SUMMER holidays call for long, tall cocktails, seafood by the shore,
umbrella’d tables on dusty streets, drippy ice-creams on the beach, a bag of
ripe cherries for breakfast, and an icy cold beer in a frosted glass after
fishing all day. It’s vitally important to make hay while the sun shines,
and to pack in every summer pleasure possible until you can take no more.
Luckily the world is full of genuinely wonderful things to eat and drink,
and places in which to eat and drink them. Here are 50 of my favourites.
SEAFOOD SPAGHETTI IN LIGURIA
Catch a ferry from Portofino to San Fruttuoso to eat marinated anchovies and
spaghetti ai frutti di mare at the Da Lauro café. Finish with a two-hour
walk back.
Da Lauro, San Fruttuoso.
GOOSENECK BARNACLES IN BARCELONA
At the tapas bar Cal Pep start with percebes — leathery, gnarled gooseneck
barnacles — and pull out the sweet flesh.
Cal Pep (00 34 93 310 7961), Placa de les Olle, 8.
CRAYFISH IN HELSINKI
August is crayfish season; 225,000lb of crustaceans are scoffed at rollicking
parties. Party on at Särkänlinna on Särkkä island, five minutes from
Helsinki by boat.
Ravintola Särkänlinna (00 358 9 1345 6756).
FISH COUSCOUS IN TUNISIA
Eat couscous, garnished with saffron-tinted fish, at Dar El Jeld, where the
marble-tiled dining salons are candlelit and fragrant with rose scents.
Restaurant Dar El Jeld (00 216 71 560916, www.dareljeld.tourism.tn),
5 Rue Dar El Jeld, Tunis.
OYSTERS IN IRELAND
Find out how many oysters you can eat at the world oyster-eating championships
in Hillsborough, or just stick to a dozen in the pub.
www.hillsboroughoysterfestival.com.
GRAND AIOLI IN PROVENCE
Head to Brasserie Léopold in Aix-en-Provence for le grand aioli; poached salt
cod and summer vegetables and a bowl of garlicky mayonnaise.
Brasserie Léopold (00 33 4 42 26 01 24), 2 avenue Victor-Hugo,
Aix-en-Provence.
SMORRESBROD IN COPENHAGEN
Ida Davidsen has turned smorresbrod into an art form with her Victor Borge
(salmon, salmon roe, shrimps, crayfish and dill mayo).
Ida Davidsen (00 45 3391 3655, www.idadavidsen.dk).
LAS FRITURAS IN SEVILLE
At Bar Modesto, order a crisp, fried tangle of prawns and calamares de campo
(onion rings masquerading as squid).
Bar Modesto (00 34 95 441 6811), Cano y Cueto, 5.
GRILLED SARDINES IN LISBON
Try simple, smoky grills of sardines in the maze of streets in Alfama.
Restaurante Cais d’Alfama (00 351 218 873274), 24 Largo do Chafariz de
Dentro, Lisbon.
COQUILLAGES ON THE CÔTE D’AZUR
Marseilles has the sun, the sea and the shellfish, without the fake tans and
high prices of the Côte d’Azur. Feast on periwinkles, prawns, oysters, crabs
and les violettes (sea figs) at Toinou.
Toinou Coquillages (00 33 4 91 33 14 94, www.toinou.com).
FOOD WITH A VIEW
SEABASS IN MAJORCA
Tuck into grilled sea bass and sip a local rosé while watching the sun-tanned
tribes on the pebbled Cala Deia below.
Ca Patro March (00 34 971 639137), Deia Beach, Majorca, summer only.
SOM TUM IN DARWIN
Sit on the beach with a spicy som tum (green papaya salad) from the market, a
cold beer, and a crimson sun fading into the Arafura Sea.
Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, Thursday 5pm to 10pm, April to October.
JUNK FOOD IN HONG KONG
Sail across the harbour on a traditional red-sailed junk, enjoying bamboo
clams and champagne as you take in stunning views of Hong Kong.
