Culinary Hotspots of Europe
One of the reasons many people chose to visit Europe is for the food, and with good reason. European food heritage is as diverse as it is delicious. From the Rakfisk of Norway to the Gemista of Greece there are traditional European dishes to delight every taste. Europe dominates the global food scene, with 60% of the Michelin starred restaurants and 28 out of the top 50 restaurants in the world (2024 list)
So how do you choose where to go in Europe for food-focused travel? Let’s start with the guides.
The Michelin guide has been going for 125 years. It was started by the Michelin tyre company as a free booklet to encourage more people to drive cars and thus boost demand for tires.
It included useful information for motorists such as maps, instructions on how to change tires, locations of gas stations, and lists of places to eat and stay. Over time the focus on restaurants grew and the company started awarding fine dining restaurants with stars in 1926. The Michelin Guide is widely regarded as the most prestigious and influential restaurant rating system in the world. Its long history, rigorous and anonymous inspection process, and global recognition have set the standard for culinary excellence.
But that doesn’t mean it is the only measure of good food.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is published by William Reed, a UK-based media company specialising in food, drink, and hospitality. The difference between this and the Michelin guide is that the list tends to highlight more avant-garde or ultra-high-end dining spots rather than traditional fine dining. Also, rather than anonymous inspection processes the list is voted for by a global network of over 1,000 culinary experts (chefs, restaurateurs, food journalists, and well travelled gourmets (whatever that means)). There are concerns that this can bias favoritism, and the power of reputation.
Other rating systems for restaurants tend to be more country focused, with Der Feinschmeker in Germand, Gambero Rosso in Italy, the Respol guide in Spain, Lecker500 in the Netherlands and the AA rosette system in the UK. The Scandinavian countries also have the White Guide Nordic.
Of course, there is more to European taste experiences than just fine dining. Whether it be traditional local ingredients, modern street food or European food markets. So where should you choose for the best European food destinations? Here are four culinary hotspots of Europe.
Lyon France – The Gastronomic Capital of France
Whilst Paris just pips Lyon to the post in terms of Michelin starred restaurants (123 vs 104 for Lyon and surrounding region) Lyon is the capital for everyday food.
Lyon is the capital of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and the Rhône department. It is East of central France, where the Rhone and the Saone rivers meet at the foothills of the French alps. With the Beaujolais vineyards to the north and the Rhone valley vineyards to the west, Lyon is surrounded by a lush green environment.
Lyon has its own airport (Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport) and is easily reached by high-speed train in 2 hours from Paris.
Lyon doesn’t try to impress you with flashy tourist attractions – instead it wins you over with incredible food, gorgeous Renaissance architecture in the old town, and that distinctly French ability to make everyday life feel effortlessly elegant. Many tourists pass it by making it significantly less crowded than Paris, and therefore much easier to get a table at your chosen restaurant.
Speaking of restaurants, it is worth noting that, whilst Lyon (and surrounding region) has 104 Michelin starred restaurants, it rarely features in the top 50 list. The food scene in Lyon tends towards traditional French whereas the Top 50 lists favours the avant-garde end of fine dining.
There are too many top restaurants to note here but here are some highlights:
L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges – Paul Bocuse (2*)
Whilst the celebrated chef Paul Bocuse died in 2018 his name and reputation lives on in this world renowned restaurant. It is an iconic pilgrimage for gourmets and regularly features in must do guides to Lyon. The food tends towards the classic, with dishes such as lobster quenelles and roasted pigeon. Obviously, all this doesn’t come cheap, they currently have a menu celebrating 100 years of the restaurant which is 370€ per person (660€ if you include the wine selections). Even if you can’t make it there, I highly recommend you check out their website and read their menus. It is French gastronomy at its best.
