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Europe's Best Places to Eat Like a Local 2013

Europe's Best Places to Eat Like a Local 2013

By Travel + Leisure and Travel + Leisure Staff

March 27, 2014

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Mangerie, Istanbul

Credit: Courtesy of Mangerie

Eat your way across Europe—from a canal-side wine bar in Copenhagen to a classic Roman trattoria—with these local favorites as your guide.

It’s the best breakfast on the Bosporus: a lavish spread of eggs, sheep’s-milk cheeses, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, warm sourdough bread, local honey, and chai, on a rooftop terrace with postcard-worthy views. $$

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Ottolenghi, London

Credit: Keiko Oikawa

Follow Islington’s beau monde to this high-end Middle Eastern bakery and café, where the tantalizing bread platter (toasted tableside) is a full meal in itself. $$

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Café Central, Vienna

Credit: Jessica Sample

Though it’s welcomed plenty of tourists over its 137 years—not to mention habitués like Freud, Lenin, and Trotsky—the utterly grand café inside the majestic Palais Ferstel is known among pastry-obsessed Wieners for serving the best, flakiest strudel in town. $$

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Ten Belles, Paris

Credit: Celine Clanet

A new-wave coffee shop in the 10th arrondissement from rock-star barista Thomas Lehoux, whose cappuccinos are made with cult Telescope beans. tenbelles.com. $

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Mr. Minsch, Berlin

Credit: Courtesy of Mr. Minsch Torten

The vibe is Mad Hatter meets 1950’s hausfrau at this Kreuzberg takeout bakery, where master pastry chef Andreas Minsch turns out his extravagant confections. You’ll be hard-pressed to choose between an enormous cinnamon roll or a slice of the popular Black Forest cherry cake. 49-30/2845-0894.

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Cristalli di Zucchero, Rome

Credit: Andrea Di Lorenzo

Adjacent to a farmers’ market just off the Circus Maximus is a pretty-in-pink pasticceria where Parisian-style tartlets are made with regional ingredients like apricots and pistachios. Order the flaky ricotta-and-chocolate-filled Romanella at the counter with an espresso—then get another one to go.

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Mussels at De Noordzee, Brussels

Credit: De Noordzee

Squeeze in amid the regulars at this outdoor fish stall—they’re all devouring massive plates of perfectly steamed mussels. poissonneriemerdunord.be. $$

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Sora Margherita, Rome

Credit: Courtesy of Sora Margherita

The most delicious plate of pasta in Rome is served in a narrow space with 15 paper-topped tables: cacio e pepe with pecorino and handmade noodles, garnished upon request with a generous dollop of sheep’s-milk ricotta. $$

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Lo Scoglio da Tommaso, Amalfi Coast, Italy

Credit: Courtesy of Lo Scoglio da Tommaso

Pleasure yachts from Capri and Positano drop anchor for lunch perched over the Mediterranean. The only thing fresher than the peppery wild arugula salad is the ricci (sea urchin) in the spaghetti. $$$

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Hive Beach Café, Burton Bradstock, England

Credit: Jim Wileman / Alamy

A chalkboard menu behind the counter tells you what’s on offer (fish pies; grilled herring; a crab sandwich with chips) at this classic holiday spot. hivebeachcafe.co.uk. $$

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Pantelis Marathi, Marathi, Greece

Credit: Courtesy of Pantelis Marathi

On a tiny, car-free isle between Patmos and Bodrum, Turkey, this harborfront restaurant is a popular stop for the sailing crowd. Everything is impossibly fresh, from the crawfish sautéed in lemon oil to the creamy local goat cheese. marathi-island.gr. $$

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Els Pescadors, Llançà, Spain

Credit: M.Trinidad Vilchez

Beside the harbor in a tiny Costa Brava town, Els Pescadors serves up the day’s tastiest catch—prawns, John Dory, sea bass, turbot—brought in by the fishing boats bobbing just a stone’s throw from your table. restaurantelspescadors.com. $$$$

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Ardigna Ristorante Rustico, Salemi, Italy

Credit: Courtesy of Ardigna Ristorante Rustico

The most charming restaurant in western Sicily sits an hour’s drive inland from Marsala, on a remote hilltop. Nearly everything is made in-house: tangy ricotta, fragrant wildflower honey, garlicky salumi, silky tagliatelle, even the bittersweet amaro digestif. ardigna.it. $$

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Restaurant Ziegelhütte, Zurich, Switzerland

Credit: Courtesy of Restaurant Ziegelhutte

Take a tram from downtown, then walk up a trail to this traditional country restaurant and beer garden, where regulars gather over plates of schnitzel and Älplermagronen (creamy macaroni with cheese and potatoes). wirtschaft-ziegelhuette.ch. $$$

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Chez Aline, Paris

Credit: Celine Clanet

Choose your own fillings or defer to chef Delphine Zampetti for a deceptively simple baguette sandwich at her petite, retro-flavored deli in the 11th Arrondissement. 33-1/43-71-90-75. $

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Septime, Paris

Credit: Figaro/Getty

Rustic wooden tables and an open kitchen this 11th Arrondissement space a farmhouse vibe; the menu of neo-bistro classics is both soulful and inventive. septime-charonne.fr. $$$

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L’Avant Comptoir, Paris

Credit: Céline Clanet

At this elbow-to-elbow, standing-room-only “hors d’oeuvres bar” in the Sixth Arrondissement, the bread basket is communal, but the foie gras skewers and boudin noir macarons are just for you. 33-1/44-27-07-97. $$

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Frenchie Wine Bar, Paris

Credit: Celine Clanet

Across from impossible-to-book Frenchie in the Second Arrondissement lies its edgy sibling, whose shared tables, 80’s rock playlist, and small plates (pulled pork on brioche) are all the rage. frenchie-restaurant.com. $$

