Our Spotlight On guests are true foodies. They shared with us their best food tips about their home towns, their favorite places or the cities they live in at the moment of our interview. We have rounded them up in an on-going list, divided into continents, countries then cities so you can easily find what you are looking for. Beware, this post may induce severe hunger!
Africa
Gabon
Libreville
- Orange Holiday – “A must-see food place in Libreville is Life by Mayena. This place was recently built and became hugely popular due to its modern ‘all in one’ concept. There you will find a culinary oasis of three restaurants – Mexican, African and a superb Indian, a lovely outside terrace for cocktails and drinks, a roof terrace with a stunning ocean view and the best ice cream parlor in town, open until 1am! Whenever I am in Libreville, I try to indulge myself in one of these restaurants with delicious food, great service and fantastic choice.” Luba Fateeva
Morocco
Marrakech
- Conversant Traveller – “You can’t visit Marrakech and not experience the Night Market in Djemaa el Fna. As dusk descends, so do the story tellers, magicians, and entertainers. Food stalls appear and the tantalising smell of sizzling meats and stews draws people in from across the city to feast together. If you want to eat, there are dozens of stalls to choose from. It can seem a bit daunting walking through trying to decide where to sit as the touts shout comic phrases and even a few well known lines from food commercials to lure you in. Your best bet is to pick a stall which is being patronised by Moroccan families. If locals are eating there it means the quality should be okay. If you’re nervous about the hygiene standards but still want to experience the night time buzz of the square, you could do worse than grabbing a pizza on the veranda at Le Grand Balcon du Café Glacier. The prices you will pay in restaurants around Djemaa el Fna reflect the views rather than the quality of the cuisine, but it’s something you should do at least once.” Heather and Pete
Americas
Central America
- DIY Travel HQ – “From Mexico to El Salvador, we’ve been travelling in Central America for most of the year. If you’re on a budget, head straight to the local market where you’ll find many comedors (small eateries) that offer a Menu del Dia (Menu of the Day). Here, you can get a soup, plate of meat with rice, salad, and tortillas along with a drink for just $2-3. Bargain! In El Salvador, it’s all about pupusas! Pupusas are thick, handmade corn tortillas filled with a combination of cheese, refried beans and chicharron (pork rind). They’re served with curtido, a fermented cabbage slaw, and a tomato salsa. Pupusas are delicious, filling. Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner, you can always find 3 for $1!” Sheena and Erik
USA
Cincinnati, OH
- The Hungry Traveler – “Our culinary scene ranges from the classic German dishes that are a part of the city’s heritage to new, unique restaurants that have helped Cincinnati become recognized as one of the up-and-coming best food cities in the US. Cincinnati has two local specialties that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else in the world. The first, and most widely known, is Cincinnati Chili, a heavily spiced meat sauce served over spaghetti noodles and topped with diced onion and mounds of shredded cheese. My favorite is Skyline. The other local speciality is goetta, a mix of ground pork and pin oats that are blended together, fried, and served as a breakfast meat.” Jordan Hamons
Morristown, NJ
- Behind the Plates – “One of the best things about New Jersey is the diversity of our residents and the vast amount of farm land we have. It brings a huge array of cuisines to our towns and honestly I find that it’s hard to beat the culinary talents of some of the chefs around the Garden state. That being said, my advice for Morristown or any other New Jersey location is first that you can always count on the classics (Porkroll, sub sandwiches, pizza, Italian food…), that’s a given and a safe bet. But also be willing to step outside that box and try some of the other hidden treasures NJ has to offer. There is plenty of Farm to Table establishments along with Spanish, Indian, Greek, Portuguese, Middle Eastern, etc. cultures bringing great food to the table!” Missy Raho
New York, NY
- I May Roam – “My best food tip is – ask the locals where to go. If you can’t do that, Yelp and Time Out are good resources as well. Most of my favorite pizza places are in NYC, but Sicilian Pie at L & B Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn is my favorite. It’s also the only Sicilian on my list.” Brian
Philadelphia, PA