La Mère Brazier – Mathieu Viannay (2*)
If you’re looking for a genuine Lyon institution that’s stood the test of time, La Mère Brazier is your obvious choice. This is the restaurant where the aforementioned Paul Bocuse first learnt his trade. Established in 1921 by Eugénie Brazier when she was just 26 years old, this restaurant has been drawing politicians and well-known figures for nearly a century. Eugénie was quite literally “the mother of French cooking” and the first woman to be awared three Michelin stars. The restaurant had its ups and downs over the decades, but chef Mathieu Viannay bought the historic establishment in March 2008 and reopened it that October. The restaurant regained its second Michelin star in March 2009, proving that despite the pressure of such a legacy, Viannay has made the restaurant thrive once again. The practical reality is that you’re getting classic French cuisine in a setting that perfectly captures the elegance of 1930s France. A fixed menu here will set you back 185€ (265€ with wine), but offers a lunchtime service for an almost affordable 98€ per person.
L’Atelier des Augustins – Nicolas Guilloton (1*)
In the heart of Lyon’s 1st arrondissement, L’Atelier des Augustins gained its well deserved first Michelin star in 2024. Chef Nicolas Guilloton has created a stunning restaurant that blends old stone and wood with modern materials, and the result works beautifully. The chef’s background is interesting – he’s Alsatian by birth, Lyonnais at heart, and trained at some serious kitchens including Le Crocodile and the George V before working as a chef at the French Embassy in Bamako, Mali. That African experience shows in his cooking, where he brings exotic influences to Lyon’s finest local ingredients. If you want to experience fine dining at a more affordable price then the surprise lunch menu at 54€ is a great option.
Les Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse
If you are looking for a different type of gastronomic experience then I highly recommend a trip here. Named after the aforementioned chef this covered market brings together 56 specialist food vendors under one roof – fishmongers, cheese makers, bakers, chocolatiers, butchers, wine merchants and restaurants – all committed to showcasing the best of regional French produce alongside exceptional ingredients from around the world. This is where Lyon’s reputation as France’s gastronomic capital comes to life, and if experiencing authentic French food culture matches your why for visiting Lyon, then you’ve found exactly what you’re looking for.
San Sebastian – Basque country – Spain
For authentic European food San Sebastian is hard to beat.
San Sebastián (Donostia in Basque) is a coastal city in northern Spain, located in the Basque Country on the Bay of Biscay, just 20 kilometers from the French border. It lies near the western end of the Pyrenees, nestled between rolling green hills and a sweeping, shell-shaped bay (La Concha), giving it a stunning natural setting that has long attracted visitors. Originally a modest fishing village it rose to prominence in the 19th century as a royal summer retreat.
San Sebastian is about half-way between the airports at Bilboa and Biarritz and is well connected by train. A new train station was recently opened, although the high speed train services aren’t due to start until the end of 2025.
Unlike Lyon, San Sebastian has a strong presence in the world’s 50 best list thanks to the Basque country culinary renaissance, but it’s also known for the local tapas “Pintxos”. The old town is full of Pintxos bars as well as family run restaurants offering authentic Basque dishes. It is often considered as having the best informal dining in Europe.
Here are my choices of culinary hotspots in San Sebastian.
Arzak – Juan Mari Arzak and Elena Arzak (3*)
This is the restaurant that made San Sebastian famous for food. Established in 1897 it has been in the same family ever since. It has held 3 Michelin stars consistently since 1989 and regularly features in the World’s top 50 (34th in 2024). Elena was voted best female chef in the world in 2012. They pride themselves on being Basque. “Being Basque is much more than a place of birth; it is a responsibility.” The menu features local ingredients such as Monkfish in Basque whiskey sauce and Kokotxa. Eggs also are a common feature on their menus. A tasting menu here will set you back 465€ per person.
