This year’s HOT GASTRO SPOTS
Tuck into delicious, regional cuisine at one of these top gourmet holiday destinations
It’s felt like a long, hard journey to get to this point, but, as vaccinations ramp up across the globe and more countries are lifting restrictions, travellers are once again able to enjoy discovering new and exciting foods and culinary destinations. And if you’re looking for inspiration for that muchanticipated getaway, we’ve selected four places where good fun and great food is guaranteed in equal measure. Choose your favourite, add it to your bucket list, and get planning. The fun starts now…
EAT LOCAL ON THE ISLES OF SCILLY
Just a 15-minute jaunt from the Cornish coast and you’re in the Isles of Scilly, via what might as well be a private jet. An archipelago made up of five inhabited islands and 140 uninhabited islands, the Isles of Scilly boast a small population of 2,300 people and they are a traveller’s dream. With white-sand beaches and azure waters, these small paradise islands are nestled in a subtropical microclimate that helps grow and catch some of the finest produce in the world. And with most of the food grown and produced on the island staying right where it started, there are hardly any food miles to boot.
On Tresco’s west coast, The New Inn (tresco.co.uk/eating/new-inn), which is housed in a row of cottages, is a quaint must-visit. With a regularly changing menu, depending on what’s been caught out at sea that day, or the availability of seasonal ingredients, the cosy dining room offers up a small
Islandhopping is easy. Boat trips and water taxis reliably run between the islands. Or if you fancy being your own skipper for the day, you can hire a variety of boats across the islands.
selection of impressive dishes. While the Star Castle Hotel (star-castle.co.uk) on St Mary’s, the largest of the five inhabited islands, offers a selection of ‘one-mile’ dishes. Try the one-mile lobster lunch served with home-grown rocket salad and new potatoes and a flight of Holy Vale wines, which, you guessed it, is made up of ingredients all sourced no more than one mile away from the restaurant.
Hopping islands, the team at Hell Bay Hotel (hellbay.co.uk) is a true delight. With a three AA rosettewinning restaurant, as well as a more casual crab shack, there’s something to tickle everyone’s taste buds. The latter is housed in a gorgeous old shed, where diners sit at communal tables and can pick from a small, but sumptuous menu of crab, scallops or mussels. Prepare to get messy and always book ahead – this little spot of heaven is pretty popular with locals and tourists alike.
A TASTE OF LIMA, PERU
For years, people headed to Peru to witness one of the Seven Wonders of the World – the magnificent ancient Inca icon of Machu
Picchu. It’s still the country’s most visited tourist attraction by far, but in recent years, this country of epic natural landscapes has
emerged as a treasure trove of superfood ingredients and an impressive capital of gastronomy.
As immigrants from Spain, Africa, China, Japan, Italy and others, landed in coastal ports and settled in different parts of the country over the years, regional cuisines have been forged, each offering their own signature dishes and distinct local flavours. Not to mention that the country’s climate and geography is the ideal environment for a wealth of ingredients. Over 1,500 miles of wild Pacific coastline, paired with lush, steamy jungle and dusty highland, provide perfect farming conditions.
Don’t leave without sampling Peru’s national cocktail – the pisco sour, a brandy-like liquor made from Muscat grapes, mixed with lime juice, simple syrup, egg white and Angostura bitters.
Fruits, roots and vegetables all thrive – from huge avocados, fragrant coffee beans and mangoes, to the aphrodisiacal delights of sour camu camu berries and organic cacao.
Head to the capital, where world-renowned chefs, enchanting ingredients and a buzzing restaurant scene have put Lima firmly on the travel hit list. You’ll be spoilt for choice, with eateries aplenty. Visit the bohemian neighbourhood of Barranco, which is home to street art, colourful mansions and kooky shops. Here you’ll find Barra Khuda, a restaurant that serves visually stunning dishes, which are true works of art. You must try the seafood and plates of ceviche and tiradito.
