Eat, Drink Repeat

Consider yourself to be a foodie? Then you will love these destinations where the cuisine is the top tourist attraction

Somerset, UK

What makes Somerset so intriguing as a foodie destination is perhaps its perfect location – close to the water for seafood, surrounded by a perfect farming and arable landscape, and located a sensible distance from London to still attract some of the best chefs. Bath has a wealth of fine dining experiences, including Menu Gordon Jones and The Olive Tree, plus the ‘sea-foodie’ must-visit, The Scallop Shell. Then there’s the Michelin-starred restaurant-cumpub The Pony and Trap in Chew Magna, and Osip and Matt’s Kitchen in Bruton, and The Courtyard Restaurant in Wells. And September could be a great time to plan a road trip through the county, as Weston-SuperMare hosts the eat:Weston festival (Sept 24th and December 11th), showcasing some of the best local producers.

San Sebastian, Spain

Boasting the second highest concentration of Michelin stars per square mile in the world after Kyoto, this Spanish Basque city is a unique culinary gem. Yet beyond the critically acclaimed Alameda, Elkano, Kokotxa and Zuberoa, there is also an array of fine tapas available in the old quarter of the city. As you would expect, seafood is the main appeal for a city located on the coast, but the influence of Basque food also plays a major role, with everything from Idiazabal cheese to Espelette peppers to meaty stews, all washed down with the most perfect sangria or cerveza!

Melton Mowbray, UK

Back in the UK, and chocoholics would be crazy not to head to Melton Mowbray, the quintessential English market town on the weekend of November 19th/20th, when Chocfest descends in all its melty, sugary glory. Known as the ‘Rural Capital of Food’, Melton Mowbray has become the centre of excellence for local food producers, with its famous, generous pork pies – which are prided on the fact they don’t contain preservatives, flavours, artificial colours or hydrogenated fats – and stilton cheese.

Copenhagen, Denmark

The city that spawned the ‘New Nordic Cuisine’ culinary trend – which revolves around using local ingredients and seasonal produce to create simple, elegant dishes, adapted from traditional Nordic techniques – Copenhagen is not only home to the world-famous Noma restaurant (ranked best restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014), it is also the best place to sample Danish ‘must-try’ dishes such as pickled herring, Danish cheeses, and the classic Smørrebrød - a Danish open-faced sandwich.