Must-see restaurants in Mediterranean Europe
Madrid
Madrid's only three-Michelin-starred restaurant, DiverXo in northern Madrid is one of Spain's most unusual culinary experiences. Chef David Muñoz is…
Madrid
This is one of Madrid’s oldest and most beautiful markets, within early-20th-century glass walls and an inviting space strewn with tables. You can order…
Modena
Reserve months in advance (or pray for a waiting-list miracle) at this fabled 12-table restaurant, where reimagined Italian fare is art and tasting menus…
Barcelona
Resembling a 3D art installation, this conceptual Michelin-star creation from the famed Adrià brothers is a 40-course tour de force of cutting-edge…
Centro Storico
Rimessa is particularly geared to wine lovers, but the food is good too.
San Lorenzo & San Marco
Arrive by noon to ensure a spot at this noisy, busy, brilliant trattoria – a legend that retains its soul (and allure with locals) despite being in every…
L'Eixample
One of Barcelona's preeminent restaurants – and its first to gain three Michelin stars (in 2016) – Lasarte is overseen by lauded chef Martín Berasategui…
San Lorenzo & San Marco
Wander the maze of stalls crammed with fresh produce at Florence's oldest and largest food market, on the ground floor of an iron-and-glass structure…
L'Eixample
Two-Michelin-star Disfrutar ('Enjoy') is among the city's finest restaurants. Run by alumni of Ferran Adrià's game-changing El Bulli, nothing is as it…
La Macarena & Alameda de Hércules
You'll almost certainly have to wait for a table at the bar, but it's so worth it, especially if you use the time to start on the excellent wine list. The…
Corso Magenta & Sant'Ambrogio
Since 1824 the original Marchesi pasticceria (pastry shop) has been charming customers with its refined 20th-century features and picture-perfect petit…
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna's best dining experience awaits in truffle territory. In the small village of Savigno, a 30km detour west of Bologna, this fantastic…
Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi
Don Alsonso is as much an experience as a meal – and a world-class one at that. Not only is the food exquisite, creative and true to its Sorrentino roots;…
Vejer de la Frontera
Sizzling atmosphere and flawless cooking combine at this beautiful restaurant hidden within a cavernous 16th-century, Moorish-origin house where even…
Naples
Head in by noon (or 7.30pm at dinner) to avoid a long wait at this hot-spot pizzeria, made famous thanks to its young, driven pizzaiolo Ciro Oliva. The…
Amalfi
A restaurant of artists, art and artistry, Caravella once hosted Andy Warhol. No surprise that it doubles up as a de-facto gallery with frescoes, creative…
Val d'Orcia
Sometimes simple dishes are the hardest to perfect. And perfection is the only term to use when discussing this trattoria in Brunello heartland. Watching…
Thrace
High in the Rhodopi Mountains, this isolated taverna feels like a fairy tale, and the food is definitely magic: spicy kebab romani (beef patties), beans…
Girona
Ever-changing avant-garde takes on Catalan dishes have catapulted El Celler de Can Roca to global fame. Holding three Michelin stars, it was named one of…
Bergamo
Bergamo's Vittorio is set in a country house 9km east of town and, with over 50 years and three Michelin stars under its belt, is up there with the best…
Ahmet Bey Yöresel Ev Yemekleri
Southeastern Anatolia
This modest restaurant, run by a charming older couple, dishes up Malatya's foodie specialities, a true taste of Anatolian flavours. You'll have to be…
Bilbao
The 1849-built Victor Montes attracts numerous luminaries but locals also appreciate its exquisite gilding, marble and frescoes, 1000-strong wine list and…
Alicante
Excellent in every way, this plush corner spot sports deliberately OTT decor that changes biannually but is always interesting. Grab a table or squeeze up…
Extremadura
Now here's something special. In remote El Gasco, La Meancera has classy, intimate decor (white wooden furnishings, an open kitchen) and fabulous food,…
Dodecanese
If there's one reason to visit Leros, it's to eat here, one of the best restaurants in the Dodecanese. Run by two passionate and knowledgeable brothers,…
Dodecanese
This patisserie and ice-cream bar, housed in an historic Italianate mansion on the waterfront, provides a sweet-toothed experience like no other. The…
Oltrarno
Reserve or arrive right on 7.30pm to snag the last table at this ever-popular address, an ode to stylish dining where gastronomes eat by candlelight in a…
Milan
Smooth as the silk after which it's named, Seta is Michelin-starred dining at its best: beautiful, inventive and full of flavour surprises. Diners sit on…
Syntagma & Plaka
A superb addition to Athens' culinary landscape is this deli, cafe and restaurant occupying a gorgeously designed atrium space flooded with light. There…
Pafos
This family-run restaurant (for four generations) is a green oasis, with trees, statues and trickling waterfalls. Owner Georgios is passionate about his…
Tridente, Trevi & the Quirinale
Serving sensational regional cuisine from Emilia-Romagna, this restaurant has been operated by the Latini family since 1931. Our three recommendations…
Pavia
It is almost worth a trip to Pavia just to eat in Dimo and Maria's medieval tower. Although rooted in tradition (farming sickles and antique pots adorn…
Rhodes Town
Despite being barely visible, or even signed, from the street, this irresistible dinner-only restaurant is filled nightly, with diners savouring exquisite…
Milan
Started by Aimo and Nadia Moroni in 1962 as a simple trattoria, it’s now one of the most revered restaurants in town, with two-Michelin stars to its name…
Turquoise Coast
Just after the bridge into Çıralı, this is the best place for Turkish food: behind a counter heaving with mezes and seafood, the open kitchen turns out…
Dodecanese
Offering tables right on the beach or on a thatch-roofed terrace, this stylish taverna prepares up-to-the-minute versions of traditional seafood cuisine…
Ikaria
A short walk from the main square, this tiny but outstanding eatery ventures well beyond the Ikarian mainstream, upgrading traditional Greek food to the…
Dénia
In sleek, white, minimalist premises near the beach 3km west of Dénia, this coolly handsome place is one of the peninsula's temples to modern gastronomy…
Madrid
It’s not every day that you can eat in the oldest restaurant in the world (as recognised by the Guinness Book of Records – established in 1725). The…
