Latest news with #gastronomy
Times
4 days ago
- Times
11 of the best restaurants in Paris
When Unesco added French cuisine to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2010, it was specifically the 'gastronomic meal' they were honouring. And for many visitors to Paris, a typical Gallic round of creamy sauces, smelly cheeses and fine wine is as high on their to-do list as scoping out the Sacré Coeur or the Louvre. But there's more to this proud nation's gastronomy than clichés of bistros, brasseries and haute cuisine. In recent times, Paris restaurants have shed rigid hierarchies to embrace a more dynamic and diverse worldview. I've been exploring the scene here for years, and the rise of neo-bistros has highlighted seasonally driven menus and vegetable-led cooking, while a new generation of chefs bring multicultural influences to bear on traditional tastes. But wherever and whatever you choose to eat, a meal out in Paris remains a daily ritual steeped in pleasure, provenance and a deep reverence for good food. Bon appétit! This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue £££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for a blow-the-budget gourmet extravaganza Any of Paris's ten three-Michelin-starred restaurants will deliver a fine-dining experience that might very well be the meal of a lifetime (possibly with a once-in-a-lifetime price tag to match). But Plénitude one-ups the others with its magical location on the first floor of the ultra-luxe Cheval Blanc hotel and its dreamy views along the Seine and across the Pont Neuf. Dishes take inspiration from chef Arnaud Donckele's native Normandy, and his adopted homes of the Mediterranean (where he has the three-Michelin-starred La Vague d'Or in St Tropez) and Paris, with an emphasis on expertly balanced saucing. Expect the likes of chicken with caviar and courgette artfully arranged in a velvety champagne velouté. It's open for dinner only from Tuesday to Saturday, and you should leave time afterwards for a drink in the hotel's seventh-floor bar Le Tout-Paris with its view of the illuminated Eiffel Tower. A plush room for the night comes recommended for those looking to keep the celebrations going. ££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for a fabulous French meal straight off the train Quality places to eat around the Gare du Nord are as rare as an empty seat in the Eurostar waiting area, but to start (or end) your trip with an abundance of ooh la la, this tiny dining room — a five-minute walk from the station — is absolutely comme il faut. The day's menu is chalked up on a blackboard paraded around the closely set tables — though with only a few options per course, this is not the place for fussy eaters. Offal lovers and anyone who likes punchy flavours, however, will rejoice in the likes of a doorstep of duck pie laced with silky chicken liver. Les Arlots is a bistro à vins; chef Thomas Brachet takes care of the cooking, while his co-owner Tristan Renoux looks after the wine (and wine bar Billili next door), which involves a chat about preferences rather than a list. • Read our full guide to Paris £££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for fine dining without the formality Eat in any French restaurant where fine dining is delivered without the fuss of starched tablecloths, supercilious service and sky-high prices, and you're eating in a restaurant influenced by Septime. Chef Bertrand Grébaut turbocharged the bistronomy movement when he launched this place in 2011 and Septime remains as relevant today as when it opened, with a frequently tweaked tasting menu served in an industrial-feeling interior of blackened steel and untreated wood. Influences are as likely to be Asian or North African as European, and the pairing of natural wines is the best way to get the most from the menu's assertively fresh flavours. Bookings open three weeks ahead; if you can't get a table, pay the corkage fee for a bottle at the wine shop Septime La Cave across the road and share some small plates, or try the no-reservations Clamato, a seafood sibling next door. ££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for a French bistro fantasy with old-school charm Picture the perfect French restaurant and it will probably look like Chez Georges: net curtains in the windows, mosaiced tiles on the floor, nicotine-yellow walls hung with huge mirrors for people-watching, leather banquettes buffed to a high shine from thousands of bottoms and backs, and paper-clothed tables packed so closely they must be removed when anyone wishes to go to the loo. One might assume it was a pastiche were it not for the fact that Chez Georges has looked like this since 1964, and the intervening years have allowed the kitchen to perfect a never-changing