Ceviche, the national dish of Peru, uses the mouth-tingling zing of lime juice to ‘cook’ pieces of raw fish, while tiradito fuses Japanese and Peruvian methods by thinly slicing the fish in a manner similar to sashimi. Some of Barra Khuda’s tiradito dishes come topped with hormigas culonas (edible ants!) but don’t let that scare you off. While you’re in the area, visit El Tío Mario (anticucheriatiomario.com), a livelier and more informal option for either lunch or dinner.
A visit to Peru wouldn’t be complete without sampling the coffee beans and cacao it’s so famous for. Silvana Quintero and Harry Neira are helping transform the coffee and chocolate scene in Lima with organic chocolate brand Conciencia, and coffee shop Neira Café Lab. Socially responsible Conciencia makes raw organic chocolate that incorporates Peruvian superfoods, such as yellow pepper and turmeric. Neira Café Lab also offers workshops that can turn you into a coffee bean aficionado.
FLAVOURS OF NORMANDY
Many visitors head to Normandy to see D-day landing sites, the medieval abbey on Mont Saint-michel, or Monet’s garden in Giverny. But if you fancy nipping across the Channel for some traditional French food, then it’s also the perfect destination.
Granville, France’s leading shellfish port, hosts the Toute La Mer Sur Un Plateau (All The Sea On A Plate) festival every year in early autumn – sadly postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 – and it’s foodie heaven, with market stalls, chefs’ cooking workshops and sea shanties performed by suave bearded mariners.
Surprisingly, the humble whelk is much-loved in
Normandy. These chewy sea snails have been a poor man’s snack in the UK since Victorian times, but across the Channel, they’re a true gastronomic treat. And fresh off the fishing boats, they are delicious. Head to one of the many quayside restaurants to enjoy a seafood platter consisting of freshly caught oysters, crayfish, crab and, of course, whelks.
And you can’t forget the cheese. Rich, unpasteurised milk from Normandy cows makes
The harvests of apples and pears are also turned into stronger stuff – enjoy a dry cider or the classic brandy Calvados, which can only be produced in Normandy.
fabulous fromage. Learn about production at the E. Graindorge Cheese Dairy (graindorge.fr/en), set in rolling countryside, dotted with crucifix shrines and wind turbines, in Pays d’auge. It would be unheard of to leave without a tasting session. Wedges of Livarot, Pont-l’evêque, Camembert and heart-shaped Neufchâtel will go down well with a freshly baked baguette. Accompany your feast with a non-alcoholic Pommillon; a fizzy apple juice infused with vanilla – a reminder that Normandy has the ideal climate for orchards.
VEGAN DELIGHTS IN ORLANDO
While Mickey and friends first spring to mind when you think of Orlando,
Fancy something sweet? The Greenery
Creamery (thegreenerycreamery. com) offers some of
Orlando’s most Instagram-worthy dairy and vegan ice
cream.
Florida, it might come as a surprise to know that it’s considered to be one of the most vegan-friendly destinations in the United States. From vegan pop-up biscuit shops to southern comfort food, Orlando’s attractions go well beyond the Magic Kingdom.
Thankfully, COVID-19 hasn’t put a stop to new innovations here. New on the menu for 2022 include Four Flamingos: a Richard Blais Florida Kitchen, at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. This restaurant, from the Top Chef All-stars winner, features cuisine inspired by tropical flavours and ingredients from the local region, including native fruits, vegetables, seafood and more. While Pointe Orlando, an outdoor shopping centre, is set to open two new vegan restaurants, including Kavas Tacos
+ Tequila in spring/ summer, with a menu paying tribute to Mexico’s rich culinary history, featuring recipes hand-crafted from the freshest ingredients.
And it doesn’t stop there. Theme parks are no exception when it comes to innovative plant-based dining. Walt Disney World Resort Orlando recently announced the addition of more than 400 plant-based menu items at all major quick-service and table-service restaurants, both in the theme parks and at all Disney hotels.
Options vary from updated current items to new dishes, all designed to satisfy, such as Chilli-spiced Crispy Fried Tofu Bowl, Steamed Asian Dumplings and a Plant-based Cashew Cheesecake. A green leaf icon is placed next to menu items that are plant-based for easy reference.