Im going to Europe for the first time in 2 weeks. Yeeessssssssss, Im really excited! I have search for all kinds of useful information I need. Theres one thing that I would like some tips: food and drinks.

For those who have been in these cities or live there, I want to know types of must-try food, name of good places to eat and food I can find at the supermarket that I wont find in my own country (Brazil).

Ive been to soo many cities and each one has good things travellers cannot miss it but most of the time only the locals know.

To make it easier, tell me a few things you love to eat and drink in Europe!

Cities... London, Paris, Amsterdan, Berlin, Venice, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Porto and Lisbon.

Thank you!

1. read your guidebook. they usually have the local specialties

here's what i remember well

London: generally bad food and expensive
they make good fish and chips
if you like Indian, try Indian if it is cheap and the place is frequented by Indians - not tourist,
not a place worth spending much money on restaurants

Paris:
baguettes are cheap and everywhere
15 euro menus ie 3 course meals abounded when i visited back in 2004.........
macaroons
i remember cheese fondue
cheese
falafels in the 3rd/4th arrondisement.......my Let's Go book had the address of Lenny Kravitz's favourite falafel place

Amsterdam: the only people who think Dutch food is good are the British
you can try some Java / Indonesian food but traditional Dutch cuisine isn't so hot
cheese is good though

Italy: if you are swinging anywhere near Cinque Terre try to get a taste of some pesto dishes......or pasta with walnut sauce
or melon flavoured gelato

Barcelona - paella is classic........stay away from tourist places though

happy travels

London, Paris, Amsterdan, Berlin, Venice, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Porto and Lisbon.

Good list.

London- Don't know of any good typical food and drink there, except for Fish and chips. I am not especially impressed by 'typical' London british food. Ok. Irish scones are quite good. They have some good foriegn food there, a lot of good foriegn food there.

Paris- typical french cooking is expensive there, much cheaper outside of Paris, I hear. I lived on sandwiches. The cheese selection is to die for, and some of the old soft smelly cheeses are just incredible. Then there are the old hard cheeses with a different kind of richness, put on a roll, with some meat., and oila! a delicious lunch. If you want a delicious cappucino or expresso, go to the bar and order it there if you're in a cafe with outdoor and indoor tables. They charge extra for the indoor seat, and even more for sitting on the sidewalk taking in the Paris air. We found the best food for the price was in our hotel, surprisingly, and ate there a lot. Their breakfasts were fantastic. like most of europe, wines were as cheap as beer in the non-touristic places, so most people have it with their meals.

Amsterdam- I like the Pomme Frites, or french fries. They're quite fresh. They serve it with all sorts of sauces. Mayonaise, ketchup, all sorts. If you ask for just salt, they look at you funny and give it to you anyways. They make a beer in Amsterdam. Amstel light, and Amstel. I've had it. Its a good clearish lager. You can tour the beer factory if you want. There are a lot of good Turkish restaurants in Amsterdam, and neat sandwich places.

Berlin- I've not been to Berlin, but the word German brings two kinds of food to mind: Bread and sausages, all kinds of sausages, all delicious. There seems to be a bread store at every third corner in every german city I've been to, and they have this neat Cappucino machine that gives you a good small cup for only one euro, which is a bargain. Its said they have a good selection of wines in Germany, and one called a Riesling. Its a nice fruity wine that goes with desert. Bet they have good turkish food there too. Did I mention I like Turkish food all over the world?

They also have a healthy selection of beers, of course. Some people like the dark ales. I fell in love with the Weiss beer, which is made from wheat, not barley.

Venice: So expensive to eat out there, I can't tell you much about their cuisine. Just that I lived on bread and cheese sandwiches eaten on the steps of quaint bridges.

Rome: Expensive enough. I like Italian pizza, Italian Pasta, great salads. Gelato for desert, of course. They also have this concoction they used to call Cafe Latte, which is a capuccino with plenty of milk and then steam heated with the sugar already put in. Its like a moca candy, and incredibly addictive.

Barcelona: They may have Tapas bars there, I don't recall. They're pretty cool, with little tasty snacks for little prices. Also cappucino and expresso, of course. In the restaurant across from the Dali museum is a restaurant with a Paella to die for at a reasonable price, or was. That was a while ago.

Madrid:

This is the place where bars can be atmospheric, fun,. and have good food. Check out the menu del dia. Its often quite reasonable, with soup, salad, and main course. Only off the main strips, of course. There, its often a bit pricy.

Tapas, once again. Many regional specialties on offer here, if you know where to go. I never looked.

Spain, in general, is a place where you can get a glass of reasonable quality wine for the cost of the price of a beer. I like their red wines, Reservo. A little pricier, but it has a subtlety only an older wine can possess. Spanish food is usually pretty good, even in the cheaper places.

Porto- I love this town. Go to Sky Hostel, and you won't regret it. Tell them that David from America sent you. Ok. First of all there is the Port. You can go on tasting tours. Don't drink too much or you'll end up drunk on Port, which is NOT a good idea. It causes one heck of a hangover. Port, to my mind, is a marvelous desert wine.