menu of classic bourgeois comfort. If in doubt, order something creamy: celeriac rémoulade followed by veal sweetbreads with morel sauce, then chestnut purée topped with double cream, perhaps. There are some big-ticket Burgundies and Bordeaux on the wine list proper, but the best-value bins are scrawled in the margins of the handwritten menu. No website; phone +33 1 42 60 07 11 ££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for fine French ingredients and authentic Moroccan cooking This family-friendly Moroccan restaurant, all mosaic-topped tables and brass moucharabieh lanterns, stands out from the north African competition for two compelling reasons: the quality of its ingredients and the natural wines that partner the cooking. Le Tagine's commitment to all things orange and unfiltered is matched only by the high calibre of its beautifully presented cuisine, shown to most delicious effect in the 20 or so couscous and tagine dishes. Try a chicken with olive and preserved lemon tagine, or the couscous méchoui in which star billing goes to leg of milk-fed lamb from the Pyrenees. Breads and pastries made in house show the same dedication to labour-intensive sourcing and authenticity. ££ | Best for a seafood-centric late lunch The Marché Couvert des Enfants Rouges is the oldest covered market in Paris, having occupied this spot in the Marais since the early 17th century. Les Enfants du Marché arrived some 400 years later and still feels like it brings something new to Paris with its no-bookings chef's counter right on the market floor (wrap up warm in cooler months). Expect to queue for one of the dozen or so stools, then prepare to be dazzled by fish-focused small plates that excel in bold pairings: crudo of line-caught grouper with candied citron zest and horseradish is a typically vivid assembly. The wait to be seated is less painful as the afternoon goes on; should you find yourself still here at the early-evening closing time, pick up a bottle to take away from the restaurant's La Cave wine shop round the corner. • Best hotels in Paris• Best affordable hotels in Paris £££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for a unique fusion of cuisines from a star chef Montparnasse was once famous for its café culture of caffeine-and-croissant-fuelled artists and intellectuals; now it's the cooking of the chef Mory Sacko that gets foodies coming to the residential 14th arrondissement — assuming they've had the foresight (and perseverance) to reserve a table the moment bookings are released about three months in advance. MoSuke was the first west African restaurant in France to win a Michelin star, but Japan is just as much of an influence on the French-born Sacko as his Malian and Senegalese heritage, alluded to in a restaurant name inspired by the only African samurai. If that all sounds too much to take in, it makes perfect sense on the palate in thrillingly distinctive dishes such as the signature Tanzanian and Madagascan chocolate tart with wasabi ice cream that concludes a menu available in four, six or nine courses. ££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for a contemporary take on bistro classics Sarah Michielsen, the soignée owner of Parcelles, respects tradition without being slavishly in thrall to the past. When she bought the former Le Taxi Jaune — a famous 1930s bistro near the Pompidou Centre — she left the look of the place largely unchanged: white tablecloths, copper-topped bar, tiled floors and windows which open to the Marais street when it's warm enough. But with Parcelles, she introduced a menu of classic comfort cooking updated for modern tastes and served by staff who seem to have been to charm school. Butter-drenched scallops come draped with guanciale, there are great veggie dishes such as potato gnocchi with sage butter and fried sage, and almost everything is made in house — so much so that there's now an épicerie opposite selling pickles and pâtés. The sort of casually sophisticated place you could just as easily turn up to in jeans and trainers as a suit and tie. £££ | BOOK AHEAD | Best for plant-focused, sustainable tasting menus Manon Fleury is something special: a chef who has put her money where her mouth is and opened a restaurant that embodies her belief in natural sustainability, human dignity and animal welfare. Of course, it helps that her zero-waste cooking, prepared and served by a mostly female staff, is so enthralling, with fruit and veg at the forefront of a menu of micro-seasonal ingredients sourced from small-scale French producers, and meat and fish only used sparingly to point up the subtle flavours and aromas of the plant-based cuisine. Think pairings such as a Swiss chard mille-feuille with yellow pollock, or a dessert of lemon with Jerusalem artichoke. The