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Do you travel to eat? Read on to discover five of my favourite UK and European restaurants to add to your food travel bucket list!
“Food tourism is the act of travelling for a taste of place in order to get a sense of place.” — World Food Travel Association
Last week, I wrote a post about the most memorable dining experiences I’ve had over the world since first dipping my toes into food writing back in 2010 (jeez, I feel old!) That post has gone down so well, it’s clear you lot absolutely love your food, so with the prospect of international travel looking out of bounds this year (for most of us at least), I thought I’d share some of the best UK and European restaurants I’ve been to over the years. Whether you’re searching for a new fine dining restaurant or perhaps a more casual eatery to get your teeth stuck into, here are some of my favourite places to eat.
5 of the best UK-based and European restaurants I’ve ever eaten at
Native – Essex, south east England, UK
Formerly tucked away in a corner of Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden, Native restaurant is now located within a converted World War I torpedo store on Essex’s Osea Island.
If its eclectic location isn’t enough to excite you, the menu certainly will. With a focus on hyper local and seasonal produce, Head Chef Ivan Tisdall-Downes and Imogen Davis have designed their menu with the aim of telling the story of Osea Island and its ecosystem. Think Blackwater oysters smoked over fire, seabass with fennel and lavender and foraged sea buckthorn and berries for dessert.
Prices are somewhat steep, but worth it. Sometimes, you can save money on dining out in UK restaurants by buying vouchers through the likes of Square Meal.
With an impressive range of meat-free options, this is comfortable territory for vegans, veggies and meat-eaters alike. However, if you’re specifically looking for vegan restaurants in London, click here for further inspiration.
Djanny’s – Sunny Beach, Bulgaria
The tourist haven of Sunny Beach on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast is quite possibly the worst part of the world I’ve ever travelled to, based purely on the overwhelming numbers of rowdy tourists it attracts – most of whom are seeking nothing more than sun, sea, sand, sex and dirt-cheap alcohol.
Thankfully, however, Sunny Beach’s food and drink scene goes some way in making up for its distasteful tourism offering. I dined at several decent European restaurants in Bulgaria while staying at the Hotel Kuban Resort and Aqua Park back in 2017. My favourite, by far, was Djanny Restaurant, a contemporary restaurant in the heart of the town centre on Bazaar Palma serving authentic Bulgarian and pan-European cuisine.
With its trickling fountains, bubble water wall and ornate al fresco dining area, Djanny’s certainly looks the part. While this might look like a rather pricey establishment, however, we had a very pleasant surprise when we sat down to take a look at the menu and realised just how cheap it was.
We loved Djanny’s traditional Bulgarian Shopska salad, but our most stand-out dish was a platter of Black Sea mussels in a creamy white wine, garlic and parsley sauce, priced at only 15 Lev (just under £7) per kilo. Read more about Djanny’s – and other reputable European restaurants in Sunny Beach – in my guide to eating out in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria.
Restaurante Dom Henrique – Algarve, Portugal
Located in the quaint little town of Lagos in the Algarve, Restaurant Dom Henrique will always hold a special place in my heart. Not only is the food they serve enough to leave me wiping drool from my chin as I contemplate the menu, but it’s also the restaurant my best friend and I dined at when we spent Christmas Day in Lagos in 2016 – the only time I’ve ever spent Christmas away from home. If you haven’t been to Lagos before, let me tell you, it’s a top destination for solo foodie travellers!
When it came to choosing somewhere to dine on Christmas Day, we asked a few locals to tell us where they would choose to eat out if they weren’t eating at home with their family, and most of them suggested Restaurant Dom Henrique.
With its focus on elegantly presented contemporary Portuguese cuisine prepared using freshly caught fish, local meats and quality ingredients, this restaurant is far classier than its neighbours, so expect a better quality of food and, of course, a higher price tag. Prices are still fairly reasonable in comparison to the cost of dining out in typical European restaurants back home in the UK, however. Read more about my Christmas Day meal at Restaurante Dom Henrique in my recent post about my favourite restaurant experiences all over the world.
Suryalila Yoga Retreat Centre – Andalucía, Spain
From tasty tapas to perfect paella, it’s no secret that Spain is one of the best destinations for anyone with an appetite for good food, with the Lopesan hotel range particularly popular with culinary travellers.
Just a short drive away from the white village of Prado del Rey in Cádiz, Andalucía, Suryalila Yoga Retreat Centre doesn’t actually have a public restaurant, but the food is so good, it’s worth staying overnight to taste it! Led by Head Chef, Gemma Russell (originally from the UK), the catering team at Suryalila is made up of a group of international volunteers. Each volunteer brings their own unique culinary influences to the table, making for a truly global gastronomical experience.
Come breakfast, lunch and dinner, the banqueting table is laden with colourful plates filled with wholesome vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Lots of the ingredients used to prepare the food are grown in-site in Suryalila’s organic vegetable gardens, while any other necessary ingredients are sourced locally. It’s heaven for anyone eating plant-based diet and a real eye-opener for staunch meat-eaters; I stayed here for a week and I was surprised at just how little I missed my meat!
Koeien en Kaas – Gouda, Netherlands
If you’ll be visiting Gouda to attend its iconic Cheese Market, Koeien en Kaas (‘Cows and Cheese’) is a must! Perched behind the Cheese and Crafts Museum, this quirky little restaurant focuses on beef and cheese. From thinly cut carpaccio, big, juicy steaks and meaty burgers to Gouda cheese soup, cheese fondue and goat cheese croquettes, there’s something to satisfy both veggies and meat-eaters alike.
Ingredients are sourced from local farmers in the Groene Hart region of Gouda, making for top quality grub. Read more about Koeien en Kaas and Gouda’s other top European restaurants in my blog post about the best things to do in Gouda.
What’s the best European restaurant you’ve eaten at on your travels? Do you remember what it was called and where it was? How about what you ate? Comment below to let me know and I’ll get back to you ASAP 🙂
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