Aqua Luna (00 852 2116 8821). Price: about £10.
SPICY SEAFOOD IN GOA
Britto’s laidback beach shack on Baga Beach serves freshly caught fish. With
sea views. Britto’s (00 91 832 227 7331), Bardez, Goa.
COCKLES ON THE BEACH IN CORNWALL
Enjoy megrim sole with cockles and broad beans, plus a view of the rugged
coast.
Fifteen Cornwall (01637 861000).
LIQUID REFRESHMENTS
FROZEN COCKTAIL IN PARIS
Barmeister Thierry Hernandez’s cocktail is a fluorescent-coloured, alcoholic
“fashion ice pop” at The Bar at the Plaza Athénée. Served on a stick in a
bowl of coloured, crushed ice, it is a bit steep at £16.50 a pop — but the
green-apple, cosmo-red and pina-colada colours are irresistible.
Plaza Athénée (00 33 1 53 67 66 65), 25 avenue de Montaigne, Paris 8.
COFFEE FRAPPE IN MYKONOS
The essential refreshment during a sun-drenched Mykonos morning is a tall
glass of chilled frappé; refreshing, foamy iced coffee made with Nescafé,
sugar, cold water and condensed milk. Try it at the Verandah, right on the
water’s edge.
The Verandah, Little Venice, Mykonos.
FRESH MINT COCKTAIL IN THE MARAIS
There is a huge bowl of fresh mint on the bar for cocktails at Andy Wahloo, a
cosy little Moroccan bar co-owned by Mourad Mazouz of London’s Sketch and
Momo. The paint-drum seats and traffic-sign tables are all recycled.
Andy Wahloo (00 33 1 42 71 20 38), 69 rue des Gravilliers, Paris 3.
COLD BEER IN MUNICH
Not just any beer, but one of Bavaria’s finest, brewed at the monastery of
Andechs, just outside Munich. Team it with a platter of Bavarian cold meats
at a table outside Andechser Am Dom for a fine summer lunch.
Andechser Am Dom (00 49 89 298481, www.andechser-am-dom.de),
Weinstrasse 7, Munich.
SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS IN CAPE TOWN
The finest place in Cape Town for a sun-downer is in the waterfront Bascule
whisky bar, where the resident sommelier can guide you through the
460-strong whisky list.
Bascule (00 27 21 410 7100, www.capegrace.com), Cape Grace Hotel,
V&A Waterfront, West Quay Road, Cape Town.
PUSHING THE BOAT OUT
CHAMPAGNE CRUISE IN AMSTERDAM
The best way to see the city is from a restored vintage motor boat, glass of
bubbly in hand.
Paradis Private Boat Tours (00 31 20 684 9338). From £130 an hour.
POOL SNACKS IN BALI
Lie by the infinity pool and wait for the platters of icy cold watermelon
cubes.
Four Seasons Resort Jimbaran (00 62 361 701010, www.fourseasons.com),
Bali.
CAMEL’S MILK IN DUBAI
It’s 40C outside, so cool off inside with camel’s milk mouhoulabia rosewater
creams at the restaurant in the Burj Al Arab hotel. Unless you have a room
(about £900 a night), this is the only way to get into one of the world’s
swankiest hotels.
Details: Burj Al Arab (00 971 4 301 7777). Lunch buffet £47.
TOMATOES AND MOZZARELLA IN RAVELLO
Ravello’s born-again Hotel Caruso offers a tasting platter of five local
mozzarella cheeses and local tomatoes. Have them on the terrace, overlooking
the Amalfi coast, and summer might just last for ever.
Hotel Caruso (00 39 089 858 801, www.hotelcaruso.com), Ravello.
Doubles from £499.