Zazpi – Paul Arrillaga (1 sol)
This is an establishment of two halves, on the one hand a fine dining restaurant with a one Repsol rating, on the other a taverna with very high quality Pintxos. The chef has won the title of Gipuzkoa Pintxos Champion – twice. Zazpi is acclaimed for its use of local produce, the flavour of the food produced as well as it’s exceptional service. Notable dishes include the spider crab ravioli and the suckling pig. The Pintxos menu has some old favourites, such as croquettes, as well as things tourists to Europe might find more challenging such as the stewed pig’s ear and snout. A three course meal here will cost around 50-60€ per person
Bells Taverna on San Bizente Kalea
Unfortunately, many pintxos bars in San Sebastian have become tourist traps. Not so the Bell Taverna. Lancelot, an English chef who’s spent 10 years cooking in San Sebastián’s best bars, and his Colombian partner Sara opened this small spot in an old mattress shop near San Vicente church recently. They make fresh, real pintxos that locals actually want to eat. Their tortilla comes out at 1 PM sharp and is genuinely one of the best in the area, while dishes like spider crab on a crumpet show how their English and Colombian backgrounds add interesting twists to Basque classics. The menu is small but thoughtful, everything can be ordered as a pintxo or full portion. It’s a great place to experience genuine local food culture.
Bologna – Italy
Sitting in the northern part of Italy, between Florence and Milan, Bologna has long been considered the food capital of Italy. Whilst Lyon and San Sebastian’s reputation comes from the very top end of fine dining establishments, Bologna’s reputation is rooted in its rich cultural heritage and the extra-ordinary quality of the Emilia-Romagna local ingredients, such as Balsamic vinegar, Parma ham and of course Parmesan cheese.
Bologna only has five Michelin starred restaurants and doesn’t get a mention in the top 50 restaurants list, but what it does have is historic food markets, family run trattorias and a devotion to slow food.
Getting to Bologna couldn’t be easier, it has a high-speed rail connection to Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome. It has its own airport, which is three times bigger than that of neighbouring Florence so is always worth checking out for flights to and from Italy.
One of the best things to do in Bologna as a food lover is to take a cookery course (affiliate link). Even if you are already a competent cook there is nothing like learning from a local in their own home.
In terms of restaurants here are my choices for this European culinary capital.
Trattoria da Amerigo – Alberto Bettini (1*)
This trattoria has been in the same family since 1934 and is the only trattoria to boast a Michelin star. Much of the interior has remained the same since chef Alberto Bettini’s grandfather was running the restaurant. This is not the shiny polished interior normally found in Michelin restaurant; here red checked tablecloths adorn old wooden tables. There is also a beautifully painted room with trompe l’oeil trees and stone walls. The food matches traditional recipes with more innovative dishes, with truffles and game forming the backbone of the menu. Main courses here are about 20€ and the seasonal tasting menu is 70€ a head.
Trattoria Da Me – Elisa Rusconi
This was my choice for the first restaurant in Italy for our Opera Itinerary. Elisa Rusconi learnt how to make pasta from her Nonna and learnt about flavours from her Sicilian father. There are two locations to this restaurant, but the one in the 13th century tower Torre de Galluzzi wins on location for me. Cheese based ice-creams are an original first course, but follow it with perfectly cooked pasta and a cotoletta alla Bolognese and you have a wonderfully balanced meal. Pasta courses start at 15€ and the Cotoletta is 22€.
Da Cesari Restaurant
Despite being in the heart of the touristy historic centre Da Cesari is often recommended by locals as where to go to eat real traditional Bolognaise food. This is no tourist trap. This is a family run restaurant which stands at the heart of the city’s gastronomic scene. If you want to taste a spaghetti bolognaise – known locally as tagliatelle al ragù – then this is where you need to come. Much of the food at Da Cesari comes from the family run farm and they offer wine from their own vineyard. Add in the friendly welcome and you know you are in for a good time. Tagliatelle al ragù costs 12€ and the main courses cost 18-25€.
Copenhagen – Denmark
Whilst Bologna’s culinary dominance dates back centuries, Copenhagen’s reputation as a European gastronomic capital is very much 21st century.
