There are people who enjoy food, and there are people who have a real passion for food. This list is for the latter; people who don’t just enjoy a good meal, but want to know what went into it, how it was made and where each part of it came from. If you want to find some of the greatest food on the continent, with Flybe’s flights within Europe at such low prices, you might want to visit some of these places for a weekend. Or maybe just for lunch.
Paris, France
When you think of food, you think of Paris. If you like your dining high end, you’ll have no problem spending 250 Euros per head on a single meal here, but if you find the right street vender you can get a delicious crepe for under five. Places like Pascal Barbot’s L’Astance, just across the river from the Eiffel Tower, offer inventive, Asian inspired Michelin star dining, while Yam’Tcha offers an innovative tasting menu built around ingredients that chef, Adeline Grattard, picks up at the local market – well worth a try if you can get a reservation!
Lyon, France
This city is often hailed as the gastronomic capital in a country where the actual capital is Paris. Touring the city’s bistros is essential not just because of the delights on offer to your taste buds, but also to enjoy the distinctive architecture of the city’s regal squares and cobbled streets in the old town districts, with the best places, such as La Cave d’à Côté, being found down secretive little back alleys.
The city’s secret is its proximity to fantastic fresh ingredients, with some of the world’s best cheese makers, freshwater fish and fruit and vegetable crops coming from the surrounding countryside. While Paris might give the finest in fine dining, here the best food is to be found in the unpretentious taverns, called “bouchons”, where they’ll lay of feats of beef and pork, as well as more adventurous offerings such as donkey tongue and calve’s head.
Bologna, Italy
Moving away from France, we arrive at Bologna, Italy. Almost everything you need to know about this place is that locally it’s known as “the Fat One”. Known primarily for the invention of spaghetti bolognaise (which is here in abundance, and tastes fantastic, by the way), the region’s exports include truffle oils, pungent cheeses, fragrant olives and wafer thin cured meats. Bologna’s Piazza Maggiore and Quadrilatero have between them made a home away from home for foodies for centuries.
Brussels, Belgium
While it’s hard to choose which of these cities to go to for your starter or main course, it has to be said that when it’s time for dessert there’s only one place to go, and that’s Belgium’s capital. The city’s name might bring to mind sprouts before anything else, but this city is home to some of the greatest chocolate on the planet, and accompanied by some of the finest beer. You can happily waste a weekend stumbling through the city’s medieval streets, from the chocolatiers in the Sablon, to the pubs, and from the pubs back to the chocolatiers.
If the Belgian beer and chocolate aren’t enough to lure you in, it’s worth mentioning that Brussels has more Michelin star restaurants per head than Paris.
Article written in association with Flybe.