Travelling

The Eating Guide to Cinque Terre, Italy

Italy

The Italian Riviera is bustling with tourists, and they are all in Cinque Terre – colourful villages atop steep cliffs where no cars dare venture. Life moves a little slower here. Locals carry their goods in hand drawn carts, fishermen go out to the sea for a fresh catch, and the lemon dressing from your plate is probably picked from the tree near the restaurant. These are the five villages, and they are beachy Monterosso, rugged Corniglia, beautiful Vernazza, traditional Manarola and calming Riomaggiore. Here, we seek out the taste of the Ligurian sea. 

Look forward to: Fresh seafood and Ligurian pesto

Ristorante Belforte

Where: Via G. Guidoni, 42, 19018 Vernazza SP, Italy
What: Codfish ravioli with pesto
For: Romantic dining

Fresh seafood, homemade pesto and a view of the sea puts Ristorante Belforte on the top of everyone’s list. Ligurian recipes dominate the menu here. Ligurian pesto is the region’s most celebrated dish, and Belforte’s version has a creamy texture with a zesty lemon aftertaste. The Vernazza seafood salad is a mixture of steamed seafood topped with olive oil, lemon and parsley – the perfect antipasti to whet your appetite. Chances are that sea view seats are not guaranteed for walk-ins, so book in advance to get that spot by the sea. 

Trattoria Locanda Il Porticciolo

Where: Via Renato Birolli, 92, 19017 Manarola di Riomaggiore SP, Italy
What: Roasted fish with vegetables
For: Variety

The casual Trattoria Locanda Il Porticciolo is hard to miss if you look out for the parked boats along Manarola’s main street. Local fish dishes are some of the restaurant’s top dishes. Dig into the pappardelle with swordfish, roasted fish with vegetables, and salted anchovies with peppers. 

Aristide

Where: Via Discovolo, 290, Manarola, Italy
What: Eggs
For: Breakfast 

Breakfast eggs can be hard to come by in Italy, as locals go for a pastry and a coffee to start their day. Aristide provides a good Italian alternative to the all American breakfast. Omelettes are made with stretchy Italian cheese and parma ham. For something sweet, there is always a crostata. If you’re staying in Manarola, make this place your pitstop for your morning pick-me-up en route to the train station. 

Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre

Where: Via Gavino, 36, 19018 Vernazza SP, Italy
What: Cannoli
For: Sicilian cuisine

We may be all the way up north of Italy, but the Sicilian palate is not lost in Cinque Terre. Massimo and Gianluca are the Sicilian brothers who opened Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre, which became a breakfast favourite in Vernazza. As expected from Sicilian cuisine, desserts and pastries are the extraordinary items on the menu. It gets busy during breakfasts, and a meal there is incomplete without trying the cannoli with ricotta cheese. 

Madrid Travel Tips from Omar Allibhoy, Spanish Chef of Tapas Revolution

Conversations with Locals

Since opening Tapas Revolution, Omar Allibhoy has transformed the landscape of Spanish dining in the UK, one tapas restaurant at a time. The Madrilenian is also part of the Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube family, dishing out the secrets to traditional Spanish cooking. We talk to Omar about the must-try dish from Madrid, the Spanish way to do tapas, and why you should never go for paellas in Madrid. 

Spanish Made Simple: Foolproof Spanish Recipes for Every Day by Omar Allibhoy of Tapas Revolution (Quadrille £20) Photo: Martin Poole

What do you feel defines the cuisine in Madrid?

Madrid is undoubtedly the capital of tapas. Every street is full of tapas bars, all making their own specialty. But of course it wasn’t always that way and something which is less known but equally important is the cuisine around offal. Madrid was heavily bombarded during the civil war and very poor as a result. Families used to make great recipes with cheaper animal cuts to save money and still use offal in cooking today.

How do Spanish people do tapas?

In Spain, tapas is more than just food, it’s how we connect, and is an excuse to get together. In the UK people meet ‘for a pint’, in Spain we ‘go for tapas’. Sharing food from the same plate brings us all a bit closer, and enhances conversation. It’s human nature to share what we have as opposed to eating your own thing.

When we go for tapas, we generally hop in and out of a number of tapas bars eating and drinking the house specialty of each place.

Photo: Tapas Revolution

Habas con chorizo. Photo: Tapas Revolution

What is the difference between British food and Spanish food?

Where to start? Cuisines are constantly evolving and the British food scene is now shifting with the influx of other cuisines. Unfortunately, the local produce is limited because the climate and geography is not quite as diverse as Spain.

Spanish cuisine has evolved for the last 2,000 years to become what it is today. Different cultures have chipped in – Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Christians. To put it into perspective, in Spain there is no concept of ‘Spanish cuisine’, it’s a lot more regional. For example, we have Galician and Catalonian cuisines. I think it’s fair to say there is a lot more variety in Spain compared to the UK.

What are some local dishes you feel travellers can’t leave Madrid without trying? 

Callos a la Madrileña, it’s a beef tripe stew. It may not sound appealing but it’s a very traditional dish. Otherwise, don’t leave without trying patatas bravas or a good bocadillo de calamares (deep fried squid ciabatta).

Where do you love to eat in Madrid?

