London and Paris or tour of Italy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Italy hands down.

London is incredible but overpriced.

Paris is overrated, and the food isn't that great.

NP here. This is the second time someone on this thread has said that the food in Paris isn't that great. Is it really underwhelming? I'm surprised, as I always thought Paris was all about amazing food.

I think if you go high end, the food could be really good. You can also find good bakeries, cheese, wine, and maybe salads..

The normal French lunch or dinner fare in Paris though is underwhelming. I love food myself and love organ meats and other rich hearty food but the Parisian stuff is one note. It's the same flavor over and over again - mostly umami. Think duck confit, pork blood, steak and frites, steak tartare, etc.

If you want good food - you need to go to Italy, and I think the southern Italian food is better. Also Spain.

I'm the other PP who said the food in Paris wasn't that great. I thought the quality of ingredients (fresh produce etc) was not as good as I get in this country. Also, all of the cafes have the exact same menu, and nothing is as good as you'd expect!

I'm the Londoner PP, I've been to Paris (and elsewhere in France a lot). I agree with the above, generally. There are great bakeries, cheese, etc. And there are fantastic restaurants, but you have to know where they are. It's really easy to eat in an endless succession of not great bistros in Paris, with the same menu of steak frites, moules mariniere etc, every day. Perhaps because I know it better, but the food in London really is incredible and much more diversity of cuisine and price range. Elsewhere in France (I most frequently go to the south) the food is fantastic. But Paris.. yeah, not so much. When we are there (with kids) the focus is all on the bakery items, crepes, etc.

I can't believe it, but I'd have to agree food in London is better than food in Paris. Especially if you love Indian food! Good Indian food can be had anywhere, and you can spend very little money. Even your run of the mill neighborhood pub will likely serve chicken tikka masala, and that would be very good. Pub food is decent, and if you go to places like Soho, there are a lot of really good sushi and Italian restaurants.

[Anonymous]

Who said food in Spain is good? LOL.

Maybe gastro places in basque, but not the country on whole. You can only have the same five meals so many times.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP who asked about food in Paris. Thank you PPs for your answers about food in Paris (and London and Italy)! Very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who said food in Spain is good? LOL.

Maybe gastro places in basque, but not the country on whole. You can only have the same five meals so many times.

Ignore this ignorant poster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Italy is better on a budget. Rome and Florence are great, but I really loved the small towns, especially around Lake Como.

OP here- you guys are making me crazy! So, I am paying for this trip primarily with credit card/mileage points, which can probably go farther in Italy anyway. So I am conscious of cost but not overly so. I was leaning towards London and Paris at this point because of the weather- my kids are about to start school and it will be much harder to get away and take a trip during the school year (when things are cheaper) while they are in school (we are not taking them on this trip). I hate hate hate going to crowded tourist destinations in the summer. I was thinking the next time we ever travel will be around spring break, at which time the weather in Italy will probably be better than London or Paris, right?

But you guys are making Italy sound irresistible!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Italy hands down.

London is incredible but overpriced.

Paris is overrated, and the food isn't that great.

NP here. This is the second time someone on this thread has said that the food in Paris isn't that great. Is it really underwhelming? I'm surprised, as I always thought Paris was all about amazing food.

I think if you go high end, the food could be really good. You can also find good bakeries, cheese, wine, and maybe salads..

The normal French lunch or dinner fare in Paris though is underwhelming. I love food myself and love organ meats and other rich hearty food but the Parisian stuff is one note. It's the same flavor over and over again - mostly umami. Think duck confit, pork blood, steak and frites, steak tartare, etc.

If you want good food - you need to go to Italy, and I think the southern Italian food is better. Also Spain.

Everything I'm reading says Italians consider Bologna to be their food capital, and that's in the North. Indeed, this site has it as the #2 food city in the World:

https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/the-world-s-best-food-cities

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Italy is better on a budget. Rome and Florence are great, but I really loved the small towns, especially around Lake Como.

OP here- you guys are making me crazy! So, I am paying for this trip primarily with credit card/mileage points, which can probably go farther in Italy anyway. So I am conscious of cost but not overly so. I was leaning towards London and Paris at this point because of the weather- my kids are about to start school and it will be much harder to get away and take a trip during the school year (when things are cheaper) while they are in school (we are not taking them on this trip). I hate hate hate going to crowded tourist destinations in the summer. I was thinking the next time we ever travel will be around spring break, at which time the weather in Italy will probably be better than London or Paris, right?