skylit-illuminated room, with its polished concrete floors and oak dining chairs, is as invitingly textured as the cooking. £ | Best for deep-filled pitta sandwiches that won't break the bank You can eat in at the family-friendly L'As du Fallafel, but given that a falafel sandwich is the Middle East's answer to street food and the street here is so atmospheric — the traffic-free and cobbled Rue des Rosiers in the historic Jewish quarter of the Pletzl, where kosher bakeries now sit next to chic boutiques — do as the locals do and eat while window-shopping. A combination of quality cooking and celebrity endorsements (Natalie Portman says this is her favourite meal in Paris) means you should expect to queue, but what is handed through the hatch is worth the wait: a pillow of pitta stuffed with crisp falafel, crunchy salad, squishy aubergine and spicy harissa sauce for 10 euros (£8.50). Note that it's closed Friday evenings until Sunday mornings, in which case you could try King Falafel Palace a few doors down. £ | Best for kid-friendly crêpes and parent-friendly alternatives If you haven't had a proper crêpe since your French exchange (the ones made on a hotplate in the park don't count), then this ever-expanding stable of Gallic pancake houses across the city is a reminder of just how delicious they can be. Breizh is the Breton word for Brittany, where the founder and Breton native Bertrand Larcher grows his organic buckwheat (naturally gluten-free) for savoury galettes such as the ham, egg and Comté cheese 'complète'. Kids will love the chocolate and cream-filled sweet crêpes, though the version slicked with nothing more than salted Bordier butter and brown sugar is a rather more adult-orientated pleasure, as is a glass of crisp Breton cider if a Breizh Cola isn't going to hit the spot. The original, tiny Breizh Café in the Marais remains the most atmospheric, but with a dozen chicly simple branches in the centre of Paris, you're never too far from a sugar spike when sightseeing fatigue sets in. • Best Airbnbs in Paris• Best hotels in Paris for families Have we missed your favourite Parisian restaurant? Share it in the comments
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
10 Cities That Are Quietly Becoming the Next Best Food Cities — And Why You Should Visit Now
If you travel for the food, you've probably visited at least some of the destinations crowned the top international cities for food and drink in our Global Tastemakers Awards, but once you've checked the usual suspects off your bucket list, what's next? We surveyed our team of editors to come up with a list of cities that might not be on your radar yet for their culinary scene, but we predict that soon enough they'll be on everyone's lips—and Instagram feeds. Some were voted on by our panel of experts in the Global Tastemakers Awards and didn't make it into the top spots, while others came up in our research over the past year. Some have a rich culinary heritage with traditions that have endured for centuries, while others are more compelling for their up-and-coming scene. All of them will engage your taste buds and expand your horizons should you choose to visit them. Related: The Top 10 US Cities for Food and Drink, According to the Experts Take a look at our top 10 emerging cities for food and drink, listed alphabetically. Lima may have stolen the spotlight when it comes to Peruvian dining destinations, but Arequipa is the country's unsung culinary capital. Thanks to its well-preserved colonial architecture, which features indigenous influences, its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A similar mélange of Spanish colonial and indigenous influences has shaped the city's gastronomy, leading UNESCO to recognize Arequipa as a Creative City for Gastronomy. Though new restaurants by Lima-based chefs like Gaston Acurio are opening in Arequipa, the city still values its traditions, namely the picanterías, which trace their roots back to the 17th century, when the Spanish forced rustic taverns to serve small plates similar to tapas and the food eventually became more of an attraction than the booze. The number of picanterías is dwindling, though. Go now to experience them while you still can. And be sure to try the city's most popular dessert, queso helado. Located in the southeast part of Turkey's Anatolia region, Gaziantep may not be on travelers' radar but it has a rich gastronomic history that stretches back to the days of the Silk Road. In 2015, the city was recognized as one of UNESCO's Creative Cities of Gastronomy for its enduring commitment to culinary excellence. According to UNESCO, 60 percent of the city's active population is employed in the food sector, making it a crucial part of the economy. Gaziantep is considered Turkey's