By Isabel Loscertales from Gastronomistas

Small, pretty and laid-back, the Danish capital is the perfect destination to enjoy a culinary break. Noma, voted best restaurant in the world three years in a row (2010-2012) and with two Michelin stars, put the city on the international gourmet map and revolutionised the country's cuisine. But there's more foodie heaven beyond Noma. Copenhagen is proud of its desire to update tradition, its love for all things organic, its 'hygge' spirit (pretty, cosy ambience), its passion for design, its sun terraces... Between mouthfuls, make sure not to miss a stroll along Strøget shopping street, the colourful Nyhavn canal or the Tivoli Gardens; take a selfie with the Little Mermaid; explore the liveliest neighbourhoods: Vesterbro and Nørrebro; or wander around the independent area of Christiania - the centre of counter-culture. Go on foot or, like the locals, ride a bike. Here are ten tasty stop-offs for you:

1. New Danish cuisine

If you have plenty to spend, make sure you try and book for Noma online (Strandgade, 93). The chef, René Redzepi, was a pioneer in updating traditional Danish cuisine and recovering local ingredients with a special penchant for all things organic, natural and raw (wild herbs, etc.). He signed the New Kitchen Manifesto in 2004 (à la Lars von Trier) with other chefs which stirred up some trouble. If you do not fancy spending 1600 kroner (around €193) for the set menu (wine not included), you can always have a nosy at the old warehouse where it is located, on the Christianshavn wharf. If it's full, try the two starred Geranium run by Rasmus Kofoed (Per Henrik Lings Allé 4, 8º)

If you're on a tighter budget, we recommend Höst (Nørre Farimagsgade, 41), a cosy restaurant that won the best design in the world award at the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2013. A spot-on combination of industrial interior design (warehouse like) and rural touches (some details evoking a farmhouse), and a lively-cum-intimate ambience are the two main features here whose raison d'être comes from these contrasts. For example, the ceiling is made from (recycled) wood and the floor is concrete. Spread over two floors and several rooms, we recommend ordering the set menu (actually, the rest of the menu is fairly short). It comes in at 295 kroner (around €35, wine not included) and offers two dishes and dessert, as well as several surprise amuse-bouches. Try the trout with black chanterelles, cauliflower (uncooked slices), mushroom jus and lots of fresh herbs as a starter; beef shank with mashed potato, carpaccio, beetroot and Madagascar pepper sauce for your main; and Jerusalem artichoke ice cream with an apple, muesli, meringue, sautéed Jerusalem artichoke slices and crunchy caramel crumble. Surprising delicious mixes.

2. Jaeggerborgade Street, as 'in' as it gets

In the multicultural neighbourhood of Nørrebro is the city's hipster-filled street with rows of fantastic spots. In addition to vintage clothes stores, second hand book shops, décor and design boutiques, and art and record shops, there are a few essential foodie outlets. Coffee Collection, at number 10, serves the best coffee in the city thanks to skilled baristas and fair trade coffee. An aromatic spot indeed! The premises itself are very interesting, breaking down traditional barriers meaning you'll find a young guy making coffee as if he were in his own kitchen, with no bar and a huge coffee grinder next to him. The well-respected chef Christian Puglisi (ex-Noma and elBulli) has two highly recommended spots facing one another: Relae (no. 41), with a Michelin star and serving two set menus (one for meat eaters, one for vegetarians) for around €46 not including wine, and Manfreds & Vin (no.40), specialising in natural wines and tapas. In addition, there's the artisan chocolate shop Ro Chokolade (no. 25), the handmade sweets at Karamelleriet by Ipsen /Vigel (no. 36) and the organic bakery Meyers Bageri (no. 9), run by Claus Meyer (co-owner of Noma alongside Rene).

3. Meatpacking District: Industrial cool

The other fashionable neighbourhood is Vesterbro that hides a converted industrial area home to a gourmet oasis for hipsters in pure New York style (nor for nothing does it share the same name as the NYC district). The funny thing is that in Copenhagen, the area is still home to real meatpacking businesses. In addition to the very popular Kødbyens Fiskebar (Flæsketorvet, 100), an industrial premises serving seafood, and the huge Italian terrace Mother, inviting you to spend hours in the sun (Høkerboderne, 9-15), there is the organic BioMio (Halmtorvet, 19). Located in a former Bosch appliance workshop that still has the neon lights on the front, it houses a large room with communal wooden tables and an open kitchen. The menu offers organic international cuisine with dishes to share (such as green beans with celeriac or salmon rillettes), a couple of woks, half a dozen "knife and fork" dishes (the kamut wheat risotto is excellent) and several natural options. Prices average around €35.

