Food / Europe

[Timmrewards]

I'll hopefully be traveling to Europe within a year once my significant other has about a week of vacation to use. One of the most important factors that influences where we travel is food. Is there a country in Europe whose food or dish stood out to you from the rest? Do you still crave it on occasion?

 

[smittytabb]

I'll hopefully be traveling to Europe within a year once my significant other has about a week of vacation to use. One of the most important factors that influences where we travel is food. Is there a country in Europe whose food or dish stood out to you from the rest? Do you still crave it on occasion?

Foodie here and my favorite country for food is Spain. There are some amazing Michelin star restaurants, but also everywhere food is wonderful and ingredients are top notch. The Basque country and San Sebastian (where there is a great Starwood property) is the hub for this with their tradition of culinary excellence. Last time there we splurged on a meal and did the tasting menu at Arzak and it was so worth it! We met Juan Mari Arzak and Elena, his daughter, who is the best female chef in the world! Great experience.

Have spent a lot of time in Europe and have been to all the Western European countries and generally food is good everywhere. France, Italy, Spain, Portugal are my favorites and if you are on a budget Portugal is particularly cheap right now.

 

[Beltway Explorers]

I haven't been to Portugal yet, but I agree with smittytabb that France, Italy, and Spain are some of the best eats in Europe! I also enjoyed the food in Germany, but I couldn't eat it for the straight week whereas I haven't had that problem in the other countries. Greece, specifically Santorini, has great food and variety due to influences from other Mediterranean countries.

If you are thinking about splurging on a business class flight, Austrian Airlines' meal service is not to be missed. There is a chef who flies on board with you so he is tasting food prepared in the air and not premaking it on the ground. They also have an extensive coffee menu. My husband still considers the meal on our flight from Dulles to Vienna as one of his top 10 from our European excursions (for comparison he's been to France, Italy, Austria, Greece, and Germany).

 

[smittytabb]

Yes, if I love Greek food as well! And Bulgarian and Turkish too. I just enjoy the Mediterranean influence I guess. Good tip on Austrian. I haven't flown them in Biz. Should earmark some Aeroplan miles for that!

 

[Beltway Explorers]

Good tip on Austrian. I haven't flown them in Biz. Should earmark some Aeroplan miles for that!

Do it!! I don't mind skipping United's business class, but Austrian's is hard to pass up!

 

[italdesign]

Italy for me. I was not a fan of "Italian" food based on what I had in the States. Then I tried it in Italy and found out what I've been missing all my life. There is no comparison, and the price is reasonable. We didn't try very hard (used Yelp and word of mouth) but were able to seriously pamper our stomachs and taste buds. Squid ink pasta, seafood cooked every which way, cured meats, gelato, tiramisu... what can I say, it was heaven.

I also loved the mussels around Grand Place of Brussels. This is the most touristy area of the city, so I can only imagine how good the real stuff is.

And France, of course, but it's very, very expensive (at least in Paris). And the service is abysmal. Too bad, because the food is certainly lovely.

 

[Barefootwoman]

It's hard to go wrong with any food in Italy. They've raised eating to such an art form, it's all good.

 

[inflightmeal]

You can do some GREAT eating in Europe. Hell, even London is now filled with good restaurants. But boy did I love the grub in Europe. A few times I made a mistake (that I knew I was making at the time) by getting so hungry that I just needed to "eat something" and ended up with lousy meals. But given a clear head, and a little effort, I had many unforgettable meals.

Hidden gem: Arlu in Vatican City. Was the Italian meal of my dreams... Both times

Went to a pig-centric Austrian restaurant in Trieste, Italy that was the pleasant surprise of the trip.

Venice was a let down. Had some good food there but the gems seem much more hidden (especially with all of the tourist-friendly spots being so in-your-face.)