Photos by Worldwide Scott, unless otherwise indicated.
Besides admiring artwork, exploring historic cities and romping through romantic landscapes, one of the things that travelers look forward to most on a trip to Europe is the food. Europa is an absolute smorgasbord for the traveler, and no matter where you are on the continent, you're always close to a local specialty you just simply must try before leaving town. And as far as I am concerned, I don't think you have truly experienced a place until you do.
Sifting through online reviews and scanning menus in windows can be frustrating affairs, so luckily for us all, food tours in Europe have blossomed in recent years as an ideal way to sample many delicacies of a city in the company of local foodie experts. These tours typically give you the chance to sample many specialties of the city or country where the tour is being held, in addition to learning a bit more about its history.
Here are four of the tastiest, in a few unexpected places.
Eating Amsterdam's Twilight De Pijp Tour
Touring what is arguably Amsterdam's hippest neighborhood (De Pijp) at night, Eating Amsterdam's Twilight De Pijp Tour gives you a taste of Dutch specialties while also admirably focusing on what makes the city - and the neighborhood - so special: its immigrant influences.
READ MORE: Making Food Key in Travel to Europe
From the spice of a massive Indonesian rice table - a spread to end all spreads - to the crumbly warm pastry of a legendary local Croatian baker (pictured), the history of Amsterdam and its immigrants are woven into the tableside tales told on the tour.
Other highlights include crunchy-on-the-outside-but-pillowy-soft-on-the-inside frites and delicious Turkish delicacies. Differing from many European food tours, this stroll takes place in the evening, and is the perfect way to start a night out as it culminates at an excellent local craft brewery.
Balkan Bites
While Bulgaria may not necessarily roll off your tongue as a delicious destination before visiting, Balkan Bites aims to change that. Located in the capital Sofia, Balkan Bites offers a complimentary tour of a small handful of local restaurants, including samples. Yes, you read that right: for free. During the Balkan Bites tour, you will get to sample traditional Bulgarian breads, cheeses, natural vegetables and salads, all the while learning more about Bulgarian food and its proud capital city.
San Sebastian Food
Photo via Flickr/Katina Rogers
On the coast in Spanish Basque Country lies San Sebastian, a town home to more Michelin stars per meter than any other city in Europe. San Sebastian Food offers daily tours trying the best pintxo (tapas) in town. Fresh seafood plays a large part on the pintxo scene here, but the tour mixes this with vegetarian dishes and savory steak. In addition, the tour offers samples of the wine and cider of the region. If you'd prefer to tour yourself around town, San Sebastian Food offers a fun Pintxo Passport, which comes with a map, glossary and tokens good for redeeming for pintxos around town at your own pace.
READ MORE: Adventure Travel and the Foodie Culture
Eat Polska
Photo courtesy of Eat Polska
While many folks are familiar with Polish perogies, you'd be hard pressed to find more Polish dishes on most people's must-eat lists. Eat Polska does its best to change all this, offering overflowing Polish plates full of traditional meats, cheeses and of course some of the country's famous vodka. The tour takes place in Warsaw and Krakow and is run by fun locals who relay stories about Poland from an authentic insider perspective.
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