 4. Hipster bars for hipster city

Still in Vesterbro (although beyond the Meatpacking District), there is a couple of bars (amongst others) for taking a break. On the one hand, the Cafe Granola (Vaernedamsvej, 5) has coffees, juices, milkshakes, breakfasts, sandwiches and cocktails in a relaxed atmosphere playing Motown in the background. On the other, the modern anti-design Bang & Jensen (Istedgade, 130). Famous for its wall with a painting of a sailor re-done in different artistic styles, cool youngsters come here for a quick bit or cocktail at the rickety tables and chairs.

5. La Glace: The most famous cake shop

Copenhagen's oldest cake shop (Conditori) is also famous for being Hans Christian Andersen's favourite. Enjoy its handmade cakes in a classically charming ambience. Its speciality, The Sports Cake, was create in 1891 for the play 'Sports Man' and is made from nougat, whipped cream and caramelised choux pastry. A recommended calorie-filled temptation. Skoubogade, 3.

6. The smørrebrød or open sandwich

It is one of the best known Danish dishes and ideal for a reasonably priced informal meal (Copenhagen is not exactly known for being a cheap city). It comprises a slice of bread and butter topped with different ingredients: smoked fish such as salmon or kipper, cold cuts, pâtés, eggs... alongside some type of pickle or extra something (capers, onion, dressing...). It can be enjoyed at traditional spots such as the Ida Davidsen (Store Kongensgade, 70) or the always busy Schønnemann (Hauser Plads, 16). Some chefs have even come up with updated versions, adding a more foodie touch. This is true for Adam Aaman who, after his success in Copenhagen (Øster Farimagsgade,10), has opened an Aamanns branch in New York.

7. Shooping: Torvehallerne & Royal Copenhguen

Luxury-loving palates can take away a gastronomic souvenir from the modern Torvehallerne market, in Israel Plads square (currently all upside down due to construction work). Encased in glass and split into two structures, the market offers all kinds of gourmet spots and small stands where you can grab a taste of something interesting. If you prefer a 'solid' souvenir, the artisan pottery from Royal Copenhaguen is renowned (the window displays are well worth a look). Amagertorv, 6.

8. Chic wineries

Two popular spots to have a wine in Copenhagen, in addition to the aforementioned Manfreds & Vin. On the one hand, Atelier September (Gothersgade, 30) is a charming former antique shop turned into a café and shop. You can try a natural wine in a cosy atmosphere with a stimulating mix of furniture and artistic original posters (when we were there, we saw a giant Tàpies one), all for sale. It also serves breakfasts and light meals. On the other, Bibendum (Nansensgade, 45) is a pretty intimate French-inspired spot that takes its name from Michelin's dog. As well as choosing from its selection of international wines by the bottle or glass, the tapas come highly recommended.

 9. Carlsberg lager

No matter how much they craft their wine lists, the truth is Denmark does not have great wines. So what they do is make beer. Larger fans have a must-see in the city: the Carlsberg Brewery (two entrances: Gamle Carlsberg Vej, 11 or Bryggerhesten, 1), one of the most famous in the world. They offer guided tours lasting around 90 minutes that of course include a tasting. We also tried another highly aromatic full-bodied Danish beer, Nørrebro Bryghus, made in a small brewery. It is easy to find in different bars and restaurants although it also has its own place (Ryesgade, 3).

 10. At the epicentre: Andersen Hotel

This new boutique hotel has three things we love: design, comfort and location. Tucked behind the Tivoli Gardens and next to the trendy Meatpacking District, in the heart of Vesterbro, it is an ideal starting point for exploring different areas in the city. Check if they have any bikes available if you fancy travelling on two wheels. Before heading out, take your time with the tasty hearty breakfast with endless combinations for a personal yoghurt flavour, different organic choices and delicious croissants. From 925 kroner (around €111) per night for a double room. Helgolandsgade, 12.

 So you feel like visiting Copenhagen, do you? Book your flights here!

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By: Belén Parra and Carme Gasull

The gastro-event: Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre. 23 to 27 October, 2014

Turin, the ultimate in good taste. From the moment you set foot in Turin, you feel at home, you become imbued with its unique quality and understand why it was the first capital of modern Italy. While the city’s 2 million inhabitants are fully aware of its many attributes and how best to enjoy them, Turin remains relatively untouched by tourism. For decades, the city has been creating its own reality, far removed from the mass tourism of other Italian destinations. The 2006 Winter Olympic Games was clearly a major turning point for Turin, which has never depended on tourism. And the tourists it does receive are mainly from Italy. This is certainly not due to a lack of attractions… Among them, gastronomy. The aptly named Città del Gusto (Good Taste Event) also seduces the taste buds.