baklava capital, producing 95 percent of the country's supply, according to Afar. And while the city has strong traditions of its own, its food culture is also being reshaped by Syrian refugees who have settled there. Derided until fairly recently as a culinary backwater, Glasgow now boasts a food scene that's considered one of the best in the U.K. The Michelin guide awarded the first restaurant in the city with a star in 2021; a handful of restaurants are now recommended by the guide, some with a Bib award. For a relatively small city, the restaurant scene is impressively diverse, with fantastic places that serve up Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese cuisine, not to mention Mediterranean flavors. (Rosie Healy, who trained under Ottolenghi, has that on lock at Gloriosa.) Glaswegian chefs are reinventing maligned dishes like haggis and embracing locally sourced seafood to create contemporary Scottish cuisine. Related: 28 Delicious Reasons to Eat and Drink in America's Greatest Food City There's a Chinese proverb that says that to enjoy life to the fullest, one should be 'born in Suzhou, live in Hangzhou, eat in Guangzhou, and die in Liuzhou.' A mix of historic architecture and modern high rises, Guangzhou is one of the world's biggest manufacturing hubs, making it popular among business travelers, but foodies should also take note. Previously known as Canton, the city offers plenty of opportunities to enjoy Cantonese cuisine, especially dim sum, which is a fundamental part of the region's gastronomic heritage. Indulge at longstanding institution Nan Yuan Restaurant and head to Michelin-starred Jade River in the White Swan Hotel for handcrafted dumplings and other regional specialties. In the 1930s, under Belgian and German colonial rule, coffee cultivation became mandatory across large parts of Rwanda, but until recently it was too expensive for the locals to enjoy themselves. And though coffee production was nearly wiped out during the politically unstable 1980s and the Rwandan genocide in the '90s, it's now a fundamental part of the economy, with around 450,000 small farms producing over 35 million pounds of coffee annually. As third wave coffee shops sprout up around the city and coffee becomes more affordable, Kigali is becoming a place that coffee aficionados are flocking to. Its restaurant scene, too, is becoming one of the most exciting on the African continent thanks to innovative chefs elevating Rwandan cuisine. This charming French city has been considered one of the world's capitals of gastronomy for nearly a century. In fact, food critic Maurice Edmond Sailland called it 'world capital of haute cuisine' in 1935. The city owes some of its culinary prowess to the Mères Lyonnaises, cooks for bourgeois families who began opening their own restaurants in the early 20th century and revolutionizing the city's culinary scene in the process. Legendary chef Paul Bocuse began his career in the kitchen of Mère Brazier, which now has two Michelin stars. When in Lyon, you must dine in a typical bouchon (i.e. a humble tavern serving rich, hearty dishes like pâté en croute, a local sausage called rosette de Lyon, and quenelles bathed in bechamel.) Everyone knows that Mexico City is a gastronome's paradise, but the smaller, more under-the-radar city of Mérida deserves a closer look. Capital of the Yucatán state, it often gets skipped in favor of Cancún or Tulum, but has a culinary scene that begs you to dig in. Start your journey with a visit to the Museo de la Gastronomía Yucateca, where you can learn all about the region's recipes as you chow down on cochinita pibil in the courtyard. Then dig even deeper at Ku'uk, a fine dining restaurant dedicated to reviving ancient Mayan culinary techniques. No visit would be complete without some tacos and a healthy dose of mezcal. For the former, make a beeline for Taqueria La Lupita inside the Mercado de Santiago. For the latter, head to Acervo Mezcalero Sureste. Related: The Top 10 International Cities for Coffee, According to the Experts If all you know about Penang is Panang curry — which is actually a Thai recipe — you might be surprised to learn that Penang has long been a cultural crossroads. The island was a British colony founded by Captain Francis Light of the British East India Company and attracted people from China, India, Indonesia, and Burma (today Myanmar). The melding of these cultures resulted in Peranakan cuisine, which is also commonly found in Singapore. George Town, the island's capital, offers everything from steaming bowls of laksa and curry noodles at hawker centers to Michelin-starred fine dining. Located on Brazil's northeast Atlantic coast, Recife is a vibrant city with a fascinating culture, history, and delicious food. It's sometimes