- 2foodtrippers – “When we’re not traveling, we are based in Philadelphia. Our best food tip is to skip the famous cheesesteak and instead eat a roast pork sandwich. If Philadelphia is a sandwich city, then the roast pork sandwich is the sandwich king. John’s Roast Pork in deep South Philly is our favorite spot for a roast pork sandwich. We also like DiNic’s at the Reading Terminal in Center City. The donuts at Federal Donuts are also a favorite of ours. The shop sells just three things – donuts, fried chicken and coffee, and all three are great. Each order of fried chicken comes with a Honey donut. Otherwise, donut options are grouped as Hot Fresh and Fancy.” Daryl and Mindi Hirsch
Reno, NV
- Do Cartwheels With Me – “I really love our coffee scene here and I recommend hanging out and meeting locals at Blue Whale Coffee, The Hub on the River (al fresco cafe with river views), Old World Coffee, and Magpie. We are also proud of our local breweries that make their own craft beer like St. James Brasserie, The Depot, and Great Basin. I also really enjoy the local dining scene in Reno because while we don’t get as many restaurants relative to San Francisco, the ones we do have tend to be really focused and thus, really good. My favorite place to eat (and has been since they opened) is an Italian restaurant in the Midtown district called Calafuria.” Trish
Washington, DC
- The Dining Traveler – “Discover DC beyond the monuments and Georgetown. My favorite market right now is Union Market located in Northeast DC which showcases some amazing local vendors. Head to the smaller neighborhoods of the city such as Brookland and Bloomingdale to experience restaurants such as Brookland’s Finest, Red Hen, and Big Bear Café, which are revered by locals.” Jessica van Dop DeJesus
Westminster, CA
- Lime & Cilantro – “I currently live in Westminster in Southern California. It is the biggest Vietnamese community in the United States, and teeming with literally hundreds of authentic Vietnamese eateries and markets. My suggestion is go try out vegetarian Vietnamese restaurants. They are pretty much life-changing. I am a big meat eater, and now I go vegetarian on purpose. My favorite is Bo De Tinh Tam Chay on Beach Blvd. Head to Brodard for a taste of their Vietnamese duck salad.” Soe Hlaing Thein
Asia
China
Beijing
- Maria Abroad – “Hands down, the best advice I would give someone going to Beijing is: If you are the only ‘Westerner’ in the restaurant, you will most likely get an amazing meal. Try to stay away from places with an English menu and where most of the customers are tourists. You might not necessarily know exactly WHAT it is you are eating, but I promise you it will be good! Go where the locals go and point to the most interesting dish on the picture menu or if you see something on another table that looks good to you, just point to it and they will be happy to bring it out. It is a bit daring and you need to be a bit adventurous, but you will have an experience you will never forget!” Maria Haase
Shanghai
- Lemonsquash – “Try all the dumplings!! Especially the soup dumplings which are famous in Shanghai. When I lived in Shanghai, I gave dumpling tours at my friend’s company: UnTour. After living in Asia for so long, it’s hard to find something that tastes authentic back in the US. I really miss the Chinese breakfast crepe (煎饼). It’s a big rolled up crepe filled with an egg, cilantro, scallions, chili paste, hoisin sauce and a fried wonton wrapper. It’s a staple street eat! ” Alice
India
Bangalore
- Voyager – “If you are in Bangalore, you MUST eat one of the city’s signature dishes, the Masala Dosa. The best place to taste authentic masala dosas is at a small restaurant called Vidyarthi Bhavan, that has been in service since 1943. Two local dishes one must definitely taste are the Bisibele Bhath, which is a spicy mixture of rice, vegetables, and lentils steam cooked together. The other dish is an authentic Indian sweet which originated in the neighbouring city of Mysore and is called Mysore Pak.” Sandy and Vyjay
Indonesia
Bali
- Girlswanderlust – Daphne – “Try the most traditional and local dish of Bali: babi guling. The whole hog is barbecued and served to eat. The babi guling can be found at many warung and restaurants who are specialising in this dish. Most of the time, the babi guling is served with steamed rice and lawar (finely chopped combinations of various ingredients, usually containing fine chopped meat, vegetables, grated coconut, and spices). The skin of the pig looks crisp brown and the meat has a tender and juicy taste. It is not my most favourite and delicious dish from Bali, but definitely the number one dish you should try while in Bali.” Daphne
Japan
Tokyo
- Celia in Tokyo – “One thing unique to Tokyo and Japan, which not so many people are aware of, is the basements of department stores. Here you can feast your eyes on gourmet heaven in its most stylish and luxurious form, with everything from marbled beef to traditional sweets to quality sushi. One of my all time favourites is the basement of Isetan in Shinjuku.” Celia