But you guys are making Italy sound irresistible!

Londoner PP here - never ever go to London for the weather! (Or Paris, for that matter!) Go to Italy! All of these places are full of tourists all the time. Italy - weather/levels of tourists depends where you go. Venice can be extremely hot and sticky in the summer (and smelly) but I've been in the summer and it's fine. It is touristy all year round. Same with Florence, Rome, etc. Tuscany (or Chiantishire, as some Brits call it!) is a popular tourist destination too, but it's a big area with lots of small towns - I don't think it will feel heaving with tourists wherever you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who said food in Spain is good? LOL.

Maybe gastro places in basque, but not the country on whole. You can only have the same five meals so many times.

Ignore this ignorant poster.

No need to be rude, b.

I spent two months traveling around Spain for work. Aside from Basque, where is all of this good food in Spain? A few good dishes no doubt, but it's very monotonous. Not really where I'd go for "good food".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who said food in Spain is good? LOL.

Maybe gastro places in basque, but not the country on whole. You can only have the same five meals so many times.

Ignore this ignorant poster.

No need to be rude, b.

I spent two months traveling around Spain for work. Aside from Basque, where is all of this good food in Spain? A few good dishes no doubt, but it's very monotonous. Not really where I'd go for "good food".

Sorry buddy, you have bad luck and/or chose poorly if you could not find good food in Spain but the Basque region. If you are going back anytime soon, I'll give you a few suggestions.

There's good food everywhere, including Madrid and Barcelona. Barcelona has amazing seafood and paella. You can get jamon everywhere and that's delicious. When in Madrid, I stayed at an apartment close to this market, which is a foodie paradise:
http://www.mercadodesanmiguel.es/en/the-market/

Watch this Anthony Bourdain special:
http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/anthony-bourdain/episodes/spain
"According to Tony, outside of Asia, Spain is the single greatest place for culinary achievement in the world."


I have friends in the restaurant industry, and they're all raving about San Sebastian. I've never been, but my understanding is that it has a lot of avant garde restaurants. So if you're a jaded traveler, you'd probably want to check this place out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Italy is better on a budget. Rome and Florence are great, but I really loved the small towns, especially around Lake Como.

OP here- you guys are making me crazy! So, I am paying for this trip primarily with credit card/mileage points, which can probably go farther in Italy anyway. So I am conscious of cost but not overly so. I was leaning towards London and Paris at this point because of the weather- my kids are about to start school and it will be much harder to get away and take a trip during the school year (when things are cheaper) while they are in school (we are not taking them on this trip). I hate hate hate going to crowded tourist destinations in the summer. I was thinking the next time we ever travel will be around spring break, at which time the weather in Italy will probably be better than London or Paris, right?

But you guys are making Italy sound irresistible!

Londoner PP here - never ever go to London for the weather! (Or Paris, for that matter!) Go to Italy! All of these places are full of tourists all the time. Italy - weather/levels of tourists depends where you go. Venice can be extremely hot and sticky in the summer (and smelly) but I've been in the summer and it's fine. It is touristy all year round. Same with Florence, Rome, etc. Tuscany (or Chiantishire, as some Brits call it!) is a popular tourist destination too, but it's a big area with lots of small towns - I don't think it will feel heaving with tourists wherever you are.

Agreed, London weather is awful, unless you're the type to love foggy rainy grey days. (I have a friend who does.) Paris is a little better. You didn't mention when you were going, but if you go in the winter, both London and Paris are awful. London weather is only great in the summer, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Italy is better on a budget. Rome and Florence are great, but I really loved the small towns, especially around Lake Como.

OP here- you guys are making me crazy! So, I am paying for this trip primarily with credit card/mileage points, which can probably go farther in Italy anyway. So I am conscious of cost but not overly so. I was leaning towards London and Paris at this point because of the weather- my kids are about to start school and it will be much harder to get away and take a trip during the school year (when things are cheaper) while they are in school (we are not taking them on this trip). I hate hate hate going to crowded tourist destinations in the summer. I was thinking the next time we ever travel will be around spring break, at which time the weather in Italy will probably be better than London or Paris, right?

But you guys are making Italy sound irresistible!