referred to as the 'Venice of Brazil' because it's located on two rivers and has many small islands linked by bridges. The surrounding area is a major producer of sugarcane, so you can expect to drink plenty of cachaça in the form of caipirinhas (Brazil's national cocktail). One experience you shouldn't miss is a meal at a churrascaria, which is essentially the Brazilian version of an Argentine asado. Another thing to try is tapioca, which isn't a custard like it usually is in the U.S. but rather formed into a sort of crepe served with sweet or savory fillings at street carts. For dessert, look for bolo de rolo, which is similar to a Swiss roll with very thin layers of cake rolled with guava paste. The capital of Italy's Piedmont region usually gets short shrift compared to Rome, Florence, Milan, and Bologna, but food lovers should take note. Historically, the city was home to the Savoia dynasty that ruled Italy when it became a united country in 1861, so it's full of elegant cafés such as Baratti & Milano and Caffè Mulassano, where you can sip a bicerin (a drink made with espresso, hot chocolate, and frothed milk). The countryside surrounding Turin famously produces truffles, hazelnuts, and some of Italy's most prized wines (Barolo and Barbaresco, anyone?) and chefs take their cues from the area's bounty. For an unforgettable evening, book a table at the Michelin-starred Ristorante Del Cambio inside the historic Farmacia del Cambio and head upstairs for a nightcap at the moody Bar Cavour. To uncover the best food and drink experiences for travelers, Food & Wine polled over 400 chefs, travel experts, food and travel writers, and wine pros from across the globe for their top culinary travel experiences. We then turned the results over to our Global Advisory Board, who ranked the top nominees in each category. For the full list of all 165 winners, visit Read the original article on Food & Wine
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
GreatList and Dubai College of Tourism announce annual scholarship for aspiring culinary talents
International restaurant guide GreatList has entered into a long-term partnership with the Dubai College of Tourism (DCT), a part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), to support the next generation of hospitality professionals. As part of this collaboration, the GreatList by Alexander Sysoev Scholarship will be awarded annually to outstanding students pursuing careers in culinary arts and gastronomy. Open to current students completing their Certificate in Culinary Arts at DCT, and to future students enrolling in the course, the scholarship recognises academic merit, creativity, passion, and dedication to the culinary profession. The scholarship will award one outstanding DCT student with a full tuition scholarship to progress to the first year of the Advanced Diploma in Culinary Arts, while a second promising student will receive a 50% tuition scholarship. All funding will be provided directly by GreatList, reflecting the organisation's long-term commitment to nurturing talent within the global gastronomy sector. This partnership with GreatList helps to prepare culinary arts students for real-life experience in the workplace and provides them with the skills needed to thrive in one of the world's fastest growing industries. "This initiative reflects what we believe is the true mission of a modern restaurant guide,' says Alexander Sysoev, founder of GreatList. "It's not just about recognising the best restaurants today — it's about investing in those who will define excellence tomorrow. Supporting young culinary talent today means creating 10, 20, even 30 extraordinary restaurants in the future." "This partnership with GreatList represents a significant advancement in our commitment to delivering world-class hospitality education,' says Elham Bolooki, senior experiential learning manager, Dubai College of Tourism (DCT). "Supporting our mission to nurture and empower the next generation of hospitality professionals, this collaboration aligns with the ambitious goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, to further consolidate Dubai's position as a leading global destination for business and leisure. Through the GreatList by Alexander Sysoev Scholarship, we are not only recognising our students' academic excellence and passion but also equipping them with the skills and confidence needed to excel in an increasingly competitive and innovative industry." This strategic alliance between GreatList and DCT – a world-class vocational college that delivers full-time certificate and advanced diploma courses in tourism, hospitality, culinary arts, and events underscores a shared vision to empowering young talent and elevating standards across the hospitality industry.
