Foodie Travel Tips

Does this really need a caption?

Travel in style, eat well ;)

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that a BIG part of travelling for me revolves around food. I strongly believe that, together with language, food is such an integral part of a new culture and a fantastic way to understand more about the land you have the opportunity to visit.

Whether it’s a perfect flaky croissant in the Marais, in Paris, a heap of grilled calamari on the beach in Greece, delicate pasteis de nata on the streets of Lisbon, not to mention that perfect scoop of gelato next to a basilica in Rome, these minute treats all tell stories that go well beyond simple nourishment.

I plan where I will eat on holiday before I’m even there, day dreaming about new flavours and combinations that just taste different in their homeland. While I make amazing mousse au chocolat at home, myself, it just hits differently when it’s rounding up a meal at a small bistro in the capital of France. And while my homemade gelato occasionally makes me weep with glee when I try it, straight out of the ice cream maker, it will never measure up to the pistachio scoop one can buy at Giolitti.

Alas, you need to be careful, dear reader, for mediocre restaurants abound in all places and there is nothing I despise more than a tourist trap. I therefore set out in this blog post to give you a few tips in order to avoid the heartbreak that is to be eating a lukewarm, underwhelming meal, when you know that your days in a certain place, as well as your stomach capacity, are limited.

Milos, wine and watermelon

·      Start with a bit of research. Fortunately, in our day and age, we have the mighty internet. While sites like TripAdvisor can give a good indication of good places to eat, try and dig a little deeper. A lot of food bloggers, like myself, like to talk about places where they loved the food. The joy we find in having a good meal is one to be shared so try have a look at local foodies sharing their experiences.

·      Decide on what kind of food youd like to have. While eating like a local may sound appealing, you need to remember your dietary restrictions, should you have any, as well as what youre actually willing to try. While Romania, for example, has a fantastic tripe soup, not everyone is able or eager to give it a try. Have a look at the type of cuisine of the country you’ll be visiting and have an idea of what you’re interested (or not!) in experimenting with.

·      Stay off the beaten path. I’m definitely not saying you should go 10 miles away from the nearest monument/attraction, but it’s rather unlikely (and honestly, a little sad) that you will have the best meal of your life within 50 meters of the Eiffel Tower. Walk a few extra steps and youre way more likely to find a restaurant that will have better service, prices and, most importantly, food.

·      If you decide to go to extremely popular and well known restaurants (like Figlmüller in Vienna, Le Relais de l’Entrecôte or Berthillon in Paris, Giolitti in Rome) go with a. the expectation to queue for quite a long time and b. expecting the meal to maybe not be at the level of (what will have become by the end of the queuing experience) very high expectations. The examples I cited are actually fantastic restaurants with great value for money, but it may be that the service feels rushed or that, in the end, you’re not sure that that schnitzel was actually worth it (for me it definitely was!). That’s also ok and part of the experience.

Figlmüller my love <3

·      And, speaking of part of the experience, while I wish for you to be able to eat phenomenal meals 3x a day every day while you’re on holiday, it’s also maybe a little bit ambitious. Accept that there will be meals that will turn out to be just meh or ok while others will knock your socks off. It’s only the latter you’ll remember, anyway.

·      Lastly, don’t forget to have fun! Holidays and travel are such a great perk of being alive in 2023, getting to experience other cultures, climates, histories and customs is an immense privilege we get and should cherish accordingly!

In the meantime, I leave you with my little Paris post on restaurants and eateries I loved there, this Foodie Travel category on my blog is soon to be populated with other cities such as Dublin, London, Zürich, Rome so make sure to stay tuned!

Do let me know in the comments what restaurants you’ve loved on your travels and what other tips and tricks for foodie travel you would like to see!