You don't have to go crazy to get a good Port. Just splurge for 5 to 8 euros in a grocery store for a full bottle. Here are some hints: Tawny is red, and a little fruity tasting. There is clear, and that is a little sourer, but still quite good. Reserve is a little beter than than the regular, then there is vintage. That gets better over the years stored properly, but its not cheap. Its best drunk after its been aged, but its still very good out of the bottle you buy. Port has the advantage, except for the Vintage, of being able to store it in room temperature after its been opened without it going vinegary on you. You see, they've killed all the yeast in it by the time they bottle it.

Next, the food in Porto. Its everywhere, and its half the price of Spain. For 7 euros, I had a full course meal in a restaurant not two blocks down from the Sky hostel on the main street. They have a soup with some green vegetables that is to die for, and I had the salted cod. It was great as well. Their pasta is good. In fact, there wasn't one Portugese dish I disliked.

If you want a sample of their native singing, right by the main street, the biggest one with the churches and edifices on it, leading to the fort and church, there is an overpriced restaurant that will give you a seat for the cost of a glass of wine. I forget the style now, but its very good.

Lisbon: Not as cheap as Porto, I'm sure, but still good. I always ate well in Portugal on a limited budget.

In Lisbon, you must try a pasteis de Belem. You get them at this little place next to the monastery in the Belem area...you can't miss it. It is kind of touristy,but the pasteis is DELICIOUS. And they aren't too expensive.

In Spain, make sure to have some Cava. You can walk into El Corte Ingles (department store with fantastic supermarket in the bottom), ask what kind they recommend, and get the second least expensive. It will be delicious. They tell me you have to have Sangria, but I feel like that has been totally exploited (when I lived in Southern Spain, 11 years ago, Sangria was no where to be found. When I visited last year, it was everywhere.). You may want to try a tinto de verano, which is basically a wine cooler but more delicious. We would get our wine at El Corte (usually Don Pedro, which is around .99E) and a bottle of Fanta Limon or Naranja, and make our own. In many bars in Spain and Italy, if you order a drink, they give you a plate of food. It's free/included with price of drink.

In Italy, if you are in Cinque Terre, go to Monterosso and have the best foccaccia you will have ever. It is in a little shop in the main part of town. So good. I would definitely read your guide books re: regional specialties.

As for London, I subsisted largely on grilled cheese sandwiches. I can't say I was wowed by the food. And in Paris...I agree, baguettes and cheese. Cannot beat that.

Venice: The food market near the Rialto has fresh veg fish and meat in the mornings so if you've access to a kitchen you could try cooking some Italian specialties yourself.There is also a cheap wine sellers there in in the morning to.
Drink: Cheap presseco from wine sellers
Drinks like Campari spritzer in Campo San Margarita
Cafe Corretto's (expresso with a dash of sambuca/grappa) at the counter of any smallish cafe away from saint marks square

LOL - those commenting on London food obviously dont live here and defo didnt find the good places.
The one thing I would recommend is roast beef and yorkshire pud (fish and chips my a****!) - good old fashion classic UK home cooking - but you do need to know where to look and its often to be found in good country-style pubs (yes these exist in London!) but there are many many other traditional dishes too. You really missed out!

Fish and chips are far better to be found at the seaside resorts where the fish is freshly caught - not in London.

Paella, tapas, gelato, baguettes, sausages, wine, beer... thanks! I also heard about the crepes in Paris.

It seems London is one of the most difficult cities to suggest what to eat and where. I know its also one of the most expensive cities..

Thanks, guys

Doesn't England/London have the world's best curries? I think I read that somewhere.

I think perhaps that India has the world's best Curries. but there is a lot of good Indian food in London.

Some Italy tips...

Yes, Venice is notoriously expensive (both for lodging & food), and it also has a reputation (deservedly, unfortunately) for bad food. But there are still Venetians in Venice, & they don't tolerate bad food. So you've just got to eat more like a local there to avoid crap/overpriced meals. One very Venetian way to do that is by eating what I call the Venetian form of tapas - cicchetti. You'll find these tiny closet-sized "bars" throughout the city (mostly away from touristy areas) where locals are squeezed up to the counter with a small glass of wine & a plate full of an assortment of local dishes, usually heavy on the seafood. It's relatively cheap, and makes a fabulous lunch or light dinner.

In Rome you've got more options at every point on the "how much is that going to cost me" scale. Some say it's the home of the best gelato in Italy, but I disagree (I'd give that award to Florence, personally, although some of my favorite gelato has been consumed in Milan of all places). It's also not the best place to get a pizza (that would be Naples), but you'll find great gelato and pizza in Rome. And pasta. Yeah, you can eat really well in Rome.

Here's my overall guide to Italian food, plus my Venice guide and Rome guide for your perusal.

