Now it is time to work out may favourite restaurant or cafe, and the category includes hotel breakfasts. It is hard just to figure out where to start!
The events which come to mind quickly and easily are wonderful pizzas in Köln, Warsaw, Chișinău and Utrecht, and super burgers in Iași and Gdańsk.
I loved trying out Moldovan cuisine for the first time in Chișinău. Everywhere I ate there was excellent.
I enjoyed a sublime Lebanese lunch in Dublin, and a mouthwatering Afghan dinner in Glasgow.
My foodie travel fun is not all about restaurants – a smoked haddock pie at Arbroath v Queen’s Park was wonderful. Only Pepsi Max to wash it down when a glass of Chablis would have been perfect, but alcohol is not allowed at Scottish football (except in the hospitality areas).
In the end I have selected a magnificent pizza I had for lunch at Little Nonna in Köln. I had run a Parkrun at 9am so breakfast had been small and early. By lunchtime I was ready for something special.
I found it.
ⓒ iain taylor, 2026
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