A Foodie’s Travel Bucket List: The Best Gastro Destinations In The World

Food and travel are intrinsically linked. One of the pleasures of travel is to try local delicacies, eating tapas in Spain, washed down by a smooth Rioja or enjoying a prawn curry on a beach in Goa with a bottle of Kings beer. So, it comes as no surprise that one of the biggest travel trends of 2014 is combining a trip with some gastronomic delights.

According to research carried out by the tourist body VisitEngland, 13 million day visits involved a trip to a food festival or farmers’ market, while 26.2 million of us want to go to a food festival on our next holiday. The research also revealed that three quarters of us want to dine at restaurants serving local dishes. And, while, the survey was carried out in England, it surely holds true for so many nations and travellers across the globe. So, here are some top picks for choosing a foodie destination:

A Tapas tour around Barcelona

Sampling tapas in the bars in Barcelona gives a whole new meaning to the term “a moveable feast”. You can book an organised food tour, where the host will know all the latest and best spots to eat, with the newest dishes and the freshest seasonal ingredients. But, you can choose to make up your own tour, or just drop into whichever bars take your fancy as you pass. Try Maitea where you grab a plate from the bar and you can fill it with seafood, meats, cheeses and bread, speared with a toothpick. Or, head to Casa Jacinta, a tiny unassuming place that serves up delectable meatballs and papas arrugadas, smashed potatoes with coriander cream. There are plenty of hostels around the city, many of which are a cut above the usual backpackers’ affairs, so you can stay close by where you want to eat.

Cape Town’s fish and game

A city with a feel of Africa and Europe put together, Cape Town serves up some of the most fascinating food combinations on the planet. In Kalk Bay, you can head to the famous Kalky’s, where you can eat fish and chips which tastes as English as cream tea. Or you can opt to eat on Long Street, where you’ll find one of Cape Town’s institutions, Mama Africa, where you can order crocodile kebabs or ostrich steak.

Street food in Shanghai

It’s no wonder the first World Street Food Congress took place in Singapore. In Shanghai, you’ll see smoke rising on just about every street as chefs cook up local delicacies, often on what looks like little more than a drum and a metal tray. Try the Shengjianbao, pork wrapped in bread dough, Shaokao, barbecue skewers laden with meat and vegetables or Jianbing, a kind of crepe made on flat griddles.

Touring around Cornwall and Devon

It’s pretty hard to separate these two destinations in the south western corner of England when it comes to the gastronomic delights they offer. But, thankfully, as they sit next to each other, there’s no need to. Cornwall has a huge food festival in Truro every September, where you could pick up mouthwatering local produce to make up a picnic. It’s also natural that Cornwall’s seafood is legendary and you could try a seafood platter at Kota in Helston or try a selection of seafood tapas at the Porthmeor Café. Devon’s food offering is equally delicious. You’ll find the North Devon Foodfest at Barnstaple’s Pannier Market in October. The Cornwall and Devon area is also one of the best to eat fresh oysters. Try the Oyster Shack in Bigbury or the Duchy of Cornwall Oyster Farm in Falmouth where you can eat fresh seafood while watching more being harvested and there’s even an oyster festival in October.

Hot dogs and bagels in New York

You can’t go to the City that Never Sleeps and fail to partake in some of its most iconic snacks. After all, how many movie characters have you seen order a hotdog at a street stall or a pastrami on rye from a Manhattan deli? Gray’s Papaya on Sixth Avenue is reputed to serve the best hot dogs in the city, while the nearby Bagel Buffet has an array of cold cuts and tubs of flavoured cream cheese for you to choose as your filling.

Wherever you travel to in the world, there’s an adventure in food just waiting for you to savour.

Photo credit: tapas, fish, shanghai, devon, nyc