A life goal of mine is to be able to travel around the world and write about it. Just recently I went on my first ever trip to Europe and it was definitely an adventure of a lifetime filled with cultural learnings and good eats. I definitely can’t pass up sharing some of my favorite spots that I dined in.

Spain

Spain and in particular Barcelona is well known for two types of culinary delights: tapas and paella! Staying at the Gothic Quarter or Barri Gòtic in Barcelona, I was definitely surrounded by a whole variety of Catalan restaurants.  I found myself dining at Fernando which offered a very affordable speciality menu showcasing both tapas and paella. I enjoyed quite the tapas feast with Bravos Potatoes, Croquettes, Iberian Ham and Cheese, Fried Squid, Bread with Tomato as well as Chicken Paella. It was the Croquettes that was my personal favorite here. I loved how they were crispy on the outside and oh so creamy in the inside.

Aside from being a hub of tapas and paella, I also came to appreciate how Barcelona has a variety of restaurants featuring cuisines from the around the world. I was pleasantly surprised to find Fil-Manila; a Filipino restaurant. The restaurant happened to be celebrating their 30th year in Barcelona and they had an extensive menu of delightful Filipino favorites like pancit, lumpia and kare kare. Their Pancit Miki Bihon was a beautiful plate of noodles and mixed veggies of cauliflower and brocolli.

Turkey

Turkey was a fairly quick stop for me and so I didn’t have a chance to try their restaurants there. It was more of a shopping destination for me but I would definitely love to come back to try some of the famous restaurants in this beautiful place filled with kind hearted people. I found Turkey to be a very hospitable country and I got to try their famous apple tea at some of the shopping areas as well as the Turkish delight. The Turkish delight or lokum are sweet jelly candies native to Turkey. Some are topped with nuts while others are topped with sugar.

Greece

Greece was another great shopping destination due to a stop we had in Monastiraki; one of the main shopping districts in Athens. Aside from shopping; Monastiraki proved to be quite the stop for some delicious kebabs too. I got to visit Othanasis Kebab which is located at the heart of Monastiraki and is listed by Taste Atlas as the 42nd most legendary restaurant in the world. I enjoyed their Yogurtlou Kebab which consisted of their juicy grilled kebabs with pita, onions and roasted tomato all drizzeld in yoghurt.

Italy

When it comes to Italy; I could talk about pizza and pasta all day. I was definitely surrounded by so many pasta restaurants while in Rome. I had a pasta-tively lovely time! D’Angelo was one of the many Italian eateries I tried and I loved their Spaghetti al Carbonara. It was so creamy and delightful.

When it came to pizza; I could not pass up having Margherita Pizza in Naples. Naples after is all the birthplace of the Margherita Pizza. With it’s crisp raised edge crust, tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil leaves; I definitely left a pizza of my heart in Naples. I got to try the Margherita Pizza at Caffe Cola; a coffee place that is also well known for their strong coffees!

Perhaps my most favorite foodie discovery however was via a visit to Chalet Ciro; a patisserie in Naples. It was here that I first tried Graffe Napoletane. Graffe are soft Italian donuts and a true bite of heaven. I would definitely get these again if ever I go back to Naples!

Last but not least; I just had to write about a very unique experience in the McDonald’s in Rome. I’ve always appreciated how different McDonald’s in the world have different offerings. In Rome McDonald’s; I found the most delightful pistachio croissants. It’s no secret croissants are my all time bakery “crush.” I loved how here at Rome McDonald’s they offered croissants as part of their breakfast combo. The combo also comes with cappuccino! Not only did I get to find my croissant
“crush” in Rome; I also got have the unqiue experience of visiting the very first Mcdonald’s built in Rome.

My first ever trip to Europe was truly delightful and delicious! I’m definitely looking forward to my next travels. Hmm where to next ✈️…..