Times
5 days ago
- Times
10 of Spain's best cities for food
Travelling to Spain? Our advice: arrive hungry. Home to 17 autonomous regions — and their diverse cookbooks — this isn't just a place where people eat well, but a country where food is at the very heart of daily life, informing community, tradition and identity. From the rich seafood bounty of the wild Atlantic coast to the sun-soaked olive groves of the peninsula's southernmost tip, Spain's natural larder is renowned worldwide. In celebrating it, the Spanish have made dining a ritual: an unhurried communion over clinking glasses and small plates loaded with saffron-packed paella, silken Iberico ham, glossy peppers and slabs of moreish manchego. Serving up everything from famed temples of gastronomy to hip hole-in-the-wall joints, Spain's cities also have vibrant markets, such as Barcelona's legendary La Boqueria, where stalls are piled high with super-fresh regional produce in every colour of the rainbow. Lesser-known cities like Logroño, on the Camino de Santiago trail, reveal corner spots abuzz with the chatter of locals, the air thick with the aroma of chorizo simmering in cider. Whether you're looking for a rustic restaurant in the Basque country or an avant-garde tasting menu in Madrid, you'll find something to fit the bill in our pick of Spain's best cities for food. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Best for Basque country big hits Wake up your senses at the Ribera market by the river (pictured). Any food lovers who mooch around the stalls gawping at the seafood and vegetables will get an idea of why Basque country cuisine is one of the best in the world. From elaborate pintxos in the lanes of the old town to gastrobars in Bilbao La Vieja, not to mention several Michelin-starred restaurants, the quality is outstanding. Order bacalao a la vizcaina — salt cod in a rich red pepper sauce — with a velvety Rioja Alavesa. The old quarter's Bilder Boutique Hotel offers 39 elegantly pared-back rooms in what was a shoe shop for almost a century. Dine at restaurant La Palma, where Cantabrian crab salad and Idiazabal cheesecake are among the favourites on the menu. • Best things to do in Bilbao Best for Iberico ham tastings The recipe for happiness? A glistening glass of fino sherry, a few olives and a platter of expertly carved Iberico ham at the counter of a traditional bar in Seville. What more could you want? Actually, quite a lot — there are so many tapas dishes to try in the city's bars that you may well never sit down to a meal during your stay. Start in pretty Santa Cruz, then wander over to the Arenal neighbourhood before crossing the Guadalquivir River to the tiled bars of Triana — and you are still only scratching the surface. Recharge at Las Casas de la Juderia. Palatial but unstuffy, the hotel's 134 individually designed rooms are arranged across a labyrinthine complex of historic buildings, and there's a fantastic pool and spa. • Best hotels in Seville Best for old-school tapas bars One of the stops on the Camino de Santiago, Logroño has built a reputation for itself as a centre for tapas. It's no surprise — around its historic centre there are some 50 hole-in-the-wall joints to try, many of them specialising in just one or two dishes. For variety, you'll have to hop from one place to another. An added attraction is that Logroño is the capital of the Rioja region, which means that bright, fruity reds and robust whites are cheap, abundant and very, very good. Calle del Laurel is at the centre of all this action and will be packed with visitors most evenings. Arrive after nine and make a night of it. Stay at the Eurostars Fuerte Ruavieja. The hotel's classical façade conceals 54 modern rooms, and there's a sauna, gym and Turkish bath to enjoy between mealtime forays. Best for cheese Surrounded by rich, agricultural land, Oviedo is a medieval city at the heart of the often under-appreciated Asturias region. There are two celebrated products here. The first is cheese. More than 40 varieties are produced in the region but the most popular is Cabrales, a creamy blue cheese typically made from a combination of cow, sheep and goat's milk, and aged in the caves of the Picos de Europa. The drink of choice to go with it has to be sidra (cider). Unlike most ciders in the UK, this one is tart and flat, with the drink poured from great heights to aerate it before drinking. It's a flourish best admired in Oviedo's sidrerias, where you don't have to worry about splashing it all over yourself. A National Monument, the five-star Eurostars Hotel de la Reconquista is steeped in history, and its grand interiors house an impressive set of Asturian artwork. The elegant vibe extends to the La Regenta restaurant, which promises traditional cuisine with avant-garde touches. Best for reimagined Spanish classics Madrid is the most dynamic city in Spain for eating and drinking, with a staggering number of restaurants. Roast suckling pig and the chickpea-based cocido madrileñostew are two regional favourites. Bocadillos de calamares (deep-fried squid rings