I love lots of them! A few you have to try are Casa Lucio, Era, Cachivache, Sala de Despiece, Taberna de la Daniela, Combarro and St. James. 

Spanish Made Simple: Foolproof Spanish Recipes for Every Day by Omar Allibhoy of Tapas Revolution (Quadrille £20) Photo: Martin Poole

Name one best kept secret of Marche 

Madrid Río is the new refurb and regeneration plan for the south of Madrid and is a beautiful walk or bike ride away. Also, Parque del Capricho is one of my favourites and you hardly ever see any tourists there, so I guess it’s still a secret!

What’s your perfect itinerary to explore the city? 

Grab the bicycles, which are battery assisted, and make your own route, you are never going to see it all in one trip. If you are into food, know when you are going to finish for lunch! Maybe this Google map can help you with some of my favourite restaurants in my hometown. 

Name some tourist traps travellers should avoid in Madrid

The usual things, if there are food photos on the window, stay away from that restaurant. Paellas in Madrid are not great. Don’t waste your money in souvenir shops. Generally ask the locals, you are always closer than you think for authentic tapas.

Do paellas in Madrid taste bad? 

Paellas are only truly great in the Valencia region, where they originally come from. Rice is one of the most difficult ingredients to cook correctly in my opinion, and they are the masters of it. When in Madrid, eat like the Madrileños!

What’s your favourite day trip to take from Madrid?

I think Segovia. You can eat proper cochinillo asado (roasted suckling pig) at Meson de Candido while looking at the most stunning Aqueduct.

You recently had to defend Jamie Oliver on adding chorizo to paella. What is it about Spanish cuisine that the Spanish are so passionate about defending?

Our cuisine has been corrupted and distorted a lot because of a lack of knowledge and good communicators who spread the word about traditional Spanish cuisine. Food is fundamental to the Spanish and they don’t like to see traditional dishes messed around and altered. On the other hand, I think a bit differently.

 

WHERE TO EAT IN MADRID


Casa Lucio
Where: Calle Cava Baja, 35, 28005 Madrid, Spain
For: Spanish food

La Era Restaurante
Where: Calle de la Infanta Mercedes, 103, 28020 Madrid, Spain
For: High-end dining

Cachivache Taberna
Where: Calle de Serrano, 221, 28016 Madrid, Spain
For: Tapas

Sala de Despiece
Where: Calle de Ponzano, 11, 28010 Madrid, Spain
For: Tapas

Taberna de la Daniela
Where: Calle del Gral. Pardiñas, 21, 28001 Madrid, Spain
For: Cocido madrilenio

Combarro
Where: Calle Reina Mercedes, 12, 28020 Madrid, Spain
For: Seafood

Restaurante St James Madrid
Where: Calle de Juan Bravo, 26, 28006 Madrid, Spain (and more)
For: Rice dishes
 

WHERE TO GO IN MADRID


Madrid Río
Where: Puente de Toledo, 28019 Madrid, Spain
For: Parks and play areas

Parque del Capricho
Where: Paseo de la Alameda de Osuna, 25, 28042 Madrid, Spain
For: Parks

The 24 Hour Guide to Eating in Venice, Italy

Italy

It’s mid day in Venice, and the Venetians are congregating in bàcaris, where alcohol is often paired with small plates of crostinis, deep fried seafood balls and mini sandwiches. Forget the overpriced restaurants along the Grand Canal. The heart of Venetian cuisine is in this street food – cicchetti. These bite sized pieces of food are the perfect combination of Italian ingredients served on a toothpick, each ranging from one to three euros. We round up the three places you need to know if you have 24 hours in Venice. 

Look forward to: Cicchetti

Al Merca

Where: Campo Bella Vienna, 213, 30125 Venezia, Italy
What: Panini
For: Cicchetti

Equipped with just a storefront, Al Merca is a haven for the mid afternoon wine and miniature panino. No seating areas? No problem, just blend in with the locals standing in front of the store, with food and drink in hand. The counter is stuffed with panino, some with gorgonzola cheese and others with parma ham. Amongst these, other cicchetti such as deep fried seafood can be found. Take your pick from any of these, but the Italian cheese and prosciutto panino always wins. 

Osteria Alla Ciurma

Where: Calle Galeazza, 406A, 30125 San Polo, Venezia VE, Italy
What: Crostinis
For: Cicchetti

The orders never stop at Osteria Alla Ciurma, and neither does the drinking. A glass of wine starts at €1.50, and ranges from friulano to prosecco. Seating areas are few, but you wouldn’t need that if you’re going for the drinks and finger food. The top item to try? The different types of crostinis. Owner Marco Paola is a whiz at experimenting with crostini toppings, such as stuffed eggplant, baccalà mantecato (creamed codfish) and anchovies. 

Pontini

Where: Fondamenta Cannaregio, 1268, 30121 Venezia, Italy
What: Seafood pastas
For: A sit down restaurant

Of course, it’s not all cicchetti in Venice. Fresh seafood in the Venetian markets always find their way inside this trattoria along Cannaregio. To avoid the queue at Pontini, dinner at 6 pm is essential. Pastas with any kind of seafood are exceptional, as the pastas are doused in a thick seafood stock, the result of a hearty combination  of shellfish and tomatoes. Every bite is filled with the flavours of the sea.