paintwork, velvet furnishings and crystal chandeliers. There’s also an upscale restaurant, Park Şamdan & the Bar, which is among the most famous in Istanbul, with a celeb guest list and a private pier on the river from which you can enjoy mellow boat rides.

Beirut, Lebanon

Find global gastronomic influences across the capital of Lebanon

Lebanon also has a range of culinary influences, among them Ottoman, Armenian, Palestinian, Syrian, French and Israeli. And you can sample them all in Beirut. The capital is the place to eat a refreshing tabbouleh or a fattoush salad heavy on ripe tomatoes. Or a spiced kafta if you’re into minced meat skewers, and a fried mackerel if you like your fish to be fresh – like straight-out-of-the-boat fresh. Also try the national dish, kibbeh, an oval delicacy of sautéed pine nuts, deep-fried with minced, spiced lamb and bulgur wheat.

Beirut brims with foodie areas. Head to the Souks shopping district or the upscale Saifi Village for fine-dining restaurants. Or weave your way through the weekly Souk el Tayeb – it was the first farmer’s market in the city when it opened in 2004 – and explore 100 stalls showcasing regional produce and ingredients.

Where to stay in Beirut

Hotel Albergo

Boutique Hotel, Hotel, Villa

Chairs peek out from among shrubbery in an outdoor dining space at Hotel Albergo
© Hotel Albergo
Hotel Albergo marries Lebanese heritage with French old-world glamour through heavy drapes, elaborate mosaics and striped furniture, while offering modern amenities, including a gym and a glittery pool. Just as elegant is the restaurant, where Mediterranean dishes are served on Damascus mother-of-pearl tables. There’s also a pretty lobby cafe overlooking a courtyard with an all-day menu of woodfired pizzas, coffees and cocktails.

San Sebastián, Spain

A pintxo bar crawl is an essential experience in San Sebastián

This resort town on the Bay of Biscay in the mountainous Basque country is home to some of the best seafood in the world, along with an insane number of Michelin stars per square metre. Throw in a thriving pintxos scene, and you’ve got yourself a food heaven. Embark on a pintxo bar crawl, snacking on skewered nibbles such as spider crab tartlets and bruschetta-style bites, usually served with beer, cider or wine.

If you feel like splashing out, make a reservation at one of the many Michelin-starred restaurants. Make sure to try the tartlets at Ganbara and the artichokes with jamón and salsa at Casa Urola.

Where to stay in San Sebastián

Hotel Akelarre

Boutique Hotel

Sun floods through floor-to-ceiling windows in a common space with seating at Hotel Akelarre
Courtesy of Hotel Akelarre / Expedia.com

Minimal rooms, cosy furniture and soft cotton sheets make Hotel Akelarre the ultimate relaxation spot, both for your body and your mind. Let go of your worries at the deluxe spa and rest your eyes on the endless blue of the sea while being treated to a full-body massage. Then pass by the three-Michelin-starred restaurant where renowned chef Pedro Subijana does his magic; among his delicious creations are egg with caviar over cauliflower purée and hake in seaweed steam with plankton and oyster leaves.

Athens, Greece

The beauty of Athens makes a nice backdrop for your culinary quest

Greek food may be everywhere. But nowhere does it better. You could head to Santorini for a colourful Greek salad or Rhodes for a moussaka, but Athens is the place for a bit everything.

You’ll find international cuisine (try fine-dining Japanese fusion restaurant Nolan) next to traditional Greek joints – or a more gourmet, contemporary version of it: don’t miss Feedel, Dopios or Gastone in the centre. For a traditional Athenian market experience, navigate around Varvakeios market in Monastiraki, the largest market in the capital. Cast your eye over the many meat and fish stalls, then dip into Epirus taverna for authentic, hearty dishes including the much-loved tripe soup.

Where to stay in Greece

Ergon House

Hotel

The in-house green grocers at Ergon House, which has plenty of fruit and veg on display
Courtesy of Ergon House / Expedia.com

Dubbed the “world’s first foodie hotel”, Ergon House goes heavy on gastronomic experience. There’s a deli selling produce from local farmers, a butcher’s, a fishmonger’s and a bakery, plus a restaurant and rooftop terrace serving great cocktails. There’s a kitchen on every floor – visit to start an impromptu cooking session – plus organised cooking classes led by the hotel chefs.

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