Best Food Holidays

3 Best Food Holidays Around the World

If you’re a foodie and love to travel, this one’s for you - there’s nothing better than eating your way around a new city. Pack your appetite so you’re ready to savour the world’s most vibrant kitchens, exploring steaming street-food stalls, traditional family-run bistros and Michelin-starred restaurants. 

From 72-hour braised steak in Brazil to the ripest avocado in Australia, these three long-haul destinations might be places you’ve thought about visiting, but not for their food scene. Read on to discover three of the best food holidays around the world.  

You can fly to all these destinations from Birmingham Airport. If you’re driving to the airport, pre-book parking online to save up to 70% and guarantee a space. Then, check out our useful travel tips to ensure a smooth journey.   

Sydney 

When you think of Sydney, you may conjure up images of the Opera House, Bondi Beach and Sydney Harbour Bridge. You might not even think about the food it has to offer… it’s all vegemite sandwiches, right? Wrong. Sydney is Australia’s flavour capital. Due to its rich multicultural heritage, you might be on holiday in Australia, but you’ll be tasting authentic cuisines from all around the world. Ready your taste buds for steaming Malaysian pancakes, Korean barbecues, and a smorgasbord of flavours from Vietnamese to Portuguese.  

Deliciously tempting experiences range from waterside dining to neighbourhood street eats, fresh produce markets and towering sky bars. 

Top 3 places to go:

• The Quay – what many consider as Sydney’s best restaurant, with a view of the Harbour Bridge to boot. Chef Peter Gilmore never lets his customers down, consistently delivering exquisitely crafted, adventurous cuisine. 
• Mr Wong is a hip Cantonese joint with perpetual queues out the door. Enjoy mouth-watering dumplings, delectable duck and plenty of other Cantonese treats. 
• Sydney Fish Market is a must-visit. Seafood is a popular choice in Sydney and oysters are essential. The market is home to well-known restaurants such as Deep Seafood Café, Oyster Bar and Fisherman’s Wharf. 

Mumbai

Tantalise your taste buds in India’s restaurant capital. Mumbai’s food scene is simply thrilling. It is the only place in India where you can find coastal, Maharashtrian, north-Indian, and quality vegetarian south-Indian cuisine. You can also expect to find many Halal joints due to the large Muslim population.  

High-end modern restaurants serve delicious cosmopolitan food, with some of the finest pan-Asian, Chinese, Japanese, international and Indo-European cuisine around.  

The real magic, however, happens elsewhere. Head to hole-in-the-wall dhabas that sell the finest kebabs, or family-run establishments cooking fresh seafood a stone’s throw from where it was caught. Or, make your way to Chowpatti beach, where the chatwallas serve the most moreish, spiciest food you can imagine. Finally, don’t forget the street vendors who nourish millions of Mumbai’s hungry population every single day.  

It’s safe to say Mumbai satisfies every palette, on every budget.  

Top 3 places to go:

• Mohammad Ali road is home to some of the best street food in Mumbai. From kebabs and shawarmas to the Nihari, and the Shahi Sherbet to the Phirnis, the road is so famous that many celebs have been spotted, ready to feast. 
• Ziya is the signature restaurant of the magnificent Oberoi Hotel. Exotic spices and aromatic herbs of the East are used here by Michelin-starred Chef Vineet Bhatia to create bold flavours with a modern twist.  
• A local Mumbai resident’s house. If possible, get yourself an invite to dinner for a true taste of authentic Maharastrain cuisine. Locals are warm and welcoming, and there’s nothing better than homemade butter garlic crab, chilli marinated fish or sweet coconut prawn curry, washed down with a whisky soda.  

Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo is one of the most populated cities in the world and the largest in South America. It’s a city of contrast, which you can see through its cultural, as well as its culinary scene. Whether you want high-end fusion dishes, simple and cheap eats, or something in between, you’ll find it in Sao Paulo. And it’s not all Brazilian barbecue, although you can’t leave the city without visiting an ‘all you can eat’ meat joint (locally known as churrascarias).  

The city’s food is influenced by Italian, Lebanese, Portuguese, and Japanese immigrants who all call Sao Paulo home. There’s everything from fine dining (it was one of the two cities where the Michelin Guide launched its Brazil edition in 2016), to street food, to the magnificent Mercado Municipal Market. 

Top 3 places to go: 

• Vento Haragana – a churrascaria popular amongst locals and tourists with a reputation for their quality meats, impressive salad bar and good service. 
• Bar de Mané in the Mercado Municipal Market for a traditional Mortadella sandwich of epic dimensions. You’ll bite into chunky sourdough bread piled high with nearly half a pound of mortadella sausage, Provolone cheese, mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. 
• Bolinha - located in the upmarket Jardins district, Bolinha has been serving Feijoada, Brazil’s most beloved dish, since the 1950s. A hearty, comforting stew packed with the beautiful flavours of salty, smoky pork and beef alongside black beans.