When I’m planning a trip for myself, restaurants are one of the first things I look at, sometimes even before the hotel. I’ve even been known to choose a destination based on where or what I want to eat. Food is also the memory that lingers longest. I can taste the truffle linguine long after I can recall the view from the restaurant in Rocamadour. The suckling pig I ate at the hotel next to the valley of the temples is one of the best memories I have of my trip to Sicily. I can’t walk past the feta in the supermarket without remembering the fabulous stuffed vine leaves I had in Crete.
Food is such an important part of travel. When we think of different counties one of the main differences that come to mind is the food. In many cases it is the first (and perhaps only) knowledge we have about a country. Children eat at an Italian restaurant before they are able to point to Italy on a map.
If you are taking a multi country trip across Europe it is one of the differences that is the most marked as you cross borders. The menus change, and not just in the language they are printed in. And sometimes you don’t even need to cross borders. The menus in the Dordogne in France are full of Magret de Canard and Foie Gras, that you would find hard to find on a menu in Brittany or Nice.
Whilst each country has its specialities, there is little doubt in my mind that some countries in Europe have better food than others. But you can find excellent food in every country in Europe if you know how and where to look.
How to find good restaurants in Europe
One of the most difficult things when travelling is making the decision which restaurant to eat in. Part of the problem is the sheer choice available in the main tourist cities. In theory, with all the apps available to us now, it should be easy. On-line reviews are available for pretty much every restaurant in Europe so look at the reviews and make your choice. But this can result in going down the rabbit hole of reading reviews and second guessing everything.
I’m a planner so it is rare I go anywhere without at least an outline plan of where we are going to eat. My first point of call is generally Google maps. Not only for the reviews, but also to see where the restaurants are. Quite often there will be areas with clusters of restaurants, and other busy street with hardly any restaurants at all. I remember walking round the shopping streets of Parma wondering where all the restaurants were. One look at Google maps showed me that there was another area with lots of bars and restaurants, they just weren’t on the same streets as the shops.
If there are a lot of restaurants to chose from then I will generally eliminate anything with under a 4 out of 5 in their reviews. I am aware as to how reviews these days can be manipulated (and it is one of the reasons I rarely use trip advisor anymore) but when you have a large choice of restaurants it is a good starting point.
Another really good resource is online forums such as Reddit and Facebook groups. People are often happy to give recommendations on a forum, even if they haven’t left a review for the restaurant. If you get several people recommending the same place then that is a very good sign.
I do read reviews. I discount any that are more than a year old, and any that are from people who didn’t actually eat there. We’ve all seen them. The “I got turned away because I didn’t reserve in advance 1*” type reviews.
What I’m really interested in are the reviews that say things like “ate here on our first night and had to come back again because it was so good” or “found this restaurant on our last night and really wish we had found it sooner – best food of the whole trip”.
But good reviews are not enough to make me eat at a restaurant. The next thing I do it to look at the menu. You can often find the menu on the restaurant’s own website, but otherwise in google maps there are often photographs of the menu. A good European menu will perhaps be much shorter than you are used to. In my experience the best restaurants rarely have more than 6 or 8 choices for each course, often less. It is not possible for a restaurant kitchen to produce fresh food for 30 or 40 different choices. And if it isn’t fresh then I won’t be eating there.
The other place I look is in the guides. Starting with The Michelin Guide. If I am looking for top end dining, then this is the first place I look. But I also use it for mid-range dining. Restaurants do not have to receive a star in order to be featured in the guide. The is a level just below star level called Bib Gourmand and then restaurants that are recommended without a label. Eating at one of the restaurants recommended, but without a star, is often the best value for money you will find. Michelin is particularly good for France and Italy (even though it is world-wide). For Spain and Portugal, I would also look at Repsol, for the UK I would look at The AA and The Good Food Guide, and for Germany Der Feinschmecker. Both Time-out magazine and the Guardian newspaper are good for restaurant reviews across Europe.
Another aspect to look at is how long a restaurant has been open. A truly bad restaurant will rare last decades amongst stiff competition, and whilst the oldest restaurant in the city won’t necessarily offer the most innovative food there is usually a reason they have survived.
La Maison Kammerzell is a great example of this. It sits on the main place outside the magnificent Strasbourg Cathedral, which would normally be a bit of a red flag for me. But it has been open since 1427. And to this day has fantastic food an great service.
Do I need to book restaurants in Europe?
