Mediterranean restaurants in Europe
-
A
Moreish
Chefs Cokşun Uysal and Esra Muslu trained in Melbourne and London before returning to İstanbul and opening this intimate restaurant. The sophisticated interior by Milagard Architecture perfectly complements the ambitious menu, which comes complete with amuse-bouche and splendid home-baked bread rolls. An initial perusal of the dishes on offer may make you fear that there is too much happening on each plate, but fear not – everything works wonderfully. Highlights of our last meal included a main course of roasted lamb and braised lamb shank with red cabbage, tahini humus and a cognac-plum puree followed by a dessert of flourless chocolate mousse cake served with rosewate…
reviewed
-
B
Jericho Café
Chill out and relax with the paper over a coffee and a slab of cake, or go for some of the wholesome lunch and dinner specials, which encompass everything from sausages and mash to Lebanese lamb kibbeh. There are plenty of hearty salads and lots of options for vegetarians.
reviewed
-
C
Café Coco
Chilled out but always buzzing, this Cowley Rd institution is a sort of hip hang-out, with classic posters on the walls and a bald plaster-cast clown in an ice bath. The food is vaguely Mediterranean and can be a bit hit-and-miss, but most people come for the atmosphere.
reviewed
-
Megaro
This recently refurbished place on the corner of the square is popular with locals around the district. The owner fishes from his own boat and the menu also includes Cretan specialities.
reviewed
-
D
Pri Mari
This very stylish restaurant south of the bus station makes an ambitious (and successful) attempt at combining Mediterranean and Slovenian food.
reviewed
-
E
Sempati
The homestyle cooking at this place behind the blue door on the corner of Slippery Street attracts a loyal and regular following. Try the delicious aubergine fritters.
reviewed
-
St John's Café
Welcoming owners and top-notch coffee are the big draws at the welcoming li'l cafe. Down your cuppa with a special künefe dessert from Antioch or taste-test the zesty homemade hummus.
reviewed
-
F
Gitanes
Twee meets twisted at this idiosyncratic restaurant, where a technicolour storm of floral print wallpaper and upholstery meets a gallery of weird art – check out the upside-down table on the ceiling – to create an atmosphere akin to an English tearoom designed by Salvador Dali. On acid. The food is hearty and full-on, especially the Balkan specialities – dishes such as čevapčiči (chargrilled spicy meatballs) and sač (veal and lamb roasted over an open fire) are flung out like macho, meat-eating challenges, while the paella for two could probably feed four. Lighter dishes include smažené ančovičky (fried whitebait), chicken risotto and a range of salads.
reviewed
-
G
Mikla
Among the big guns of İstanbul’s top-end dining scene, one place reigns supreme in our minds, and that’s Mikla. On the top floor of the Marmara Pera hotel, this sleek operation serves up excellent Mod Med cuisine to a truly international clientele. The chefs here embrace top-notch ingredients and simple execution and the results speak for themselves: try the absolutely delicious Trakya Kıvırcık lamb cutlets and follow with the pistachio and helva ice cream and you too will become fans. Service and the wine list are impressive, and the view is quite simply to die for. Ask for a table with a view of the Old City and consider arriving early to have a drink in the bar…
reviewed
-
H
El Racò d’En Freixa
On a quiet residential street deep in the Zona Alta, this hushed designer hideaway offers all sorts of little surprises from one of Spain’s top chefs, Ramon Freixa. Let’s see: what about the Big Duck, a hamburger of duck meat served with bread made of cereals, crystallised red onion and frozen mustard, for a starter? You can follow with one of six seafood options. A coolly elegant place, with clean cream-hued lines and flawless service, it’s little wonder Freixa has a Michelin star and has twice been voted Spain’s chef of the year by the country’s Gourmetour good food guide.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
I
Embat
Enthusiastic young chefs turn out beautifully presented dishes in this basement eatery, whose brown and cream decor might not enchant all comers. You can eat three courses for around €20 to €25 at lunch, indulging perhaps in raviolis de pollo amb bacon i calabassó (chicken ravioli bathed in a sauce of finely chopped bacon, zucchini and other vegetables) followed by melt-in-the-mouth lluç amb pa amb tomàquet, carxofes i maionesa de peres (a thick cut of hake on a tomato-drenched clump of bread dressed with artichoke slices and a pear mayonnaise).
reviewed
-
J
Noti
Once home to the Noticiero Universal newspaper, Noti has an ample dining room plastered with mirrors that seem to multiply the steely designer tables. Try a peix fresc salvatge de la Boqueria, a la planxa, amb carbassó en ratatouille, mantega muntada de llimona (fresh fish from the Boqueria market with ratatouille of courgette and lemon butter) or perhaps a meat dish – anything from steak tartare to chicken curry. Start the evening with the cocktail of the day at the bar. It has lunch menus from €14 to €24, and an evening set menu at €36.
reviewed
-
K
El Sortidor
Step back in history. Hot food has been dished up here since 1908. The ceramic-fronted fridge, tiled floor and bar seem to have changed little since then – but appearances can deceive. Turin-born Flavio runs this place, and offers a typical menú del día that isn’t that typical – how many Catalans have eaten handmade pappardelle (a broad ribbon pasta from Italy)? On Friday nights he serves up couscous and live Irish music. And on other nights he’ll only open for a reservation of 20 or more!