- Girlswanderlust – Tamara – “The number one food to try when you are in Tokyo, is sushi of course! The Japanese people eat it for lunch, dinner, and mostly even for breakfast. And what is better than trying your own-made sushi? My ultimate food tip for Tokyo is doing a cooking class and make your own sushi! There are plenty of places in the city where you can take a sushi class.” Tamara
Myanmar
Yangon
- Lime & Cilantro – “My hometown is Yangon in Myanmar. If you, somehow, happen to be there, try to explore bazaars. They really are full of life, colors, and amazing street food vendors. My favorite is Lay Har Pyin Zay in Kyee Myin Dai township. You must have a Mohinga from Tin Tin Aye. It is a fish and noodle soup, an essential of Burmese cuisine.” Soe Hlaing Thein
Singapore
Singapore
- The Food Chapter – “Eat local to get a flavour of Singapore! Our hawker centers are well equipped with all the cuisines available in my country, a mishmesh and like some say a ‘rojak of flavours’ yet all these flavours come together so well in a melting pot of cultures.” Phoebe
Taiwan
Taipei
- The Thousandth Girl – “Our evening night markets are often covered in the media, but don’t miss out on visiting a traditional ‘wet market’ – which typically operates in the early mornings until noon. Fresh produce is set out – some of which is totally unique to the island – as well as a selection of prepared foods. Taiwan’s agricultural offerings are being given new appreciation, as shown by the amount of restaurants and bars that are using locally-sourced ingredients.” Stephanie Hsu
Europe
England
Brighton
- Burger Abroad – “Brighton, in the UK, has some great food (and beer) everywhere. My favorite thing to eat is definitely all the vegan burgers at The Loving Hut. Vegan burgers, vegan cheese, and vegan mayonnaise. It’s just like heaven.” Amanda Burger
Leeds
- Global Brunch – “One thing Leeds is really good at is street food. You can see new food stalls popping up all the time, but my personal favourite is the Street Food Festival: Leeds Feast. The event was put on for the very first time in May this year and blew me away with exciting creations, international flavours, and a fantastic atmosphere.” Maria Berz
London
- The Hibiscus Traveller – “The seasonal pop-up food markets around London are the best for sampling delights from some of the city’s hippest restaurants and chefs. My favourites this summer are Night Tales in Hackney Wick, Dinerama in Shoreditch and the new Pergola On The Roof in White City (a first for West London!).” Jemma
- Mini Adventures – “Avoid the big national chain restaurants, as there’s so much more to be found if you dig a bit deeper. London can be a pricey city, so take advantage of offers and deals – follow accounts such as @SkintLondon and @LDNCheapEats for bargain dinners out. And if you’re eating out regularly, make sure you get yourself a Tastecard for 50% off and 2-for-1 deals all over the city!” Milly
- Sophie’s Suitcase – “Always steer from the tourist areas and head to the little streets. You can find some great places to eat in Brixton, Shoreditch, and Wimbledon, all serving great food with a lovely atmosphere. Try Dog & Fox, Wimbledon for tasty roast dinners and The Joint in Brixton for next world burgers!” Sophie
Georgia
Tbilisi
- Traveling Bytes – “Georgia is known for its unique cuisine that carries some influences from European and Middle Eastern culinary traditions. The must-visit place to experience it is Barbarestan restaurant in Tbilisi. It was named after Barbare Jorjadze, a legendary Georgian chef and the author of the first extensive book about Georgian cuisine back in the 19th century. The restaurant has adapted her cook book to rediscover forgotten treasures of the country’s heritage. The historic wine cellar of the 19th century is a treasured pride of the restaurant. A country with countless rolling fields is bound to produce an excellent meat. It would be a shame to miss tasting it. Expertly prepared grilled meat called shashlik is absolutely delicious.” Elena
Germany
Hamburg
- Reisegabel – “You canfind so many different cuisines in Hamburg: Portuguese, Italian, Greek, American, French, Indian, and many more. Of course, you can eat some nice fish here or labskaus, but as I have more of a sweet tooth, I would recommend a franzbrötchen. It is a small, sweet pastry, baked with butter and cinnamon, a bit like a Danish pastry. You can find many different sweet and savory versions of these viennoiseries in Hamburg.” Benjamin Maasz
Hanover
- Valises & Gourmandises – “I love going out on the Limmerstraße in the more alternative part of Hanover. There’s a lot of fruit markets and tiny restaurants that offer affordable food, most of which have some pretty scrumptious vegan options too! There’s actually a very nice array of veg-friendly cafés and restaurants scattered throughout the city. Some of my favorites include Carrots & Coffee, Mezzo, Crêperie Lamara and Café Bohne, but you can find them all on Happy Cow.” Aryane
Italy
Florence
