Expand your tastes this year by venturing on some trips to culinary destinations, whether they be underrated cities for gourmands or longtime favorites with new offerings.
We consulted Andiago — the app that recommends restaurants based on real experiences — to get recommendations for the cities that should be on every foodie’s list for 2022, as well as the trending restaurants to visit in each one.
VILNIUS, LITHUANIA
Lithuania’s capital offers a taste of the country’s unique cuisine, including dishes like cepelinai, grated potato dumplings stuffed with meat, and šaltibarčiai, cold beetroot soup in a neon-pink hue. But it’s also a destination for gastronomic takes on its traditional fare — often at a steal.
You’ll find Nineteen18 on the second floor of the Senators’ Passage, a historic Old Town mansion that’s been converted into a culinary hub with restaurants and food shops. Crafted by chef Andrius Kubilius and his team, the menu is dedicated to Lithuanian products grown on small farms.
What to order: Try anything with rye, radish or ice cream.
Extra bite: The wine list is versatile, so you’ll surely find something that suits your taste.
At Ertlio Namas, savor a cuisine whose history is older than the restaurant’s preserved 17th-century building. Ertlio Namas draws on traditional recipes from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque eras and reinterprets them in a contemporary way. The result is delectable and creative dishes with a wonderful presentation and connections to the past.
What to order: Pheasant soup and moose filet.
Extra bite: The prix fixe is outstanding, and the wine pairing is a deserving fit.
KINGSTON, JAMAICA
Jamaica celebrates the 60th anniversary of its independence this year. The island will mark its diamond jubilee with various festivities throughout 2022, providing an additional incentive to visit Kingston and indulge in its flavorful fare and its famous Blue Mountain coffee.
You won’t miss meat at this reservation-only restaurant specializing in ital, a vegetarian diet in accord with the Rastafarian faith. Sit alfresco and savor a prix fixe menu featuring seasonal ingredients plucked from Stush in the Bush’s own farm and local small craft producers.
What to order: Soup, vegan crab cakes, vegan bread and butter, and avocado sorbet.
Extra bite: The location is just as exquisite as the food: Stush in the Bush resides in the hills bordering the north coast. Meals are accompanied by an “earth walk” through the farm.
Nirvanna Restaurant Lady Musgrave
Although an Indian-Chinese fusion restaurant, expect savory authentic Indian fare — Nirvanna brought in chefs from Mumbai to make roti, breads, curries and more from scratch, and it sprinkles plenty of original Indian spices into the dishes.
What to order: Mutton seekh kebab with garlic cheese naan, Kashmiri naan, chicken tikka masala and tandoori chicken.
Extra bite: The dining room fuses Moroccan and Indian design, and the glowing white onyx bar adds a modern touch.
CAIRO, EGYPT
A visit to Cairo allows you to feast on traditional dishes like koshary (a carb-heavy mix of rice, pasta, fried onions, lentils and tomato sauce) and falafel (instead of chickpeas, it’s made with fava beans along with fresh herbs). But this ancient city also offers much more.
This family-owned Egyptian restaurant has been a local favorite since its 1958 opening. Diners flock to this New Giza spot for the vibrant city views from its expansive, leafy terrace and the mouthwatering starters and main courses.
What to order: Roasted chicken and grilled partridge.
Extra bite: Don’t miss the elaborate breakfast, especially the feteer meshltet, an indulgent Egyptian pastry with alternating layers of dough and ghee.
Tucked on the second floor of InterContinental Cairo Semiramis, Birdcage has an Asian aesthetic with dark wood screens and furniture, lantern lights and a water feature. It’s a fitting setting for delightful Thai cuisine.
What to order: Vegetable rolls, pad thai, egg noodles, mango juice and lemon juice with mint.
Extra bite: While the Thai restaurant adopts a more casual vibe, it does not slack on presentation — fried shrimp wrapped in konafa is carefully placed on bamboo rounds, and the fried banana dessert arrives on a wooden slab alongside a coconut shell with ice cream.
MENORCA, SPAIN
The second largest of the Balearic Islands (behind Mallorca), Menorca is known as a low-key, slow-paced beach escape. Yet, behind the sun and sand, Menorca is also a soon-to-be-discovered locale for delicious dining.
Once a jewelry factory, this Ciutadella space now houses a small five-room hotel. But the real reason to visit is the restaurant. Let chef Miquel Sánchez showcase his skills with organic and seasonal ingredients in contemporary Mediterranean dishes.
What to order: Be sure to order the prawn ravioli.
Extra bite: Inside hews more industrial, but the courtyard has a softer look.
Chef Sílvia Anglada’s modern Menorcan restaurant is airy and bright with soaring groin-vaulted ceilings, an open kitchen, lots of light and a stark-white color palette. Beyond its design, Es Tast de na Silvia is a slow food trailblazer promoting gratifying, clean and fair food.
What to order: Meat cannelloni and coca with sobrasada and cod.
Extra bite: The menu constantly changes depending on what’s in the market that day, a bonus for those on repeat visits.
BEIJING
China’s capital has rightfully earned its reputation as one of the country’s best foodie cities, showcasing a distinct range of top-notch regional cuisines. But another reason to dine in Beijing is its unexpectedly superb Italian restaurants.
While this restaurant overlooks the scenic Liangma River (Fiume is Italian for “river”) through its floor-to-ceiling windows, its food hails from Emilia-Romagna. That translates to handmade pastas, cured meats, Italian cheeses and plenty of wine.
What to order: Eggplant parmigiana, six-layer lasagna Bolognese and agnolotti stuffed with spicy salami and ricotta.
Extra bite: Take your pasta outside on the terrace to be closer to the water.
Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Opera Bombana is a landmark for Italian cuisine in Beijing. Try modern interpretations of centuries-old recipes from heralded chef Umberto Bombana paired them with a glass or two of vino from the stunning angled wine walls in the dining room.
What to order: Tiramisu, foie gras appetizer, tender veal shank and tagliatelle.
Extra bite: Enjoy freshly made treats like bread or panettone from the in-house bakery.