reviewed
-
L
Oliva
A small, friendly, family-run restaurant focusing on fresh Mediterranean cuisine, Oliva has become a victim of its own popularity. A menu of carefully prepared dishes that include rocket salad with caramelised red onion, olives, pine nuts and parmesan, roast octopus with okra and grilled peppers, and pan-fried sea bass with olive, anchovy and tomato has pulled in so many customers that on weekend evenings the waitstaff can be overwhelmed. But the food is so good that it’s well worth enduring the occasional spell of slow service.
reviewed
-
M
Rio’s Vyšehrad
Located opposite the Church of Sts Peter & Paul in the Vyšehrad fortress, this is an attractive modern restaurant set in an ancient building. There’s elegant indoor dining room and an informal terrace, but the main attraction is the garden, a lovely spot for an outdoor meal in summer. The international gourmet menu includes dishes such as salad of seared tuna with Japanese pickled ginger, fillet of salmon with Pommery champagne sauce, and chargrilled Brazilian beef, plus Czech classics such as roast duck.
reviewed
-
N
Le Grand Café Napoléon
This one-of-a-kind Ajaccio institution scores a perfect 10 on our 'charm-meter' for its mind-blowing decor and refined cuisine. Push beyond the streetside terrace (itself rich in atmosphere) to the august belle époque former ballroom, with its tall mirrors, high ceilings, black-and-white terrazzo floors and soaring cream arches. Despite the classical surroundings, the menu is surprisingly modern, featuring elegantly presented fish and meat dishes. The weekday lunchtime menu du marché represents excellent value.
reviewed
-
O
Hisop
The hippest entrance on this restaurant-jammed uptown lane definitely belongs to Hisop, an elegant dining option where flavour and service are a priority. Black, white and burgundy dominate the dining room décor. Consider the four-course seasonal tasting menu – you might wind up with a melt-in-your-mouth deer sirloin done in truffle, and for dessert a light chocolate and olive-flavoured ice-cream biscuit with a froth of tofu. The wine list is impressive and service immaculate.
reviewed
-
P
Cuines de Santa Caterina
With a contemporary feel and open kitchens, this multi-faceted eatery inside the Mercat de Santa Caterina offers all sorts of food. Peck at the sushi bar, tuck into classic rice dishes or go vegetarian. They do some things better than others, so skip the hummus and tarte tatin. A drawback is the speed with which barely finished plates are whisked away from you, but the range of dishes and bustling atmosphere are fun. Reservations aren’t taken, so it’s first come first served.
reviewed
-
Q
Zaffron
Zaffron has caused a stir among Cypriot gastronomes, and the place is always full of people who want to be spotted in this most fashionable of restaurants. But being seen is not what it's all about: the food is truly delicious. The menu is Mediterranean, so try the rack of lamb with pesto or the homemade pâtés, and end your meal with a chocolate dessert you will remember for months. There is also a good cocktail lounge bar. Basically, in Pafos, this is where it's at.
reviewed
-
R
Rubino
Rubino earns rave reviews for reinventing Maltese cuisine while staying true to its roots. There’s no menu, just a selection of the day’s dishes depending on seasonal produce and local tradition. Leave room for dessert – the house speciality, cassata siciliana (sponge cake soaked in liqueur, layered with ricotta cheese), is particularly recommended. Tuesday night is fenkata (a communal meal of rabbit) night, for which bookings are advised.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
S
Sarastro
Any place that bills itself as 'The Show after the Show' has got to be more concerned with entertainment than food. Come to Sarastro, behind the Theatre Royal and round the corner from the Royal Opera House, for opera music (piped and impromptu) and faux baroque decor that is camper than a bunch of Boy Scouts (think kitsch frescoes and fake 'opera boxes' adorning three sides of the restaurant). It's all quirky good fun and certainly a night you won't forget.
reviewed
-
T
Balthazar
Balthazar offers a spacious and buzzy dining atmosphere and an extensive menu of Catalan and Mediterranean dishes, which are good without being spectacular. Locals converge here for stylish, economical dining. After all, where else might you encounter a carpaccio de bou amb encenalls de parmesà (beef carpaccio with parmesan cheese shavings) for €6.60? The menú del día also wins the hearts of savers at €8.70.
reviewed
-
Iliomanolis
It's worth the drive through the spectacular Kotsifou Gorge to eat hearty home-style Cretan food in the village of Kanevos, in a lovely setting with the gorge on one side and a forest on the other. This place is renowned for its excellent food, and Maria is happy to show you the tempting array of pots in the kitchen (between 20 and 25 dishes each day). The meat is mostly their own produce and they sell their own wine, olive oil and raki.
reviewed
-
U
Coppinger Row
The South William boys have applied their criteria of cool to this new eatery just around the corner and come up trumps – the chefs have combined to create a tasty, unfussy menu of Mediterranean treats, to be enjoyed as main courses or as bar bites. We like the roast guinea fowl with borlotti beans but will settle for the meatball linguini.
reviewed
-
V
Le Petit Latin
Easy to overlook, with its step-down entrance, the 'Little Latin' drips with culinary authority, and it's not just the curled travel posters from the Côte d'Azur. If you can't read the blackboard scrawl, chef Jacques from Marseille will crouch to give you the day's specials - Aquitaine lamb? Fresh mullet flown in from the Riviera? Who can say non. The wine list is brief but formidable. Reserve or weep.
reviewed