You don’t always need to book a long way in advance, but a week ahead is wise if you want to make your life easy. There are a couple of exceptions to this.
If you are wanting to eat at one of the top restaurants (think 2 or 3 Michelin stars) then look to book at least 3-4 months ahead. If it is to be your main focus for the destination, then consider finding out when they open their bookings and book as soon as it is possible. If you are staying in a 4 or 5* hotel then this is something your concierge may be able to help with. (It’s also something I can include in your travel plan). Expect to have to leave a deposit for the booking.
If you are travelling in a large group (more than 6 people) then you would be advised to book further ahead. Many European restaurants are small so larger groups can be difficult to accommodate. Some have separate rooms for groups which can be reserved, particularly those houses in old quirky buildings.
Eating like a local in Europe
It is often said that when travelling the best way to get good food is to eat where the locals eat. This is true in Europe, outside of the top end restaurants.
The best way to find them is to first look in places where the locals live. Locals are far more likely to eat at their local trattoria, bistro or pub, then they are to travel to a touristy quarter of town.
Local restaurants do not have waiters standing at the doors encouraging you to eat there, they have no need for flowers adorning the façade nor of photographs explaining the food choices.
They will often have menus written on blackboards that change on a daily basis (and get crossed out as food is sold). Daily specials will be on offer, and often a fixed price lunch menu.
Another clue can be the opening hours. Any restaurant offering all day dining options is likely catering to tourists not locals. (I would exclude the UK in this as it is often possible to eat all day). Restaurants catering to the local population will have fixed lunch and evening times, which may be much later than you are used to. In France and Italy dinner service often won’t start until 7-7:30pm and in Spain it will be later. Germany, Austria and the Netherlands tend to open earlier with dinner service starting at 6pm.
Vegetarian food in Europe
Some European cuisines have classic meat free options, Italian and Greek in particular. You will have no problem finding vegetarian food in local restaurants, with Mediterranean vegetables taking centre stage.
The UK is very good at catering to vegetarians and vegans, and almost every restaurant will have at least one meat free option, and often several. It was, until relatively recently, far more difficult for vegetarians and vegans to find food in other European countries, France, Switzerland and Germany in particular. That is changing with the times, particularly in the major cities, and it is now more normal to find some offering for vegetarians. However, it is not yet standard in every restaurant, so it is definitely worth checking in advance.
When I travel with vegetarian family members, I will always check in advance that there is at least one option for them on the menu. Some places will say they will cater if you ask but I personally don’t take that risk unless I have no choice. There is still a lack of understanding in some places, with “meat free” taken to mean that chicken broth and hard cheeses are ok as long as there is no actual meat in the dish. I’ve even seen salad with bacon bits being offered to a vegetarian as an option.
One easy way to get good vegetarian food in Europe is to consider the international options available in the major cities. Whilst colonialism has a lot to answer for, it has meant that the cuisines of former colonies are readily available in western Europe particularly. Think Vietnamese and Lebanese in France, Indonesian in the Netherlands and Indian restaurants in Portugal. All offer great alternative for vegetarians, and I would recommend that any traveller consider these as an option.
Finding Balance when eating in Europe
Even though eating is one of the most import parts of my travels, even I sometimes find eating rich delicious food at every mealtimes can make me crave something simple. My advice is to listen to your cravings. Just because you are in Paris or Rome doesn’t mean you can’t eat a burger. And if you would rather have a simple salad or a plain sandwich at lunchtime rather than a 3-course spread then go for it. You will enjoy the really good meals much more if you allow your tastebuds to have a rest from time to time.
Sometimes when travelling I will enjoy a large breakfast and then just stop for coffee and a cake when I’m hungry. Other times I might have a big, several course, lunch and just a bowl of chips (fries) for my dinner. Another tip is to ask your hotel to provide you with some fresh fruit in your room, the perfect way to counteract a rich diet.
Why food is such an important part of the travel experience
Mealtimes are what both unite us and set us apart. Every nation has its traditional dishes and ingredients, and a different culture when it comes to food. Experiencing this takes you closer to understanding the different cultures and what is life is like in other countries.
Travelling is often about making memories, and food often anchors those memories. The taste and smell of a meal or local dish are often far more vivid than any photograph. And that is why when I am travelling food is far more than just fuel, it is an important part of the experience and should be treated and planned for in the same way as a concert or a museum trip.
For more articles for Food Lovers see My food lovers guide to Europe
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