15 of the finest foodie destinations
From delightful gelaterias and colourful food markets, to outstanding Michelin star restaurants and wonderful wines, discover where to sample the finest regional produce and authentic local dishes in our round up of gastronomic highlights.
London
London Pop-Ups
London is full of young, interesting pop-up restaurants and bars, which often publicise themselves a few weeks ahead of time and certainly don’t have a permanent address. Before you travel, have a look and see what innovators and influencers are doing on the London food scene by visiting www.londonpopups.com, or their Twitter page @LondonPopups.
Hedonism Wines
Hedonism Wines has had the UK’s best buyers source the world’s greatest drinks, and they now stock 6,500 wines and 3,000 spirits. Bottles, from classics to rarities and with spotless provenance, are stocked and put at your disposal by a team of sommeliers with Michelin-starred experience.
T: +44 20 7290 7870
3-7 Davies Street, London, W1K 3LD
Monmouth Coffee Company
Found in the chic surrounds of Covent Garden, Monmouth Coffee Company serves some of the best coffee in the capital; ideal for a mid-morning pick-me-up. Monmouth travel widely to source and roast all their own beans, resulting in coffee that’s sustainable, fair trade, and delicious. You can even buy a bag of their beans to take home.
T: +44 20 7232 3010
27 Monmouth Street, London, WC2H 9EU
Ascot
The Teahouse, Petersham Nurseries Café
Family-run Petersham Nurseries is a bohemian idyll in which London meets meadowland, and the Teahouse is its onsite coffee shop and café. The Petersham family’s British and Italian heritage come together with ingredients from the surrounding kitchen garden used to create a menu of fresh and wholesome food. Enjoy homemade cakes, excellent coffee and whole leaf teas from 9am in the morning, and seasonal light lunch plates from midday.
T: +44 20 8940 5230
Church Lane, Off Petersham Road, Richmond, TW10 7AB
The Fat Duck
Housed in a 16th century building, The Fat Duck broke records in 2004 when it became the fastest restaurant in the UK to earn three Michelin stars. Renowned for its innovative, themed multi-course tasting menu that uses techniques often associated with science laboratories, Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant has gone from strength to strength over the years, and continues to attract a lot of publicity.
T: +44 1628 580 333
High Street, Bray, SL6 2AQ
Paris
Le Café Marly
Few can resist the allure of al fresco drinks at Le Café Marly, sitting under the vaulted terrace and looking out over the glass pyramid of the Louvre as the sun sets. The drinks menu, from cocktails to wine, will cater to any and all tastes, and should the desire for pre-dinner snacks strike, there’s a tantalising menu featuring an eclectic combination of foie gras, dim sum and beef tartare.
T: +33 1 49 26 06 60
93 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 PARIS
Une Glace à Paris
Emmanuel Ryon and Olivier Ménard take great care at Une Glace à Paris to choose the freshest, quality ingredients (such as Norman cream) to make their ice cream and ice cream pastries. Unusual flavour combinations include Tahitian vanilla with black truffle and milk jam with buckwheat honey biscuit.
T: +33 1 49 96 98 33
15 Rue Saint-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, 75004 Paris
La Ferme Saint-Aubin
This little fromagerie stays under the radar and out of the guides, and yet, is the preferred cheese shop for most Parisians. Packed to the gills with every variety of cheese, wine and butter, it’s the perfect place to pick up supplies for a picnic on the Seine. They’ll also vacuum-pack produce for you to take home.
T: +33 1 43 54 74 54
76 rue Saint-Louis en l’Île, 75004 Paris
Rome
Fatamorgana
There’s ice cream, and then there’s Italian gelato. Incomparable in flavour, texture and richness, gelato is a must-try when visiting Rome. While there are hundreds of gelato parlours to choose from, Fatamorgana is one of the best gourmet gelaterias in the city. It stands out due to its use of natural, raw ingredients and unusual flavours.
T: +39 06 4890 6955
Piazza degli Zingari 5, 00184 Rome
Antico Caffè Greco
Located in an 18th century building, Antico Caffè Greco is one of Rome’s most opulent cafés. Start the day with a coffee and a pastry and gaze at its ornate walls to discover portraits of former guests, including great artists, musicians and poets such as Wagner, Byron and Keats.
T: +39 06 679 1700
Via Condotti 86B, 00187 Rome
Milan
Eataly Milan Smeraldo
It’s a rare occasion when Eataly does not have a long, snaking queue outside. However, the wait is worth it for fine quality, authentic Italian products like pickles and pâté, fresh pastas and cakes, and artisan wines.
T: +39 02 4949 7301
Piazza XXV Aprile 10, 20121 Milan
Al Pont de Ferr
A Michelin-starred osteria in the Navigli, Al Pont de Ferr is understandably popular, both for its location in one of the city’s trendiest districts and its outstanding tasting menus from Chef Ivan Milani. But sticking to the à la carte menu yields epicurean delights as well, with dishes like ‘The Time of Golden Eggs’ (creamy egg, butter and black truffle caviar with gold leaf) or ‘Double Play’ (lamb cooked two ways with artichokes).
T: +39 02 8940 6277
Ripa di Porta Ticinese 55, Naviglio Grande, 20143 Milan
Los Angeles
Malibu Wines
Malibu Wines is comprised of acres of vineyards, picnic tables and a store. Open seven days a week, it holds wine tastings and serves wines by the bottle and mimosas by the glass, often to live music. If a large group is heading in its direction, the company is more than happy to organise catering, too. Book online to visit.
T: +1 818-865-0605
31740 Mulholland Highway, Malibu, CA 90265
Santa Monica Farmers Market
Founded in 1981, the Santa Monica Farmers Market attracts around 900,000 shoppers each year. With a mission to promote healthy eating and sustainable agriculture, it connects urban consumers to California’s farmland, with great results for both.
T: +1 310-458-8712
2640 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405 (Sundays)
2200 Virginia Ave, 90405 (Saturdays)
Arizona Ave @ 2nd Street, 90401 (Wednesdays, Saturdays)
ChocoVivo
Taking chocolate ‘from bean to bar’, ChocoVivo is an eco-chic venue offering dark chocolate products grown on its own plantation and roasted onsite. The chocolate is so true to its roots that it’s still ‘stone ground’, just the way the Mayans and Aztecs made it over 2,000 years ago.
T: +1 310-845-6259
Culver City Chocolate Factory, 12469 West Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90066
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