The best holidays for food lovers combine a strong cultural identity, rich source of ingredients, lively markets and a great list of places to eat and drink.
So, if you’re into your grub – and who isn’t? – you’ll want to check out our pick of the very best holidays for food lovers.
These holidays for foodies are all about our stomachs, making them totally unmissable!
The 10 best mystery holidays for food lovers
These destinations really need no introduction – but just in case they do – be sure that we’ve munched our way about the globe looking for unimaginably good holidays for food lovers.
Hungry? You will be!
10. Naples, Italy
The belle of southern Italy for so many reasons, gourmands – that’s people who love eating and drinking – have a lot to look forward to, giving the city the number 10 spot on our list of the best holidays for food lovers.
Most famously, Naples is the birthplace of pizza. Restaurant Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba has been serving them up since 1738, not long after modern pizza was first created.
Pasta lovers need look no further than spaghetti alla puttanesca, packed full of flavour despite its handful of ingredients: tomatoes, capers, anchovies and olives.
Just don’t look too carefully into the history of the dish if you’re prudish!
9. Hawaii, USA
Hawaii is also known – controversially – for its pizza, but that’s not why the US island state has made it onto our list.
The island group makes for excellent holidays for foodies because of its blend of Polynesian, American and Asian flavours.
If you’re a meat eater, you won’t want to miss kalua pork, traditionally slow roasted in an underground oven called an imu to create a smoky, succulent taste when shredded.
A great alternative for fish lovers is poke. If you haven’t come across poke (said like pokey) at street markets back home, the dish consists of raw fish like tuna or octopus marinated in soy and accompanied by a whole bevvy of tasty sides.
8. Cape Town, South Africa
Like Hawaii, Cape Town has a mixed heritage and culture. In what South Africa’s call ‘the mother city’ this includes the flavours of southeast Asia.
Brought over by workers a couple of centuries ago, these spice blends have evolved into Cape Malay cuisine.
Examples include curries that will have your tastebuds working overtime. No wonder we think the city makes superb holidays for food lovers!
Also keep an eye out for bobotie, a dish like a tropical version of shepherd’s pie, featuring minced meat, apricot jam and desiccated coconut!
7. Seville, Spain
Believe it or not, Seville is famous right around the world for its oranges. And they’re not even for eating, but for marmalade!
Breakfast preserves aside, if you leave Seville hungry you’re doing something very, very wrong.
Why? Because Seville is home to both tapas and paella, making it a destination no food lover is going to want to miss.
That said, Madrid has soared as a foodie hotspot in recent years. Wander the central streets of the Spanish capital and it’s equally easy to find tapas and paella – often served up for free as a bite to tide you over while you’re enjoying a drink. Salud!
6. Tokyo, Japan
Are you even a list of the best holidays for food lovers if it doesn’t include Tokyo, Japan?
And here’s the glorious thing. You don’t need to spend a fortune to have a slap-up meal in the Japanese capital.
Sure there are Michelin starred restaurants – more than 150 in fact. But equally sumptuous are takeaway bento boxes and street food from ramen to okonomiyaki (a loaded savoury pancake).
So even if you’re not a sushi and sashimi lover, there’s plenty of reason to find yourself on a food tour of Tokyo!
5. Singapore
Another melting pot of cultures, the food of this city state marries together traditional Malay, Indian, Chinese and Peranakan staples.
Each are easy to sample too, thanks to Singapore’s succession of hawker centres – informal food courts found in every neighbourhood.
Why cook at home when you can eat so well and so cheaply in a fun atmosphere of a hawker centre?
Dishes vary from place to place, but keep an eye out for nasi goreng (fried rice), local chilli crab, coconutty laksa soup and char kway teow (stir fried noodles).
4. Hong Kong, China
We stick in Asia for the next of our top picks for holidays for food lovers – Hong Kong.
That’s not because we’re lazy – it’s because we’re hungry, and Hong Kong really takes some beating when it comes to satisfying stomachs.
After all, where else in the world can you enjoy an oh-so English cup of tea (or local sweet milk tea) with an egg tart before tucking into perfectly steamed dim sum, Chinese-style roast pork or noodle soup?
If you can, try and coincide your trip with a local festival, where street food and tasty snacks abound!
3. Vietnam
When it comes to Vietnam, we had no choice but to select the entire country as ideal for holidays for food lovers.
It’s simply impossible to choose between its cities when it comes to the range of dishes on offer!
You’ve probably had pho elsewhere, but there’s absolutely no better place to try the soup than on the streets of Saigon.
Meanwhile, banh mi takes some beating when it comes to sandwiches, containing layer after layer of cold cuts of meat topped with local salad crops.
For street food, look no further than Vietnam’s night markets, such as Hoi An Central Market and Dong Xuan market in Hanoi.
2. Paris, France
Paris brings to mind high-end cuisine (and 70s favourites like duck à l’orange) with views of the Eiffel Tower.
However, there’s far more to Parisian cuisine than that!
So forget fears of escargots (snails) and head to the red and white checked tablecloths of tiny bistros right across the capital for the likes of steak frites (steak and chips), boeuf bourguignon (beef stew), croque monsieur (cheese toastie) and yes, French onion soup.
Pair whatever you pick from the blackboard menu with a glass of the house red, and you’ll see why Paris ranks so highly for holidays for food lovers!
1. Barbados
Barbados? For holidays for foodies? Absolutely! And here’s why.
Though known for its laidback beach vibes, those in the know also reckon Barbados is the capital of Caribbean cuisine.
The national dish is the surprisingly delicate flying fish, while you’ll also want to be ensure you’re on the island for the weekend so you can tuck into so-called Saturday dish pudding and souse – pickled pork and sweet potatoes.
You won’t have to look far for a plate of Bajan fish cakes, while roti – inspired by the island’s Indian community – are a tasty alternative to fish when you fancy a change.
The world is full of potential holidays for foodies. Explore our full range of destinations and sign up to our newsletter for all the latest suggestions!ome alone time. With our pick of the top solo mystery holiday destinations around, you can’t go far wrong either – even if you end up going far.