- Lost In Florence – “In Florence, meat eaters must try Bistecca alla Fiorentina. It’s a T-bone steak of Chianina beef weighing in on average one kilogram for the smallest serving. It only comes served one way: bloody! Seared over a grill, it’s crispy on the outside, red in the middle, and lathered with olive oil after cooking. It’s served up simply on a plate and you decide on one or two seasonal side dishes. Even an entry-level size is enough for two people, so be warned. As for places to try it, my first experience was at a family run trattoria, L’Brindellone, in San Frediano many years ago and a food experience I’ll never forget. For a true Tuscan meat feast, carnivores should venture out to Dario Cecchini’s eatery in the town of Panzano in Chianti. Yet it’s not all meat on menus. For vegetarians, try the quaint veggie haven of Il Vegetariano in San Lorenzo, Florence.” Nardia Plumridge
Rome
- Blocal Travel Blog – “There is just one rule in Rome: to venture outside the city center in order to avoid tourist traps, as it’s very difficult to find genuine food there and all restaurants and cafes are very expensive. I love wandering around food markets (my favorite ones are in Testaccio and in Prati) and grab a slice of pizza at bakeries.” Giulia
- Nibble, Sip, Wander – “My absolute number one food tip seems pretty straightforward, yet I always see articles online where tourists have posted pictures of their receipts from Rome bemoaning the cost of a cup of coffee. If you order a coffee, pastry, gelato, or anything else that is served at a bar and can be eaten standing up…stand up! The cost of the same item, when seated, can be triple. Not to mention, when seated, you have to pay a service charge (or coperto), which can range anywhere from one to five Euros (EUR) per person. This rule of thumb applies even more so if you are near a famous attraction such as the Vatican Museums or the Colosseum.” Emily Heinz
Venice
- I Am Not Making This Up – “If you go to Venice, the one food tip I’d offer is to try anything you haven’t eaten before. Venetian cuisine is fantastic. Look for the classics: bigoli in salsa, sarde in saor, polenta and baccala’, baccala’ mantecato. If you don’t like fish, there’s always pasta e fagioli – pasta and beans. Here’s another food tip: Venetians DO NOT put grated Parmesan cheese on any dish that includes fish. There is one exception: seppia in their ink. If you are eating seppia with pasta or in a risotto, grated cheese is almost required. If your waiter thinks that’s strange, he’s not from Venice. Or he never eats sepia.” Erla Zwingle
Portugal
Lisbon
- Salt of Portugal – “Take a food tour. It is a fun way to get to know Portugal’s culinary traditions and try lots of different dishes. Portugal on a Plate has a great tour of Lisbon’s Madragoa neighborhood. Also, visit our beautiful food markets. Portuguese cuisine is all about the quality of the ingredients; the fish is so fresh that, given a chance, it might swim back to the ocean. In Lisbon, the Mercado da Ribeira is a great place to visit. It has an area where many famous chefs have stalls so you can try their food. You can have a wonderful lunch there and then go shop in the regular market. Buy some cheese, canned sardines, bread, fruit and a bottle of wine and you can have a wonderful late-afternoon picnic by the river.” Maria and Sergio Rebelo, Rui Duarte, Pedro Teles
Romania
Bucharest
- Eff It, I’m on holiday – “Besides traditional restaurants, Bucharest offers many local fairs where you can buy home-made products directly from local manufacturers. It is a great way to try authentic Romanian foods from different parts of the country without even leaving the city. The best thing to eat in Bucharest is a dish called mici. It is a traditional dish made of ground meat (usually a mixture of different types of meat), garlic, pepper, and different herbs. This dish is normally served with fries, mustard, pickles and bread. My favorite desert is papanasi, which is a fried pastry served with jam (usually sour cherries or strawberry) and sour cream. Actually, words won’t make justice for how great this desert is. There are a lot of places where you can try it, but the best one is at Caru’ Cu Bere, an authentic Romanian restaurant in the Old Town of Bucharest.” Paul and Vlad
Spain
Granada
- A Wandering Casiedilla – “Granada is the city of FREE tapas! That’s right… I said free. When you order a drink (i.e. beer, wine, soda) you get a plate of free food with it! If you know the good spots to go, you shouldn’t ever have to “pay” for a full, quality meal. My favorite tapas bar is Chantarela. This tapas bar is always packed with locals for a reason. Their tapas are downright delicious, a generous portion and of the highest quality. With three beers (2.50€ each), both you and your stomach will be happy! Oh! and the best thing to eat in Granada is Salmorejo, a cold tomato soup similar to Gazpacho, but thicker and creamier. It’s usually eaten in the summer and garnished with jamón, crumbled egg and olive oil.” Casie Tennin
