Foodie Destinations with SUITCASE

SUITCASE Magazine launched in 2012, bringing with it a new approach to travel. Shying away from resorts and crowded destinations, it challenged its readers to engage with local culture and personal interests as a gateway to the world.

We joined SUITCASE’s digital editor-in-chief India Dowley as she followed her taste buds to five underrated European cities.

Biarritz reached peak “cool” in the 1950s when Californian surf culture washed up on Europe’s sandy beaches. Surfing here is still superb and the French resort town’s hedonistic reputation hasn’t dampened much either.

A favourite among European royalty from the 1800s, modern travellers often overlook Biarritz in favour of nearby Michelin-star-studded San Sebastián, but the town’s location in the Basque countryside means food here is a delicious amalgamation of both Spanish and French cuisines.

While the city has its own slew of stars – join glamorous throngs sauntering down the promenade for top-notch seafood with oh-so pale rosé – you’ll also find a host of high-quality, low-key options. While away the hours ducking in and out of scores of pintxos bars, gorging on tapas-style plates washed down with local cider, or axoa (veal and tomato stew) with a glass of local red.

The subject of many Dolce & Gabbana love letters, the Mediterranean island of Sicily is a heady mix of culture where crumbling baroque palazzos mingle with the ruins of Greek temples and lingering Mafia myths. The capital, Palermo, is the beating heart of this storied isle and proof that the finest plates don’t always hide behind the fanciest doorways.

The city’s winding, cobbled alleyways yield a treasure trove of rustic trattorias in which traditionally indulgent Sicilian home cooking takes centre stage. With seafood-spiked spaghetti and ricotta-stuffed cannoli, Palermo’s food scene rivals that of mainland Italy.

Don’t forget to check out the markets too – pick up some skewered octopus and crispy arancini from La Vucciria (also open for late-night snacking) then make a beeline for the beach.

While devoted gourmands may make a food pilgrimage to Girona to dine at El Celler de can Roca, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant twice ranked number one in the world, this coastal Catalan city has somehow stayed off many travellers’ hit lists.

Food here is as much a stalwart of the local economy as it is a leisure pursuit taken to with gusto by both locals and visitors alike. If you don’t bag a table at El Celler (or are looking for something a little more wallet-friendly) you’ll find plenty to satiate your taste buds down the town’s colourful medieval streets.

Pintxos bars brim with small plates piled high with local bread wedged onto cocktail sticks, spicy chorizo cassoulet and salty padron peppers, while the seafront plays host to beach bars roasting whole fish over hot coals. Beyond that, wine bars, chocolate shops and ice-cream parlours make Girona a gastronomic playground for adults.

Immortalised by Game of Thrones, Dubrovnik may not be an under-the-radar destination, but its impressive culinary scene is often forgotten among lyrical waxings about rocky coves, cerulean waters and King’s Landing.

Beyond fresh seafood, the medieval walled city is sustained by an array of local specialities including nutty Croatian cheeses, breads draped with fatty lardo and soparnik, and homemade pastry filled with Swiss chard. The region is also known for truffles, which you’ll find whipped into creamy risottos around town, and oysters – best eaten just as they are. Fruits, nuts, vegetables and vines thrive here thanks to mineral-rich soils, perfect for picnicking. Grab a bottle of chilled local white, pack a hamper and spend the day pootling between beaches and bays. Visit in spring or autumn to avoid scorching temperatures and the crowds that descend in summer months.

Malta has been colonised time and time again – the Romans, Normans, Sicilians, Spanish, French and the British have all left their mark – and nowhere is this more apparent than in sun-drenched Valletta. Not yet discovered by the masses, this “fortress city” is an affordable choice where you’re unlikely to bump into your neighbour – but that won’t be the case for long.

Named European Capital of Culture for 2018, the city was catapulted into the limelight and has been gradually gaining traction. Valletta’s restaurant and bar scene has undergone something of a renaissance and is one of the island’s big draws.

Wander the labyrinthine streets by night, flitting between cavernous wine bars and rooftop terraces, tucking into anything from the hearty national dish stuffat tal-fenek (rabbit stew) to aromatic seafood plates. A roster of top-notch international restaurants also cater to the yacht crowd who’ve known of Malta’s charms for some time.

Wedged between Europe and Asia, Tbilisi’s position has not only defined much of its turbulent past but has also created a distinct cultural blend that has influenced the capital’s religion, language, arts and cuisine. Having thrown off the shackles of a Soviet past, the city is experiencing an ongoing creative revival that extends to its dining scene.

An ambitious generation of hot young chefs are turning traditional Georgian cuisine on its head, spinning out contemporary updates on classic dishes with a focus on farm-to-table dining. Join stylish creatives who flock to fairy-lit courtyards and industrial spaces to tuck into “nouveau Georgian” cuisine that spans fragrant soups, pillowy dumplings and pkhali – a dip made from spinach or aubergine and blended with walnuts.

Often described as “the new Berlin”, Tbilisi is all about al-fresco café culture. Arrive late and stay later, people watching as you get to grips with the country’s stellar organic wine offering.

It may come as a surprise to learn that Krakow is the European Capital of Gastronomic Culture for 2019. Long associated with boiled meat and vegetables, Eastern European cuisine has something of a bad rep, but Poland’s “second city” has been diversifying its dining scene in line with increasing tourist numbers.

Alongside local joints influenced by Polish highlander, Jewish and Ukrainian cultures, high-profile international chefs are setting up shop, leading to a cosmopolitan food scene that is ever evolving. Add craft-beer festivals, farmers’ markets and street-food stalls into the mix, and it soon becomes clear that Krakow’s culinary offering is not one to be sniffed at.

Most of the action happens around the main square, on the banks of the Vistula River and in the creative Jewish quarter of Kazimierz. Expect contemporary takes on traditional dishes with a focus on provenance; it’s no surprise that Krakow has emerged as a champion of the “slow” food movement.

Less familiar than its larger siblings of Stockholm and Gothenburg, this formerly industrial metropolis attracts in-the-know travellers looking for a taste of Scandinavia beyond popular Copenhagen (just a 45-minute train ride away).

Progressive and dynamic, Malmö is shaped by pockets of multiculturalism and a knack for reinvention. Here, once-abandoned warehouses have found new life as artisan food halls and independent galleries, while ‘hip’ clothes stores jostle alongside Syrian, Turkish and Lebanese restaurants run by the city’s buoyant immigrant communities.

Head to waterside market Malmö Saluhall to sample anything from sausages handmade in a barn without electricity to Korean street food. Be sure to tack “fika”– the daily Swedish ritual involving making time for friends over coffee and a snack – on to your routine too.