in a roll) are a must too — always scoffed standing up at a busy bar with a beer. Get into the groove with a vermouth at noon in a tiled tavern behind the Plaza Mayor (pictured), then keep moving, with tapas in each place. A former travellers' inn turned slick urban retreat, Posada del Leon de Oro is surrounded by tapas spots. Or there's its in-house restaurant for traditional dishes cooked with flair. • Best hotels in Madrid Best for culinary diversity and cocktails From old-fashioned taverns in the Gothic Quarter to sleek gourmet palaces in the Eixample, hip cafés in the Raval and the foodie strip along the Parallel, eating in Barcelona is always a cultural as well as a gastronomic experience. For paella and rice dishes, target the Barceloneta neighbourhood by the sea. Spend a morning in La Boqueria (pictured), the city's spectacular market, but don't just look; use all your senses and taste your way around — order a glass of cava at one of the bars and some artichokes with clams, escalivada (roast vegetables), and whatever is on the specials board. And don't miss the city's vibrant craft cocktail bars, many of which top lists of the world's best. Splash out on a stay at the Gothic Quarter's Ohla Barcelona. Yes, the glass-sided swimming pool is spectacular, but it's the rooftop craft cocktails and Michelin-starred restaurant you're really here for. • Best hotels in Barcelona• Best restaurants in Barcelona Best for pintxos and txakoli With a number of Michelin-starred restaurants, elegant San Sebastian ranks among the top gastronomic destinations in the world. But if you're not ready to splash the cash, the city has another offering: its pintxos bars. Found on counters in the Parte Vieja (old town), these tapas-like finger foods are usually morsels of something delicious skewered onto a piece of bread using a toothpick. Each place has its speciality, maybe tempura prawns, slow-cooked beef in red wine or sweetbread ravioli. Cross the river for more gastrobars in Gros and try a glass of txakoli, the local white wine. The old town's Hotel Atari makes a good base for gastronomic adventures. Its 28 rooms sport brick walls and contemporary floral wallpaper, while its bar and Amama restaurant are destinations in their own right. • Best hotels in San Sebastian Best for paella in its birthplace Valencia is the home of paella, so start down by the beach: install yourself at a terrace table and order a traditional paella Valenciana with chicken or rabbit, or a paella de marisco with seafood. Next, head to the exuberant central market, where stained-glass windows and mosaics adorn the ironwork structure, and stalls are piled high with produce from the market gardens around the city. Get a refreshing horchata (tiger nut milk) to drink as you walk around. Then, in the old fishing district of Cabanyal, seek out tiled bodegas that serve up sizzling prawns, bowls of mussels and the local michirones broad beans. Relax at the centrally located Hospes Palau de la Mar, which occupies an elegant 19th-century residence. All 66 rooms and suites are sumptuous, as is the spa, and restaurant Ampar wows with its creative local cuisine. • Best hotels in Valencia• How to spend the perfect day in Valencia Best for sobrassada stops The capital of Mallorca has quietly turned into a bit of a gastronomic hotspot. The island's top chefs have gravitated to the city to open gastrobars as well as elegant restaurants along the medieval lanes in the Sa Llotja and Sa Gerreria neighbourhoods. The fishermen's homes in Santa Catalina, behind the port, now house laid-back cafés with shady terraces. Try sobrassada, a soft pork and pimenton sausage, spread on bread with a glass of Mallorcan wine, and look out for tumbet — layers of potato, aubergine and peppers with a tomato sauce. For a cosseting old town stay, try Es Princep. Set on the site of a medieval tannery, the 68-room hideaway boasts a buzzy rooftop space and the Michelin-starred Zaranda restaurant. • Best luxury villas in Mallorca Best for farm-to-fork fusion This compact provincial capital showcases a dynamic mix of Moorish, Roman and rural Aragonese flavours. Lying in a valley in the foothills of the Pyrenees, 90 minutes' northeast of Madrid by train, the city's buoyant farm-to-fork scene is best epitomised by its speciality dish, ternasco (tender roast lamb). Get the lay of the land by browsing the fresh produce stalls at the 1895-designed Mercado Central (pictured), then head to the El Tubo tapas district to continue investigations. Bestsellers migas aragonesas (fried breadcrumbs with chorizo), bacalao ajoarriero (salt cod with peppers and garlic), and local ham jamón de Teruel taste even better when paired with a bold red made from the region's Somontano or Garnacha grapes. The centrally located NH Collection Gran Hotel de Zaragoza was built in the 1920s, but is today characterised by a cool, contemporary design; restaurant La Ontina offers refined Aragonese dishes. • Discover our full guide to Spain •
The Guardian
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘My grandmother never used yuzu': global gastronomy is out as Catalan chefs celebrate tradition