STREET EATS
GELATERIA IN ROME
When in Rome . . . wear that new Missoni wild-child top and go for la
passeggiata in the warm summer evening, stopping at Il Gelato di San
Crispino, near the Trevi Fountain, for a coppetta (tub) of natural
ginger-cinnamon or clementine gelato. And it’s a great spot for people
watching.
Il Gelato di San Crispino, 42 via della Panetteria. Closed Tues.
FOODBALL IN GERMANY
The newest street food in Berlin is not a frankfurter, but a little round,
organic Spanish/ Japanese stuffed rice ball from the Camper FoodBALL, the
witty interpretation of a fast-food restaurant by the Majorca-based
shoemakers.
FoodBALL (www.camper.com), Neue Schonhauser Strasse 11, Mitte,
Berlin.
GREEK DIPS IN ATHENS
In the hip new Gazi area of Athens, you can get a real mum to cook for you at
Mamacas, an updated rendition of a Greek taverna. The Greek mothers in the
kitchen make a divine white taramasalata, vinegared octopus and spinach pie.
Mamacas (00 30 210 346 4984), Persefonis, 41 Gazi, Athens.
PIZZA IN NAPLES
A true Neapolitan pizza has to be soft enough to be folded a libretto — like a
book — and eaten in the hand. The oldest pizzeria in town, Da Michele,
serves only two types of pizza: margherita (tomato, basil, and fresh buffalo
milk mozzarella) and marinara (tomato, garlic, oil, oregano). Pepperoni and
pineapple fans, stay at home.
Da Michele, Via Sersale 1, Naples.
FISH AND CHIPS IN CORNWALL
If Rick Stein can’t do good fish and chips, who can? The queues can be
daunting at his popular chippy on South Quay, but the fish — gurnard,
haddock, sole, skate, plaice — is freshly caught and cooked to order. Grab a
glass of white and a scrubbed wooden table and salute the Steinway.
Stein’s fish and chips (01841 532700), South Quay, Padstow. No bookings
taken.
SORBET BY THE SEINE
Take fraises des bois — seedy, exotically perfumed, wild strawberries. Now
give them to France’s finest glacier, Berthillon, on Ile Saint-Louis (the
one with the queues around the block), to turn into a deliciously pink,
fragrant ice-cream. It will make you faint with pleasure.
Berthillon (00 33 1 43 54 31 61), 31 rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile, Paris.
Closed July 16 until the end of August.
SOCCA IN NICE
Theresa has been cooking socca at her stall in the pretty flower market in
Nice all her life. She is now rumoured to be retiring, so get in while you
can for the age-old taste of this speciality — a nutty, smokey Niçoise
chickpea fritter.
Flower market, Cours Saleya, Nice.
ROCK IN BRIGHTON
Nothing brings back those sweet, sticky days of endless childhood summers
faster than candy-coloured sticks of Brighton Rock. Now you can have your
own name running through your own Brighton Rock.
From Sandy’s (01273 732221), 41 King’s Road, Brighton.
FAR-FLUNG FOOD
BUDDHIST VEGETARIAN FEAST IN SEOUL
One of the most cooling, refreshing meals of my life was a temple food banquet
of acorn jelly and perilla noodles with mountain herbs at Sanchon, hidden
away among the back alleys of Insadong.
Sanchon (00 82 2 735 0312), 14 Gwanghun-dong, Jongno-gu, Insadong.
MAINE LOBSTER IN SAN FRANCISCO
The Swan Oyster Depot serves clam chowder, Maine lobster, Dungeness crab and
great oysters with a cold beer and no fuss. Just a long queue.
Swan Oyster Depot (001 415 673 1101), 1517 Polk Street, San Francisco.
PIPIS IN NEW ZEALAND
Dig your own pipis (like tiny clams) and gather your own mussels for dinner on
Pakiri Beach, on the east coast of the North Island, with a Maori chef and
guide, in a venture that promises to close the gap between tourists and
locals.
Navigator Tours (www.navigatortours.co.nz), October to April
(May-Sept on request).
