European CLASSIC CUISINE

By Tim Johnson

Every country has a classic cuisine – that dish or meal that you must order when you’re visiting. These places take the traditional and time-honoured – and add their own fresh, modern twist.

ZINGLEE (ATHENS, GREECE)

BEEF AND BERNAISE OF GREECE

Located in upscale Kolonaki, on the flanks of dramatic Mount Lycabettus, Zinglee, with its laid-back bistro feel, art deco décor and soundtrack set firmly to jazz, specializes in beef-and-Bernaise, paired with potatoes – a meal that’s been eaten in this part of Athens for decades. Zinglee is breathing new life into it with healthier cuts of meat, sourced from a single, Greek farmer, and breads made with organic flour served with aubergine, beans, lentils gathered from other local farms.

CHICKEN KYIV (KIEV, UKRAINE)

CHICKEN KYIV OF UKRAINE

It’s the kind of dish your Ukrainian grandmother might serve at her house on special occasions – an old-school pleasure usually piled high with mashed potatoes. But this chic, new spot in Kiev has cut down on the portion size and added gourmet touches. They’ve included a lovely presentation of the time-honoured dish (chicken breast, stuffed with butter and herbs) on just a splash of mash. Try their other takes on Ukrainian classics, like vareniki (pierogies) with truffles.

WUWU (WARSAW, POLAND)

VODKA SHOTS OF POLAND

These days in Warsaw, vodka is everything. Small, atmospheric vodka bars are popping up in every corner of this capital city, including WuWu, which brings food into the equation. Find it right next to the newly opened Polish Vodka Museum, which tells 600 years of liquid history in a former vodka factory. At WuWu, Chef Adriana Marczewska has created a menu that pairs well with vodka.

MAAEMO (OSLO, NORWAY)

CAVIAR OF NORWAY

Young Chef Esben Holmboe Bang sought to reinvent Norwegian cuisine, best-known for its variations of dried and pickled fish. Since then, Maaemo, Norse for “Mother Earth”, has become one of the hottest Nordic restaurants in the world, and Bang has been rewarded with three Michelin stars. Rather than lutefisk, try the caviar, or the hand-dived scallops.