Top gourmet city breaks

A gourmet city break is a great way to visit a new place and enjoy the finest cuisine on offer in some of the world’s most delicious cities. With food and drink at the heart of so many cultures across the world, a gourmet city break will also allow you to delve into the customs and traditions of your chosen destination. Whether you’re looking for a summer city break or winter city break, there is a fantastic selection of gourmet destinations out there for you to enjoy, so read on for some of our top tips and advice. 

 

Summer in mainland Europe is one of the best times of year to enjoy a gourmet city break. France is a good option for those travelling from the UK on a short break, with the internationally renowned cuisine of Paris just a hop over the English Channel. Alternatively, cities in the south of France or the wine regions of the Loire Valley and Burgundy are bursting with culinary delights. Italy is also famous for its food, and cities such as Florence and Rome are ideal for Italian gourmet city breaks. Superb summer cuisine awaits further south in cities such as Athens or Seville or why not sample the unique food of the Basque country with a gourmet city break in Bilbao.

 

A winter gourmet city break is great for those looking to add some flavour to the darker winter months and once again Europe has plenty to offer. The Bavarian city of Munich is a good option for hearty, traditional German cuisine or why not sample the warming winter food of Austrian cities such as Vienna and Salzburg or Geneva in Switzerland. For short weekend gourmet city breaks during the winter months, try Amsterdam to taste the finest Dutch cheeses or Dublin for traditional Irish cooking and Guinness.

 

A gourmet city break may be closer than you think too, with several UK cities offering a range of exciting gastronomic options. London boasts cuisine from almost every corner of the planet and could be the perfect choice for a culinary world tour on your gourmet city break. Alternatively, try traditional Scottish fare including haggis, neeps and tatties as well as superb fresh seafood in Scottish cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

 

Heading off on a more unusual gourmet city break may also provide an excellent opportunity to taste new foods and experience different styles of cooking. Gourmet city breaks that might not immediately spring to mind include Marrakech for traditional Moroccan tagine, Istanbul for a delicious range of Turkish cuisine or Split for the freshest Croatian seafood.

 

There’s not much you need to take on a gourmet city break except a willingness to try all the new cuisine on offer. A good guidebook with suggestions on where to find the best places to eat a drink can be very useful and you will find guidebooks dedicated to the local cuisine for many of the city breaks listed above.