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No European city break is complete without a deep dive into the local culinary scene.
Whether it’s a tapas crawl in Andalucia or a regal slice of chocolate cake in Austria, it’s all part of the experience.
Our six picks were not only rated among the best city breaks in Europe, but visitors awarded them the full five stars for food and drink. Read on to discover the continent’s top escapes for foodies.
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You’ll work up an appetite exploring Poland’s second city and the best rated city in our survey: and good, affordable food is a key part of the appeal.
Seek out bagel stalls (where the bread was first invented) on Europe’s largest market square, alongside the Renaissance arches of Cloth Hall and St Mary’s Basilica’s Gothic steeples.
Venture on to the myriad of side streets to where locals devour mustard-covered sausages and huge bowls of sour beetroot soup.
Pierogi are a must – Polish dumplings traditionally filled with potato, cheese and onion, and topped with sour cream.
Krakow food is meaty, filling and, best of all, cheap (the city clinched five stars for value for money), which is perfect if you want to try another local specialty, vodka.
Find a city break to Krakow with Which? Recommended Providers Hays Travel and Jet2Holidays.
Sandy beaches, a charming historic quarter and the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia has it all, plus great food. Snack your way around its Art Nouveau food market or people watch from a coveted stool at Central Bar; local superchef Ricard Camarena’s most humble eatery.
The city is also the birthplace of paella. If you’re a purist, snub the seafood versions – the authentic recipe contains rabbit and chicken, coloured with saffron and cooked over an open flame.
Another lesser-known local staple is horchata, a sweet drink made from tiger nuts. Take a marble-top table at historic Horchateria de Santa Catalina to sample it, with a sugar-glazed fartón (an elongated fluffy bread) on the side.
Find a city break with Which? Recommended Providers Trailfinders, Saga and Jet2Holidays.
The former Austro-Hungarian capital is dripping with imperial grandeur, and no visit is complete without a cafe hop on Vienna’s wide boulevards - where the marbled interiors are every bit as elegant as the city’s palaces.
Try the legendary Sachertorte (invented by Prince Metternich’s young apprentice in 1832): a dense chocolate sponge cake layered with jam (usually apricot) and glazed with chocolate - best served alongside a Melange coffee (espresso with milk and foam). Vienna’s Hotel Sacher claims to serve the original. The humble Apfelstrudel is another favourite.
Savoury staples such as schnitzel and a rich and warming goulash will stave off a sugar crash. Or find a century-old wine cellar to sample a peppery or mineral white like local varieties Wiener Gemischter Satz and Riesling.
Find a city break to Vienna with Which? Recommended Providers Trailfinders, Hays Travel, Riviera Travel and Jet2Holidays.
Showcasing a unique blend of Ottoman, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern flavours, Istanbul’s advantage is variety.
First practice your haggling skills at the lively Spice Bazaar, where juicy dried figs, walnut-studded lokum (Turkish Delight) and pricey Saffron (watch out for fakes) are piled high beneath decorated arched ceilings. Stop here for an authentic hole-in-the-wall for köfte meatballs.
Once your appetite returns, take a boat to the Asian side to explore Kadıköy’s street art and local eateries. Homemade pide (Turkish pizza) is a speciality: a crisp boat-shaped flatbread traditionally topped with ground meat, egg or crumbly, salty cheese and plenty of spices.
You’ll be well fuelled to explore the city’s jewels like the Blue Mosque and domed Byzantine masterpiece the Hagia Sophia.
Find a city break to Istanbul with Which? Recommended Providers Trailfinders, Hays Travel, Riviera Travel and Intrepid Travel.
The second Spanish city to make our round-up, Seville is all about the tapas. Get elbow-to-elbow with the locals on the winding whitewashed streets of Santa Cruz or Arenal to sample the best.
A tapeo (tapas bar crawl) will allow you to taste a number of Andalusian specialities, including jamón Ibérico de Bellota, with its distinctive nutty flavour, and Moorish espinacas con garbanzos (spinach and chickpeas) with cumin.
Pair your tapa of choice with a crisp manzanilla from nearby sherry region Jerez. If you’re lucky, an impromptu flamenco performance will break out on the street beside you to complete the experience.
This region’s famous full-bodied reds are an obvious draw. Quench your thirst (for knowledge too) at the Cité du Vin museum, with interactive displays covering 2,000 years of local winemaking. Your ticket also includes a free glass in the rooftop bar.
Discover Bordeaux's food offering is just as good as its wine at restaurants around the city: from Cap Ferret oysters to rib-eye steak cooked in wine, shallots and bone marrow. The free-range and grass-fed cows from Bazas (around 37 miles from Bordeaux) are renowned for their tenderness and flavour.
Finish off with a canelé, a small pastry flavoured with vanilla and rum. They're baked in fluted copper moulds to give them their distinctive dark caramelised crust.
