Getting a taste for travelling with these foodie delights

Prime fillet steak with lobster tail and chips

The new and exciting foods that we get to sample when venturing abroad is one of my favourite things about travelling and holidays – I love the new flavours and spices, the new smells and tastes. All of this contributes to creating the perfect holiday and often the meals that I have had while holidaying are one of the things I remember the most.

I am never afraid of trying these new meals and local delicacies – at least not the first time – and I will always give them a go. I think this is very important as a traveller, because there is simply no point in going abroad if you are not willing to go outside of your comfort zone and to try something new. I can’t stand people who go abroad to English resorts only and live off chips all week – what a waste of a holiday! Shame on the guilty for not giving their taste buds a chance to sample some of the incredible tastes on offer.

I have always been a girl that loves my food, whether spicy Indian curries, flavoursome Italian pasta dishes, the risottos and paella rice dishes found in Spain or Croatia and all the gorgeous steaks found in the US. I enjoy vegetarian food as much as meat, with a serious love of fish dishes, and can only remember one or two occasions in my life where I refused to try something once – one of these was with black pudding. Sorry, I just can’t do it!

King prawn and spinach pappardelle in a spicy cream sauce

So here are some of my favourite foodie recollections from holidays over my lifetime, I recommend you give them a try if you get the chance!

When I helped fishermen catch fresh fish and seafood at Ile Aux Cerfs, off the coast of Mauritius, on a boat trip before barbecuing them on the beach for our lunch – this was so fresh and tasty! Freshly barbecued really is the only way to enjoy fish.
Also in Mauritius, but a fast-food this this time – dahl pourri is absolutely delicious and my family and I couoldn’t get enough of it. It is freshly made roti with (usually) vegetarian dahl within it – just the thought makes my mouth water! It was so tasty and I lost count of how many I had, but I have never found anywhere in the UK that makes them as well.
Red Snapper is one of my favourite fish to eat and when holidaying in Zante with my family we ended up at restaurant that had freshly caught Snapper one night – we couldn’t resist and although expensive, we got a whole fish to share between us. Served with fresh salad, bread and potatoes, it was a perfect meal to eat while watching the sun set over the sea.
Malta has an incredible cuisine and I was amazed by the incredible variety and range of tastes on off when holidaying with my boyfriend. We treated ourselves for his birthday and went to an incredible restaurant in Mellieha called The Arches where we enjoyed the most incredible venison and lamb dishes cooked to perfection. The venison in particular was absolutely divine and needless to say we went back again before the holiday was over.
Last summer, on a trip to Croatia for a music festival, I found myself falling in love with black cuttlefish risotto on the first night. It was delicious and had such a unique flavour. It was interesting to try a slightly more unusual fish and as my first risotto in a restaurant, it was delicious.
Back to Mauritius, my family and I spent Christmas Day there a few years ago when visiting family and found ourselves in a lovely little family-run restaurant for Christmas dinner – I had freshly caught lobster in a cream sauce and it was incredible.
One of the best Italian meals I have ever had was in Little Italy in New York, again, a quirky little family-run restaurant which served very simple but incredibly tasty Italian food. I had a classic spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and herbs – but it was so good that I made sure we went straight back there when we returned to the US.
When on a short break in Brussels with my mum to celebrate my 18th, we found an incredible range of restaurants that rivalled any city I had ever been to before. We found ourselves at a gorgeous and tiny Greek restaurant, sitting outside just off the main square, where we were served a platter of dips, pitta bread and other small delicacies to start before having a swordfish meal placed in front of us. We were so stuffed we could barely finish the meal but it was amazing.
Back to NYC once again for the most delicious breakfast I have ever had – real American pancakes, so light and fluffy and full of juicy blueberries and served with fresh fruit and maple syrup. Elsewhere, in Fluffy’s we found incredible cakes, more pancakes, quiche and other savouries and of course, plenty of cheesecake!
And, not to leave out UK holidays, I will always remember a cute little weekend away with my boyfriend to Fairford, The Cotswolds, where we stayed in The Bull Inn and ate at the award-winning Allium Restaurant which has sadly closed now. Packed every night, the restaurant used only local produce and you could really tell the difference. We ate perfectly cooked beef, lamb and venison that weekend with gorgeous fresh vegetables and delicious desserts. It was an incredible spread and worth the extra cost – such a shame it closed!

What are your most memorable meals while on holiday? I want to hear the best and the worst!