The welcoming

Warmth. This best sums up the Turinese nature. You just have to show curiosity, interest or mere ignorance about something to promptly find the desired answer. With a notable generosity. “La buona accoglienza fa bene al turismo”, is the slogan of the day. And they lead by example. There is no place better than Turin for a stress-free stroll. There are no hordes of foreign tourists everywhere you go unless, of course, the city is hosting a major international event.

Transportation

Obviously, the best way to explore any destination is on foot, but Turin’s superb transport system lets you move around the city at your leisure. Train, bus, underground, tram, public bicycles… Everywhere is so accessible, which makes sightseeing a pleasure. Even so: a gentle stroll, especially around the city centre, is still the best way to discover its pulse, its unique layout and its infinite charms.

Accommodation

Due to the city’s emerging tourist sector, accommodation in Turin is centred on mid to high range hotels. We suggest 2 enticing options of contrasting ambience.

Best Western Hotel Piemontese

Via Claudio Luigi Berthollet, 21
Quaint, discreet and comfortable. It stands in one of the city’s best areas for social and night life. The hotel is surrounded by bars and restaurants for breakfast, fine dining or just drinks. It is also close to the city’s main railway station: Porta Nova.

NH Santo Stefano

Via Porta Palatina, 19
Located in the centre of the modern Quadrilatero Romano, it is within easy reach of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and the historic city centre. Its proximity to the Porta Susa and Porta Nuova railway stations offers easy access to Turin by train.

Squares

Being a city of contrasting weather, Turin’s squares are a hive of activity throughout the year. So don’t be surprised to see lots of tables in the streets and especially in the squares. From the imposing Piazza San Carlo, one of the biggest and most elegant squares in the city and which leads to Gran Madre de Dio, through to Piazza Castello or the small squares known as Emanuele Filiberto and Della Consolata.
Snacks, coffee and local beers abound on the tables. The drinks menus at the different establishments offer a seemingly infinite choice. Did you know Turin is also the home of vermouth? Whether winter or summer, the enticing outdoor cafés in the squares are sure to be open. The squares are also home to historic gastronomic establishments.

Establishments with history

Ancient establishments teeming with history and fine produce. Busy places. Like their cafés. Turin is the third city in Italy in terms of historic establishments.

Caffè Mulassano

Piazza Castello, 15
The famous tramezzino was created here; a lightly toasted sandwich with a variety of high-quality fillings. The most typical one is filled with d’aragosta’ (lobster) salad. It has been in the same location since 1907.

Baratti&Milano

Piazza Castello, 29
Just a few meters away from the first one, but bigger and for a much sweeter tooth. Delicious chocolates, sweet pastries and cakes are all showcased inside.

Caffè Cioccolateria Al Bicerin

Piazza della Consolata, 5
This small, incredibly popular business (with an adjoining delicatessen) has been open since 1763. Marble tables and chairs, and its star product: bicerin, a drink combining coffee, chocolate and cream. You can try one for just €5.

Caffè Pasticceria Abrate

Via Po, 10
This café boasts a long history of baking and confectionery. It was founded in 1866.

Caffè Torino

Piazza San Carlo, 214
One of the city’s most famous establishments, it was founded in 1903 and has been at its current location since 1930. It has successfully adapted to the changing times. This large café has a popular snack buffet to accompany your aperitif, as well as outside tables where you can watch the world go by in the bustling Piazza San Carlo square.

Eat and drink

Bar Enò

Galliari, 12
Located in San Salvario, an area offering some of the best night life in the city. The kitchen stays open till the small hours and the bar itself closes at 4 am. It offers home-made pasta, typical sweets, excellent bread, wines, craft beers and good service. It has something for everybody. Its decor is one the star attractions. A sublime fusion of order and chaos. Visiting it is a must!

Restaurante Consorzio

Via Monte di Pietà, 23
A modern trattoria or an evolution of the typical trattoria without being a cutting-edge establishment that meets the slow food precepts. It is also famous for its worldwide and Italian natural wines, beers and liquors.

Enoteca Bordò

Via Carlo Ignazio Giulio 4/G
Managed by two Tuscan sisters, this is a simple and welcoming establishment where the traveller can feel at home eating a good pasta meal with a glass of excellent wine or craft beer, such as the Turinese Brew Up. Next to the Porta Palazzo market.

Pastis

Piazza Emanuele Filiberto, 9b
The South in the North. With a decidedly retro ambience, this establishment is managed by a Sicilian who has the soul and humour to give his business a character all of its own.
The owner, Andrea Tortorella, makes his presence felt on the walls and even the floor of the café, but especially in the tasty home-made recipes and almost uninterrupted timetable of the kitchen service. Personalised attention to detail in a decor that even includes one of the last pieces of the demolished Berlin Wall. On a cold day, its covered terrace is a great option. Excellent value for money.