Londoner PP here - never ever go to London for the weather! (Or Paris, for that matter!) Go to Italy! All of these places are full of tourists all the time. Italy - weather/levels of tourists depends where you go. Venice can be extremely hot and sticky in the summer (and smelly) but I've been in the summer and it's fine. It is touristy all year round. Same with Florence, Rome, etc. Tuscany (or Chiantishire, as some Brits call it!) is a popular tourist destination too, but it's a big area with lots of small towns - I don't think it will feel heaving with tourists wherever you are.

Agreed, London weather is awful, unless you're the type to love foggy rainy grey days. (I have a friend who does.) Paris is a little better. You didn't mention when you were going, but if you go in the winter, both London and Paris are awful. London weather is only great in the summer, IMO.

OP here- yeah, I explained this really badly. DH and I are making this trip in mid-May. I hate traveling in summer because I hate crowds, heat, and paying higher prices. Our kids are about to start school so we will not be traveling again in May for a long, long time most likely. I figured that going to London/Paris in May is going to be nice. The next time we travel it may be during a colder time of year, like Fall or early Spring, so I figured I could go to Italy then and enjoy ok weather.

[Anonymous]

Italy.

London and Paris are targets for terrorists too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who said food in Spain is good? LOL.

Maybe gastro places in basque, but not the country on whole. You can only have the same five meals so many times.

Ignore this ignorant poster.

No need to be rude, b.

I spent two months traveling around Spain for work. Aside from Basque, where is all of this good food in Spain? A few good dishes no doubt, but it's very monotonous. Not really where I'd go for "good food".

Sorry buddy, you have bad luck and/or chose poorly if you could not find good food in Spain but the Basque region. If you are going back anytime soon, I'll give you a few suggestions.

There's good food everywhere, including Madrid and Barcelona. Barcelona has amazing seafood and paella. You can get jamon everywhere and that's delicious. When in Madrid, I stayed at an apartment close to this market, which is a foodie paradise:
http://www.mercadodesanmiguel.es/en/the-market/

Watch this Anthony Bourdain special:
http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/anthony-bourdain/episodes/spain
"According to Tony, outside of Asia, Spain is the single greatest place for culinary achievement in the world."


I have friends in the restaurant industry, and they're all raving about San Sebastian. I've never been, but my understanding is that it has a lot of avant garde restaurants. So if you're a jaded traveler, you'd probably want to check this place out.

Jamon
Suckling pig
Jamon
Paella
Jamon
Tapas
Jamon

Rinse, repeat.

One of the best meals in my life just outside San Sebastián, but that's Basque, not typical Spain. Anthony is probably referring to Basque. But he's a pig so not sure I'd value his opinion.

Like Mrs. Constanza said, "But Geoooorgie, who's going to eat ALL of this paella?!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who said food in Spain is good? LOL.

Maybe gastro places in basque, but not the country on whole. You can only have the same five meals so many times.

Ignore this ignorant poster.

No need to be rude, b.

I spent two months traveling around Spain for work. Aside from Basque, where is all of this good food in Spain? A few good dishes no doubt, but it's very monotonous. Not really where I'd go for "good food".

Sorry buddy, you have bad luck and/or chose poorly if you could not find good food in Spain but the Basque region. If you are going back anytime soon, I'll give you a few suggestions.

There's good food everywhere, including Madrid and Barcelona. Barcelona has amazing seafood and paella. You can get jamon everywhere and that's delicious. When in Madrid, I stayed at an apartment close to this market, which is a foodie paradise:
http://www.mercadodesanmiguel.es/en/the-market/

Watch this Anthony Bourdain special:
http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/anthony-bourdain/episodes/spain
"According to Tony, outside of Asia, Spain is the single greatest place for culinary achievement in the world."


I have friends in the restaurant industry, and they're all raving about San Sebastian. I've never been, but my understanding is that it has a lot of avant garde restaurants. So if you're a jaded traveler, you'd probably want to check this place out.

Jamon
Suckling pig
Jamon
Paella
Jamon
Tapas
Jamon

Rinse, repeat.

One of the best meals in my life just outside San Sebastián, but that's Basque, not typical Spain. Anthony is probably referring to Basque. But he's a pig so not sure I'd value his opinion.

Like Mrs. Constanza said, "But Geoooorgie, who's going to eat ALL of this paella?!"

^ More specifically while there are many great things about Spain I would NOT go there for the food - as compared to Italy or France. To get back to OP's questions. I wouldn't go to the UK just for the food either.

[Anonymous]

I'd choose Italy over Spain anytime. But, one of the best dinners I ever had was in Barcelona. Amazing paella.