GREAT OCEAN ROAD FOOD
Take a break from driving Australia’s Great Ocean Road and lunch at A La
Grecque, where Kosta and Pam Talihmanidis turn out fish, garlicky mussels,
and beetroot salads with grapes.
A La Grecque (00 61 3 5289 6922), 60 Great Ocean Road.
CHILLI CRAB IN SINGAPORE
Chilli crab is the quintessential taste of Singapore — a giant Sri Lankan
crab, wok-fried and bathed in spicy, egg-thready juices. Get yours at the
East Coast seafood centre.
Jumbo seafood restaurant (00 65 6442 3435), East Coast Seafood Centre,
East Coast Parkway.
PHO IN HANOI
Vietnamese pho (pronounced fur) is an utterly addictive and strangely
refreshing rice-noodle soup, brimming with bean sprouts, sliced onions, beef
or brisket. Get the best here.
Tiem Pho (00 84 4 826 6609), 48-50 Pho Hue, Hai Ba Trung district.
SUSHI FOR BREAKFAST IN TOKYO
Nearly 500 types of seafood are sold at Tokyo’s Tsukiji market. Enjoy the best
sushi and sashimi of your life for breakfast at one of the sushi bars — try
either Sushi Dai or Umai Sushikan.
Tokyo Metropolitan Central Market (www.tsukiji-market.or.jp).
SHAVED ICE IN SHANGHAI
Nothing tastes better after a spicy Shanghainese meal than tsua bing, an ice
dessert flavoured with red and green beans. The best is at the Charmant
restaurant.
Charmant (00 86 21 64 31 81 07), 1418 Huaihai Zhong Lu.
MORE THAN FOOD
TRAIL FOOD IN CORNWALL
Take the children on the new Food Trail through the world’s biggest plant
conservatories at the Eden Project. Here they can learn where foods come
from, and how ingredients get from field to plate. Then they can watch their
lunchtime pizza or Cornish pasty being made before their eyes in the
open-plan Med Kitchen.
Eden Project (01726 811911, www.edenproject.com), near St
Austell, Cornwall. Entrance: adults £13.80, children 5-15 £5, under-5s free,
family ticket £34.
FLY FISH IN ARGENTINA
The Rio Parana is home to some great eating fish, as well as the dorado, a
golden salmon that lures fly fishers from around the world. Iguazu Anglers
offers dorado-fishing trips on the Gypsy Parana, a 70ft, three-deck floating
lodge. As if that weren’t enough, you can savour barbecued river fish and
sip daiquiris every night.
Iguazu Anglers (00 54 11 4804 2372, www.iguazuanglers.com).
FORAGE IN DORSET
Join the River Cottage foraging expert John Wright for an edible adventure on
the Dorset seashore and discover clams, mussels, winkles and limpets, as
well as edible seaweeds and marsh samphire. Then — the best bit — it’s
back to River Cottage to cook it all up.
The next Edible Seashore day is August 23. Cost is £150pp (www.rivercottage.net).
CATCH A CRAB IN CAIRNS
Head out from Marlin Jetty in Cairns, Queensland, on the cute Catcha-Crab
pontoon and putter through mangrove swamps, checking out the crocodiles on
the way. The crew lift the crab pots and boil enough crabs for lunch on the
boat while you do a spot of fishing. A half-day tour and delicous mudcrab
lunch costs £34.
www.catcha-crab.com.
COOK IN PROVENCE
You’re not going to get a diploma for sitting by the pool reading your novel,
are you? But you will at the end of a four-day cookery course held by master
chef René Bérard in the medieval hilltop town of La Cadière d’Azur. Impress
your friends with the dishes you have learnt once you’re back home.
Hostellerie Bérard (00 33 4 94 90 11 43, www.hotel-berard.com),
83740 La Cadière D’Azur. From about £945, July 2-7, September
24-29.
