Top destinations for food & drink

One of the finest aspects of travelling is the opportunity to try the tantalising tastes and delectable dishes of the area you're visiting. From Spanish tapas and wines to Italian gelato, Brazilian barbecue or Peking Duck, the world is full of flavours just waiting to be discovered. With that in mind, we've put together a list of our top destinations for all of you food lovers out there.

Tapas and Tempranillo

Spain is the perfect destination if you’re looking for tasty finger food and reasonably priced, high quality wines. As well as being a treat for the tongue, an evening in an authentic Spanish tapas bar is also an essential cultural experience. Although not native to Catalonia, tapas bars are becoming increasingly popular in Barcelona, and are the perfect place to sip on some of the regions locally produced wines while sampling a selection of small plates. With such good seafood to be found along the Costa Brava, be sure to try the calamari, gambas (prawns) or chopitos (friend squid) along with familiar favourites such as Patatas Bravas, Tortilla Española and Chorizo al Vino. For wine connoisseurs, a trip to a local winery is a must, and the nearby Penedès region offers the opportunity to taste a selection of delicious sparkling wines from the famous Cava producers Codorníu.

Best for beer

If beer is more your thing than wine, then it must be Germany! Home of the legendary Octoberfest, Munich is renowned for its beers, with Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Spaten-Franziskaner, Löwenbräu, Hofbräu the main brewers in the area. The city is jam-packed with large atmospheric beer halls and beer gardens, perfect for enjoying the sunshine of the summer months with a Maßkrug (1 litre) and a traditional German pretzel.

More for meat lovers

As well as being one of South America’s prime wine growing regions, Argentina is famous for its steak. You won’t turn a corner in an Argentinian town without passing a typical steakhouse. In many, you can choose your own cut from a meat counter on arrival, before selecting a choice of sides and sauces. Try the local chimichurri sauce, a delicious accompaniment to grilled meats made from olive oil, parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and white or red wine vinegar. Similarly, next door in Brazil, they’re big fans of a good barbecue, best served with a Caipirinha, their local cocktail of Cachaça and lime. Here come the meat sweats!

Appetising Asia

If spicy dishes and strong flavours are your thing, head immediately for Asia. With fresh ingredients and local variations, it’s a far cry from the ethnic cuisine you’ll find at home, and worth the long journey just in themselves. Try a traditional Peking Duck in Beijing, where they’ll carve a full roasted bird at your table to be consumed along with doughy pancakes and delicious plum sauce. In Vietnam, you can’t get enough of authentic rice paper rolls, filled with everything from shrimp, coriander and beansprouts to barbeque pork, cucumber and mint. And don’t forget India, the jewel in the crown of the British Empire for almost a century due, at least in part, to its plethora of aromatic spices such as saffron, turmeric, cardamom, garam masala and tamarind. Local curries are an obvious choice, paired with freshly cooked breads like chapati, roti and naan.

Something for the Sweet Tooth

While best known for its pizza and pasta, Italy is among the world’s best destinations for anyone with a sweet tooth. There’s nowhere better for ice-cream, known locally as gelato, with every flavour under the sun available at the stands and ice-cream parlours you’ll find on practically every corner. It doesn’t end there though. Italian deserts are to die for, with tiramisu, panna cotta and semifreddo among those that have become household names here at home. For our personal favourite, head to Sicily for an authentic local Cannoli, a small tube shaped pastry stuffed with a sweet, creamy filling. Yummy!