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Bistrot Paul Bert, Paris

Credit: Ericka McConnell

In the 11th Arrondissement is the classic Parisian bistro every carnivore dreams of, with knife-cut steak tartare, foie gras haricots verts, and, of course, a venerable steak frites. 33-1/43-72-24-01. $$$

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Café Constant, Paris

Credit: Courtesy of Cafe Constant

Two blocks from the Eiffel Tower, noted chef Christian Constant pays homage to his grandmother’s recipes at his casual, bi-level brasserie. $$$

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Glass, Paris

Credit: Courtesy of Glass

It’s all about creative cocktails, grilled hot dogs, and Brooklyn Brewery beer (!) at this South Pigalle nightspot, where a fashionable crowd mingles with chefs fresh off the line. glassparis.com. $

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El Vaso de Oro, Barcelona

Credit: Courtesy of El Vaso

Among the old fishermen’s houses of Barceloneta, this sepia-toned cervecería is full of local sea dogs and other salty types who come for house-brewed lager and a dizzying array of tapas (boat-fresh squid and shrimp; flash-fried padrón peppers). And when a football match is on, forget about it: the tiny bar is as jammed and as rowdy as it gets. $

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Ved Stranden 10 Vinhandel & Bar, Copenhagen

Credit: Anne Mie Dreves

On Monday nights, the canal-side wine bar becomes the hangout for the city’s culinary scene. A guest cook—sometimes from Noma or Relae—prepares a simple, tasty one-pot dish that functions like a staff meal, except it’s open to all. $$

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Settimio, Rome

Credit: Courtesy of Settimio

Come without a reservation and you’re rolling the dice—the quirky owners will decide with a glance whether you deserve a seat at their trattoria. If you do make the cut, you’ll find quintessential Roman classics like house-made fettuccine. 39-06/6880-1978. $$$

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Sa’ Pesta, Genoa, Italy

Credit: GMA

Liguria’s beloved equivalent of the French socca is a thin, pizza-like pancake made from chickpea flour, served hot from the oven and typically adorned with hunks of gorgonzola or Stracchino cheese. Find the best at the family-run trattoria Sa’ Pesta, deep in the centro storico. sapesta.it. $$

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L’Épuisette, Marseilles, France

Credit: Courtesy of L'Epuisette

In the fishing port of Vallon des Auffes, the idyllic L’Épuisette serves a proper Provençal bouillabaisse that’s oceans away from all others—brash and intense, rich with saffron and garlic and tasting unmistakably of the sea. $$$

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Paco Gandía, Pinoso, Spain

Credit: Courtesy of Paco Gandia

In a sleepy hamlet 35 miles west of Alicante, the chef at Paco Gandía layers rice in a pan the size of a bicycle tire, along with rabbit, tomatoes, saffron, and snails that feed on wild herbs. Licked by flames from an open fire, the paella is not just good—it’s near-mythical. $$$

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P.A.&Co., Stockholm

Credit: Courtesy of P.A. & Co.

“P.A.&Co. is like after-school for adults—everyone knows each other and no one has reservations. Every time I’ve gone by myself, I’ve felt right at home.” paco.se. $$$$ —chef Marcus Samuelsson

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Xocolat, Vienna

Credit: Courtesy of Xocolat Manufaktur

Even the most jaded epicurean succumbs to the Willy Wonkaesque sense of wonder at this haven for the cocoa-obsessed. Lose yourself amid the shelves of chocolate bars, truffles, and pralines—some house-made, some globally sourced—then sign up for a class in creating your own. xocolat.at.

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Bar Strelka, Moscow

Credit: Cedric Angeles

On warm nights, the roof deck atop the Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture & Design is the stomping ground for the city’s freethinking intellectuals and cultural elite. An eclectic menu ranges from shareable snacks (jamón ibérico) to hearty classics (oxtail ragù with polenta). $$

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Da Cesare, Rome

Credit: Courtesy of Da Cesare

On the ground floor of a 1970’s building in the residential Monteverde neighborhood, this nondescript space is touted by food lovers as the best trattoria in town. The standouts on the menu are fried meatballs in a basil sauce, tiny cuttlefish, and gnocchi that are nothing short of revelatory. 39-06/536-015. $$$

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Dock Kitchen, London

Credit: James Bedford

“The food at Dock Kitchen, in Ladbroke Grove, is complex and delicious. Chef Stevie Parle pulls inspiration from his travels, as with his Cornish crab with curry leaves and coconut.” dockkitchen.co.uk. $$$ —chef April Bloomfield

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Europe's Best Places to Eat Like a Local 2013

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Mangerie, Istanbul

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Ottolenghi, London

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Café Central, Vienna

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Ten Belles, Paris

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Mr. Minsch, Berlin

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Cristalli di Zucchero, Rome

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Mussels at De Noordzee, Brussels

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Sora Margherita, Rome

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Lo Scoglio da Tommaso, Amalfi Coast, Italy

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Hive Beach Café, Burton Bradstock, England

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Pantelis Marathi, Marathi, Greece

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Els Pescadors, Llançà, Spain

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Ardigna Ristorante Rustico, Salemi, Italy

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Restaurant Ziegelhütte, Zurich, Switzerland

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Chez Aline, Paris

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Septime, Paris

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L’Avant Comptoir, Paris

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Frenchie Wine Bar, Paris

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Bistrot Paul Bert, Paris

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Café Constant, Paris

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Glass, Paris

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El Vaso de Oro, Barcelona

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Ved Stranden 10 Vinhandel & Bar, Copenhagen

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Settimio, Rome

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Sa’ Pesta, Genoa, Italy

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L’Épuisette, Marseilles, France

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