Dausin

Via Goito, 9
Or ‘neighbour’ in the local Piedmont dialect. This small restaurant follows the precepts of the Slow Food philosophy, or eco-gastronomic project (as they like to call it) since it reduces CO2 emissions. Simple home cooking using fresh, local produce. Within easy walking distance of Porta Nuova station.

Emporio Gastronomico

Via Avogadro, 2
This restaurant and pizzeria is a veritable Mecca for those who like freshly-made pizza baked in a wood-fired oven (you can even watch the entire process from start to finish). The listing of pizzas is fairly classic and prices, opposite to other meals on the menu, are quite economic.

Taberna Libraria

Via Conte Giambattista Bogino, 5
An ideal place to try a typical Piedmont menu with different options to suit all tastes, including such dishes as vitello tonnato (cold, roast veal with mayonnaise and capers). And be sure to try (or purchase) some of the wines exhibited throughout the whole restaurant.

Focacceria Lagrange

It is named after the most famous 18th century Turinese mathematician, who invented rational mechanics. They say that focaccia is a mathematical science based on a finite number of flour particles subjected to a dynamic encounter with water and oil. Nothing else. You can judge for yourselves at three establishments (Via Lagrange 11/f, via Sant’Agostino 6 and Piazza Castello, 153).

Perino Vesco

Via Cavour, 10
A myriad of bread in all its shapes and forms, such as grissini (breadsticks) which were invented in Turin to help young Vittorio Amedeo II, who was a weak child and loved to eat this crunchy, easy-to-digest bread. Or so they say. The establishment is often packed and has long queues of people waiting to buy fresh bread, biscuits or sweet pastries, or to enjoy a panino, focaccia or just a coffee.

Where to go shopping

Porta Palazzo Market

A fabulous blend of colours, flavours and cultures, it is the biggest market in Turin and the largest food market in all of Europe. Shops, bars, trattorias and businesses under one roof and offering all kinds of products, from clothes to antiques. Time simply flies by when you’re browsing the stalls.

Guido Castagna

Via Maria Vittoria, 27/C
The cake shop-boutique par excellence. A true emblem of quality chocolate. The owner obviously loves chocolate, pampering it as if he had grown it himself. In his workshop, a few kilometres away from the city, Guido Castagna teaches his profession. His know-how has attracted many followers and given rise to some exceptional giandujotti (a typical Turin sweet made from chocolate and hazelnuts) . You have to try them!

Alberto Marchetti

Torino is not only the city of chocolate, but also of ice-cream. And the best is made by Alberto Marchetti. He has two ice-cream parlours in the city. The largest is at Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 24bis, while the other is at Via Po 35 bis. And he’s opening a third on Via Rossini. There is such a choice of flavours, they’ll let you try a few first. Just as well, or you’d be there all day trying to choose! Try some popcorn ice-cream or a delicious pallino (espresso and a scoop of ice-cream with whipped cream on top). It’s all home-made. Delicious. Amazing ice-creams from just €2. It is also babyfriendly (changing table in the bathroom and a table with games).

Eataly Alti Cibi

Via Nizza, 230/14
A great deli on a large scale. Due to its size and its wide range of quality products. It has something to suit all tastes. If you’re looking for something in particular to try or and even as a gift, you’re sure to find it here: pasta, rice, chocolate and other sweets, coffee, sauces and condiments, cookery books, kitchenware… Quality, sustainability and ecology. The first shop was opened in Turin, followed by Rome, Florence and Milan. Today, there are 26 Eataly establishments worldwide.

Also be sure to visit…

Two great museums

Or two in particular, at least. The Egyptian Museum (Via Accademia delle Scienze, 6) is considered the second most important museum in the world after the Cairo Museum due to its collection of antiques. An ambitious refurbishment is currently underway and is not due to end until 2015.
If you’re a film buff, we recommend the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, located in Mole Antonelliana, a major landmark on the city skyline (Via Montebello, 20). Rising 167 metres above the city, it has a glass lift that takes you up to the top of the huge dome, where you can enjoy panoramic views. Simply breathtaking.

San Giovanni

CathedralA must in the city, this beautiful building from the 14th century dedicated to St. John the Baptist, patron saint of Turin, holds the burial cloth in which Jesus was wrapped after being lowered from the cross: the Holy Shroud, also known as the Shroud of Turin or Turin Shroud. The relic is shown only on special occasions.

Po River

Take a stroll along its banks. If you still have time for more sightseeing, you can stand on one of the many bridges and watch the Po flow by. If you prefer, you can also go for a boat ride on the river. It is the most Parisian touch of this Transalpine city.

Now, as before, we will always have Turin.

We’ll be there. If you want to come too, check out our flights here.

 

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