The restaurant Noma was founded in 2003 by René Redzepi and Claus Meyer. It quickly gained attention for its radical focus on local, seasonal, and foraged ingredients from the Nordic region, and went on to win 3 Michelin stars and rank number one on the World’s best 50 restaurants 4 times. In 2004 Claus Meyer convened a group of 12 Nordic chefs to sign the New Nordic Food Manifesto which sparked a culinary and cultural revival across the Nordic region, with Copenhagen at its centre.
Copenhagen is perched on the eastern edge of Denmark, straddling the islands of Zealand and Amager, and facing Sweden across the Øresund Strait. You can get there in 40 minutes by train from Malmo, Sweden, but it takes 6 hours from Hamburg and 7 hours from Oslo. Fortunately, there is a large airport which acts as a central hub for the region so flying here isn’t difficult.
Before we get on to the restaurants it should be noted that Copenhagen, and indeed the whole of the Nordic region, is not cheap. Whilst you might be paying 1.40€ for a cappuccino in Bologna in Copenhagen it could cost 5.40€, and beer is more than double the price you would pay in San Sabastien.
Being honest though, if you are worried about the price of a coffee you probably aren’t going to be eating in the first of my choices of restaurant in Copenhagen.
Noma – René Redzepi (3*)
This is where it all started. Chef René Redzepi started Noma at the young age of 25 and has been innovating ever since. The original restaurant was in an old warehouse on the Copenhagen waterfront, but it was moved in 2018, after a year of closure, to at a new location on Refshalevej, a former industrial district on one of the spits of land that make up Copenhagen. Reports across the internet show that Noma was due to close at the end of 2024, but it is still open and taking reservations. What you get is a multi-course tasting menu that is heavy on the seafood, but also may include such delights as reindeer brain custard and reindeer penis ragu. Suffice to say your palate needs to be as open as your pockets are deep. This is a full-on culinary experience where you eat with your hands and your eyes as much as your taste buds. If you are lucky enough to get a reservation here it will cost 590€ which has to be paid up front.
Aure – Nicky Arentsen (1*)
Nicky Arentsen is the new kid on the block in the Copenhagen food scene. He opened Aure with his partner Emma Nørbygaard in an old gunpowder house in March 2024, and just 81 days after opening he received his first Michelin star. Food here is heavy on the seafood and fish, but game is introduced in the autumn and winter. It is particularly praised for its wine pairing and attentive staff. One to watch I feel. A four course tasting menu will cost you 250€
Reffen Street Food park
If your budget doesn’t run to Michelin restaurants or you prefer a more casual way of dining then all is not lost in Copenhagen, which boasts several excellent food halls. Reffen street food park is perhaps the best known. With more than 40 food stalls, all housed in old shipping containers it has a cool vibe, even more so at night when the live music starts. The offerings are diverse, from grilled mackerel to Nepalese momos, as well as a lot of desserts containing Skyr. My recommendation is Gosht – a Kurdish street food stand with charcoal grilled kebabs. Food here costs in the 15-25€ range.
European food destinations
These are certainly four of the best places in Europe for food-focused travel but they are by no means the only ones. Europe is replete with food markets, family run restaurants and culinary heritage. Food is largely fresh and seasonal. Each region has its own specialities from the Foie gras of south western France to the Gravadlax of Sweden. Using your tastebuds to decide where you want to visit in Europe is a great way to choose your destination. It’s worth remembering that some food that has been inspired by Europe is not necessarily found in Europe. I’m thinking particularly of the likes of pasta Alfredo which you won’t find on a self-respecting Italian taverna menu, or croissants stuffed with ham and cheese.
Many of the restaurants across Europe have been influenced by the colonial past. You will find many north African restaurants in Paris, Indian restaurants in London and Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam. Sometimes they are authentic, sometimes they are more of a blend of the two cultures, and that is no bad thing. These restaurants often come in at the cheaper range of the price spectrum so if you are a budget-friendly food-traveller, they are worth seeking out. So next time you are planning a European trip try choosing a cuisine rather than a country, or a restaurant rather than a city. Some of the best travel memories can be found around a table. Just remember to pack some stretchy pants
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