Copenhagen has recently seen an increase in the number of Japanese and Korean fusion restaurants. Jah Izakaya and Sake Bar opened in 2018 and offers unpretentious and inviting Japanese-inspired gastropub fare. Located near the meatpacking district, Jah Izakaya serves small plates such as gyoza, tonkatsu, Danish squid, and beef carpaccio. Pair it with lager or sake, and enjoy the reggae soundtrack. The price starts at around 210 kroner (£25) for three small plates.
Pomle Nakke in Horbelev comes highly recommended by Danish locals. The airy spot on a clifftop overlooking the Baltic serves lunch after a morning fossil hunting on nearby beaches. It offers Danish oysters, locally caught scallops, cod, and kimchi under the shade of beech trees. The four-course menu costs 495 kroner (£58).
La Lanterna di Diogene in the village of Solara, near Modena, Emilia Romagna embraces the locavore lifestyle by growing their pickled vegetables steps from the table and gathering flour for the tortellini in brodo from a nearby mill. Even their balsamic vinegar is made on site using old methods. La Lanterna serves soulful dishes made from local ingredients, such as pork ribs from their heritage pigs. It has an encyclopedic list of dry Lambruscos, also made locally, as well as mains from €15.
Trattoria Da Cesare al Casaletto in Rome serves perfect versions of cucina romana with affordable wine lists, on the ground floor of a residential building. The eatery is a 30-minute tram ride from Rome’s historic center. It offers a parade of fried starters such as gnocchi on a pool of cacio e pepe sauce, aubergine croquettes, and simmered beef meatballs. Try half-rigatoni with oxtail sauce and pecorino cheese or fried lamb chops. Prices for mains start at €12.
La Marina in Ponza is built into the weathered volcanic terrain of Cala Feola, a natural harbor with a narrow sand beach on the island of Ponza, reached by ferry from Naples or Rome. After a morning swimming in pristine water, enjoy a lazy lunch on tables overlooking the sea. The dish includes parmigiana made with prickly pear paddles, anchovies spiked with vinegar, linguine with spiny lobster, and mixed fried fish, prepared by a barefoot cook. Mains start at €16, and reservations can be made at +39 338 648 6110.
Antica Trattoria di Pietro Dal 1934 in Melito Irpino, Campania, features dishes made from produce from the Irpinia region. It also offers regional starters such as frittata, salami made from local nero casertano pigs, and fried courgette flowers. Try handmade cicatelli pasta with a bright tomato sauce spiked with a minty local herb, and grass-fed lamb. Enjoy a local wine to pair with your meal, and pay an average price of €13. Making a reservation at this Facebook page is highly recommended.
Osteria Il Principe e Il Pirata in Pantelleria serves dishes merging flavors from volcanic land and tumultuous sea, created with ingredients such as spaghetti with tuna bottarga, fennel, and pistachio, and busiate pasta with sardines, fennel, raisins, pine nuts, and fried breadcrumbs. Its dining room is decorated with powder blue tiles and gray stone in terraced vineyards cascading to the sea. The restaurant’s signature sweet is bacio pantesco, the island’s signature sweet of ricotta-filled fried pastry which can be enjoyed with meals from €17.
Au Vieux de la Vieille in Lille is an estaminet that started as a gathering place for coal miners. Now it serves local classics, such as beef carbonnade made with beer and gingerbread, potjevleesch (four meats in aspic jelly – better than it sounds), and dishes using local stinky cheese, maroilles. The decor is a part of the experience with dried hops, shelves of bric-a-brac, and rustic wooden tables and chairs. Main dishes can be enjoyed starting at €12.10.
Zéphirine in Bordeaux is a bijou restaurant that serves a seasonal menu with vegetarian or vegan options paired with superb regional wines. The relaxed-feeling wood-floored dining room is adorned with vegetable artworks, and you can enjoy a lunch from €31 or dinner from €55.
La Table d’Élise in Noirmoutier, Vendée is owned by one of France’s top chefs, Alexandre Couillon, and offers fresh fish and produce from the island that thrives in the seaweed-fertilized soil. The restaurant’s decor is charmingly old-worldly and has wood paneling, fishing nets, and ships’ brass. The front window opens towards the harbor and makes for a great view during sunset. Diners can enjoy mains from €18.
Chez Mattin in Ciboure, Basque Country, is an institution where chef Michel Niquet continues his family’s tradition of seafood from his daily catches. The menu is read out loud by Niquet’s wife, Céline, and the signature dish is Ttorro (€30), a Basque fish stew with juicy langoustines. Chez Mattin is open daily for lunch and dinner, and mains start at €21.
A Choumas’ in Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire, is a cozy, wood-beamed restaurant renowned for lentils. Try them with steak cooked on a grill fired with volcanic stones. For dessert, have a semifreddo flavored with a local specialty, verbena liqueur, and top it with a layer of chocolate sauce. Main dishes start at €19.
Produce from milky-white aubergines to peach-sweet cherry tomatoes flourish in Santorini’s volcanic soil. To Psaraki, a clifftop taverna in Vlychada, on the island’s southern tip, offers excellent brine-fresh seafood dishes. Try onion and herb-stuffed grilled sardines or cod fillets steamed in white wine and drizzled with a tangy caper sauce. Mains start at €12. Reservations can be made through the restaurant’s Facebook page.
Santorini’s Stathmos serves dishes fresh from the sea. It may not have the most spectacular view, but Chef Thanasis Sfougaris’ seafood dishes make up for it. Try onion and herb-stuffed grilled sardines, cod fillets steamed in white wine, or dishes with a tangy caper sauce. Mains start at €12.
These twelve restaurants spread across Europe each offer flavorful dishes and an ambiance that makes them stand out. From restaurants reworking traditional spaces to chefs pushing the boundaries with their dishes and menus, these spots are worth a visit for foodies who value a delicious meal and an unforgettable experience.
