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.
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…
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…
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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…
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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;…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Bilbao
The 1849-built Victor Montes attracts numerous luminaries but locals also appreciate its exquisite gilding, marble and frescoes, 1000-strong wine list and…
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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…
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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,…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Pafos
This family-run restaurant (for four generations) is a green oasis, with trees, statues and trickling waterfalls. Owner Georgios is passionate about his…
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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…
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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…
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Rhodes Town
Despite being barely visible, or even signed, from the street, this irresistible dinner-only restaurant is filled nightly, with diners savouring exquisite…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
L'Eixample
Named for the owner's Val d’Aran hometown, this stylish space with black-and-white floors, pine-green booths and bottle-lined walls offers next-level…
La Latina & Lavapiés
Casa Lucio is a Madrid classic and has been wowing madrileños since 1974 with its light touch, quality ingredients and home-style local cooking such as…
Bologna
Often touted as Bologna's best restaurant by in-the-know culinarians – especially locals – this unassuming neighbourhood trattoria is both a rousing good…
Modena
In business since 1963, this fabulous, affordable little lunch spot is tucked into a single wood-panelled room at the northern edge of downtown Modena…
San Giovanni & Testaccio
This neighbourhood trattoria is renowned for its unswerving dedication to Roman soul food. Though its decor is contemporary, the menu is unrelentingly old…
Madrid
A slick but casual tapas bar, Estado Puro serves up fantastic tapas, that push the boundaries of traditional recipes. It's known for many things, among…