First of all keep in mind that if you follow what your guidebook says you will go where they want to which most of the times does not corresponds to the best (quality/cheap price/good location) option.

Venice or Paris it is not so expensive compared to other cities in Europe - go to S. Tropez in France for example to have an idea of what expensive really means. In Venice, the local food speciality of venetians is "Sarde In Saor" (about 6 euros a dish). Venice has no local wine - you can try the Bellini which is a venetian drink speciality (a sort of cocktail), but the closest local wine is the prossecco of Conegliano. If you want to stay low on money then keep in mind that for the same food/drink you eat in a restaurant on the island you pay about half of the price on the mainland (Venezia-Mestre).
Typical of Rome is the porchetta - you can have a sandwich with it for about 2.5 euros.
Supermarkets are always cheaper, but you cannot find local cooked food.

Cheers

Berlin’s not particularly famous for its food, or its beer for that matter by German standards, but it is well stocked with Beer Gardens which is a quintessential German experience. Here’s a list, with Prater probably the most well known.

http://www.hungryinberlin.com/2009/05/1 ... nuff-said/

I haven’t been to Rogacki Delikatessen, Wilmersdorfer Strasse 145, but it was recommended by Tony Bourdain on his No Reservations Berlin show (if that means anything to you) and looked really good. They have a website but it’s all in German.

For late night post-pub, club beer and snack the two standbys are Turkish doner kebabs and Currywurst both widely available at Schnell Imbisse around the city.

In Barcelona tapas isn’t as much a tradition as in Madrid, Sevilla, San Sebastian, etc. but I’ve been to a couple of good bars. The one I remember best is called Irati and is near Las Ramblas. No. 9 on this list - http://www.10best.com/Barcelona,Spain/R ... nts/Tapas/ (I don’t know who does the ratings for this, mostly thumbs downs for all the places listed, but I was first taken to Irati by locals and they make up most of the crowd. Not a tourist joint despite it’s proximity to the Ramblas.) They put platters out on the bar, you get a plate and serve yourself and pay based on how many toothpicks you accumulate (one stuck in each tapa). If you fancy seafood, there are quite a few restaurants in Barceloneta. And finally, you should definitely go to the Boqueria market right on Las Ramblas. There are a number of sort of lunch counters where you can get prepared food (good selection of seafood again) and the stalls have a fantastic selection of fruits, breads, cheeses, meats, etc. Great place to put together a picnic.

Madrid has some really good tapas bars in the side streets off of the Plaza del Sol and quality pastry shops right on the plaza.

Hello,

Nice trip. I see you are visiting plenty of nice cities. To be honest with you I am by no means a food expert

What I usually do is follow my guidebook.

Also, when in the restaurant ask what special food from their country they have. And try eating at the stalls by the street - they usually serve food of this country.

Have a great time and enjoy your trip.

Best of luck

Velcom wrote:Also, when in the restaurant ask what special food from their country they have.

I just came from an adventure travel in France (I'll write a summary pretty soon and make it available to everyone - post399555.html?hilit=france%20hitch%20hiking#p399555) and it happened to me to go to more than one bar or restaurant and ask for the local wine and receive the answer:
"The name of the local wine? Hmmm... restaurant's wine:)"
Before I entered in those bars or restaurants I knew the name of the local wine but just to make sure they do not sell me bullshit I asked - in that case the name was Cote Du Rhone - but because they did not know it and wanted to sell me something for something else I left and bought it from another place.
With this what I am trying to say is that if you want local food, inform before getting to the bar or restaurant what the local food is from different sources.
Kind regards

In London if you happen to find Cornish pastries, that would be worth trying.
Otherwise go for ethnic foods, as Britain and the Netherlands are about to have the worst cuisines of all Europe.
Curries mean generally Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi cuisine. They have become Britains national food. Some of them are good, but most are cheap and bland, and poor quality.

Italy, France, Spain and Portugal will be much more interesting. Those countries have the best cuisines of Europe. It's a shame you're going to big cities only, as those are always most difficult to navigate about. Countryside in European countries is definitely worth spending more time, small quaint towns, with medival castles, laid back people, no hassle. There are lots of them, but sadly usually missed out by overseas visitors.

If you're going to Venice only, go for a good meal, at an average restaurant in Mestre, which is the mainland part of Venice. It's only 10 min ride by bus. You'll probably arrive to Mestre station anyway, or when coming from Marco Polo (or Trevise) airport.
In Venice, the historical part on lagunas, just have a coffe and a glass of wine. Everything else is a rip off.

France is too expensive, so you might like to live on baguettes, which are generally good.
Italy and Spain - avoid the most touristy spots when going to eat.

Portuagal.
Being Brazilian you'll feel like at home, and eating will be like a breeze. Both in Lisbon and Porto you'll easily find several inexpensive restaurants, some of them serving your familiar picanha. In Porto you might like to try chanfana (goat stew) or leitão assado.
Portugal, out of all the places you're going to visit, has a great cuisine at prices everyone can afford. Enjoy!