They revolutionised cooking worldwide with radical techniques and a highly technical cuisine of playful trompe l'oeil – but now many disciples of Catalonia's iconoclastic chef Ferran Adrià believe it's time to get back to their roots. Catalonia has been named World Region of Gastronomy 2025 by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism and later this month 60 Michelin-starred chefs will launch a campaign to position Catalonia as a unique and exceptional gastronomic destination. While not rejecting the techniques of so-called molecular gastronomy introduced by Adrià at his restaurant El Bulli, with its foams, spherification and liquid nitrogen, the emphasis will be on local produce and the region's gastronomic culture. El Bulli closed in 2011. 'Copying El Bulli is over. Now it's become a huge repertoire of techniques that each person can apply to their cooking,' said Jordi Artal, chef at the two-starred Cinc Sentits in Barcelona. 'I wouldn't say there's a backlash; it's part of the natural ebb and flow. We use modern techniques but in ways that hark back to Catalan gastronomic history. That's the ideal.' Artal said there had always been a schism between those who believe you should only cook what's in season and Adrià saying: 'I'm an artist, find me the world's best cherry in January so I can make my dish.' Carme Ruscalleda said: 'The concept may have changed but my cooking has always been based in the Mediterranean and its produce.' The chef was speaking in her home town of Sant Pol de Mar, next door to the restaurant where she won the first of seven Michelin stars. 'We must embrace new ideas without losing sight of who we are. Catalan cuisine has Roman and Greek and medieval roots. We make many dishes that are basically medieval but with modern techniques.' This year chefs such as the Roca brothers in Girona and Jordi Vilà in Barcelona have opened – running alongside their flagship restaurants – more modest establishments where they offer more traditional dishes. 'We are taking a broad but not a simplified view of Catalan cuisine,' said Joan Roca about Fontané, the brothers' latest venture, where prices are well below those of El Celler de Can Roca, twice voted the best restaurant in the world. Vilà, chef at one-starred Alkimia and the more homespun Al Kostat del Mar, said: 'Joan Roca and Carme Ruscalleda have always cooked Catalan food but what happened was that what became important was what we call cocina vanguardista [avant-garde cuisine], when what really matters is to use local produce and express yourself in your cooking. 'Many young chefs don't aspire to be Joan Roca or Ferran Adrià but want to cook the dishes their mothers or grandmothers made.' Tradition doesn't always come cheap, however. The tasting menus at high-end restaurants such as El Celler de Can Roca cost upwards of €200 (£170), without wine. Oriol Castro, one of three chefs – all ex-El Bulli – behind Disfrutar, voted best restaurant in the world last year, said no one expected people to pay those sorts of prices for basic Catalan dishes. 'In Disfrutar we offer many dishes based on traditional recipes, with new techniques but traditional flavours, such as a suquet de peix [fish and potato stew] or mar i muntanya [seafood and rabbit or chicken casserole],' said Castro, who insists there is no backlash against the El Bulli school of cooking. 'People come here to eat modern, creative versions of traditional dishes. What's important is the combination of creativity and tradition. There isn't a war. All of us want to preserve this tradition.' Artal said that while he was no purist, in keeping with his principles there were only Catalan and Spanish wines on his wine list. 'I can't explain to a customer that a dish was inspired by my great-grandmother and that we're using locally sourced ingredients and then serve a wine from Bordeaux,' he said. 'I love yuzu but there's no yuzu on the menu because I couldn't say my grandmother used yuzu.' Everyday Catalan cuisine may be in good health outside Barcelona but in the capital it's far easier to find ramen, sushi, hamburgers or pizza than traditional fare. 'I'm not against ramen or hamburgers, I'm against globalization,' said Vilà, who has published a humorous 'self-defence manual' for Catalan cooking. 'Here there are 50 ramen places and none that serve escudella,' a traditional Catalan stew containing pasta or noodles. Ruscalleda said: 'Young people are attracted to the new, so they order sushi or ceviche but they don't know about their own culture.' She shares the view that the biggest threat to traditional cuisine everywhere is that people have stopped cooking at home. In the meantime, it seems it is up to the culinary elite to maintain tradition, a paradox that Vilà accepts. 'We're in a transition because the grandmothers of the future don't want to stay at home cooking, they want to be out in the world,' he said. 'Obviously, a top chef is no substitute for a grandmother, but it's up to us keep the tradition alive.'