Madrid
- MuchBites – “My biggest food tip for Madrid would be to not choose a restaurant based on its decoration. The trend in Madrid at the moment is to have beautifully decorated restaurants but most of the time the food served will not match the decor. So do your research and don’t make eating decisions on restaurant looks. You’ll find the best food is the most shabby looking places.” Wesley Muchimwe
- Spanish Sabores – “Something I often recommend to foodies is to visit the Mercado de la Paz and to try the tortilla (Spanish potato omelette) at Casa Dani. I adore visiting traditional markets wherever I go, and the Mercado de la Paz is great. Casa Dani is an institution (and a dying breed), a super traditional, authentic bar where you squeeze in next to people from all walks of life for a beer and a tapa. And their tortilla is magical— it melts in your mouth!” Lauren Aloise
The Netherlands
Amsterdam
- Amsterdam & Beyond – “If you crave a truly authentic Dutch meal, head over to Moeders and order the Hollandse rijsttafel. For 19 Euros (EUR) you will be served a family-style meal with all of the Dutch classics. Slow simmered beef, stamppotje, boiled apples, red cabbage, mashed potatoes, stewed pears, bacon, smoked sausage, and gravy. Make a reservation well in advance, and order a bottle of red wine to wash it all down.” Alexandra Ronca
- I Wander And Roam – “In Amsterdam, Suriname takeaways and restaurants are scattered all over the city and a personal favourite of mine is a Javanese/Surinamese restaurant Spang Makandra in the De Pijp neighborhood. Caffeine junkies should be sure to check out the Scandinavian Embassy cafe, also in De Pijp, which serves up amazing pour over coffee and the best smoked salmon and eggs I’ve ever had the pleasure of devouring.” Claire
- Tales From A Fork – “In Amsterdam, skip out on the touristy spots in center, and head to Ten Kate Market to get the best fries, hummus sandwich, spring rolls, and pastrami sandwich. The fries guy has the freshest fries I’ve eaten in Amsterdam, and for the hummus sandwich, it’s not advertised so you just have to ask for it! A fun fact about the Vietnamese spring roll lady, she’s been at the market for 35 years now! She’s got lots of street red.” Sarah Kim
The Hague
- Den Haag To Go – “If you are in Den Haag, go to the Haagse Markt at the Herman Costerstraat. It’s the biggest open air market in Europe with 540 stands, over three 500-meter aisles. Fish, (exotic) fruits, colorful veggies, clothes, fresh flowers, fabrics: it’s all there. Bought and sold by all types of nationalities in perfect harmony”. Eline Broere
Oceania
Australia
Perth
- Healthy Fit Traveller – “Perth has a great food and bar scene with lots of outdoor markets and food vans, especially in summer. Enjoy the outdoors and sit by the beach or the river for a feed and a beer, and Perth has some pretty awesome Sunday sessions to end the weekend. Laneways and rooftops are also buzzing with small bars around the city. My favourite thing to eat is the banana and coconut buckwheat pancake from Little Bird Cafe. It is a huge pancake topped with cashew cream, fruit and edible flowers. Not only delicious but it looks so pretty. They do amazing smoothies also. Another favourite is the banana bread from Flora and Fauna, again something that looks too pretty to eat.” Jess
New Zealand
- The Girl with the Map Tattoo – “At the moment, I am very much on the road in NZ, from the far south to the far north. This extensive road trip is my final fling with the country (for now, anyway) and so I’m not really in one place. The best tip I can give for the country as a whole is… the fish is fantastic. Every single town is no more than four hours from an ocean, and fishing is a huge industry here. I highly recommend Erik’s Fish & Chips in Queenstown. If you aren’t a fish fan, then don’t worry – the venison is from Fiordland and there are more sheep here than people, so the lamb is also local. And make sure you pair a local NZ wine with your local meal. Whether that’s a Central Otago Pinot with dinner or a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with an oyster appetiser, you truly can’t go wrong. Lastly, definitely take the opportunity to visit local cheese factories and/or farmers markets. Most big towns have a market and you’ll interact directly with the farmers/producers themselves. Dunedin has a spectacular market!! If you are near Fiordland, you have to try the venison or lamb, and if you’re in the Marlborough/Blenheim/Nelson regions, the oysters, scallops, and mussels. As I write this, I am in the Coromandel (north), which is another hot spot for mussels. Drinks-wise, wine, coffee, and beer are HUGE down here. Every city has its own coffee roasteries, breweries, and wine regions. Kiwis take their coffee and beer very seriously; there are very few international beers (except for “crafty” international beers) and almost no international coffee chains.” Sarah