Chef Jordan Toft, known for his divine cooking at Merivale’s Coogee Pavilion and Bert’s, has lived all over the world. We got the chance to eat our way across Europe with him, flying to Barcelona and then travelling by train with a Eurail pass through Catalonia, France and ending up in the spiky mountains of Switzerland. On the way, we picked up a few tips: here’s how to travel through Europe, chef-style.
Bodega in Barcelona
Going to a major metropolis like Barcelona doesn’t mean you have to get caught in a tourist trap. Heading to the markets and eating some real, piercingly-umami jamón ibérico sliced fresh is bucket-list stuff, but Toft also suggests seeking out a local experience by drinking some traditional vermouth in one of the casual bodegas. “Do your research on the bodegas and old bars,” he says, “They may not serve a lot of things; just a few different drinks and a few little snacks, but you’re always going to run into a couple of old boys. It may feel like the record skips when you walk through the door, but just stick it out for a drink and show a bit of enthusiasm and I guarantee that those people will talk to you and show you a good time.”
Forage in Catalonia
On our trip, we found that the rocky climes of Catalonia are ripe with natural ingredients, and who better to take you foraging than three Michelin-star restaurant El Celler de Can Roca’s very own botanist, Evarist March. We wandered through fields picking and tasting (sea fennel! Sea radish! Wild thyme!). This is a must do – you’ll never look at land the same way again.
Try Girona’s natural wine bars
A little known secret about Girona is the proliferation of natural wine bars. Long before it was cool, natural wine has been a thing in these parts, and bars like Mon Oncle and Plaça del Vi 7 serve up some of the most interesting varieties, with plenty of seating outside for people-watching. “Girona has so many great natural wine bars,” says Toft, “They have natural wines on their lists because they are interested in it, not because it’s trendy.”
Drink mountaintop cocktails
We spend a night at the mountaintop Sant Metges Hotel, a mere 15-minute drive from central Girona. Housed in a former military site, staying here feels like a night in a Bond villain’s lair, with breath-taking views over the countryside outside, and Brutalist features in abundance on the inside. Pre-dinner cocktails before eating the molecular gastronomy of chef Jordi Cruz at onsite restaurant, Atempo, make this hotel perfect for an explorative weekender. Bring your LBD/tux.
Hotel highlights
Another two special hotel experiences in Catalonia are Hostal de la Gavina – old-school sumptuous rooms, with views of crashing waves; and the stone-lined indoor pool and jacuzzi at Hotel Peralada.
Go to a Lyonnaise bouchon
Although to the wider world French food is all about baguettes, cheese and confit duck, it’s actually a highly varied cuisine. Lyon’s bouchons – restaurants specialising in offal – are unique to the city. Daniel et Denise is one of those restaurants that feels both quaint and ultra-authentic, with patrons huddled around tables eating plates of food so hearty you need a workout just looking at them. “Lyonnaise cuisine is a very specific, rich style of food, so I think you would be amiss not to go to a bouchon in Lyon,” says Toft, “These restaurants are very traditional in their approach; they have to stick to certain guidelines. Pâté en croute is really traditional, and the tripes à la Lyonnaise and simply cooked, pink calves liver can’t be beat.”
Sample real Swiss chocolate in Lausanne
When you’re in Switzerland, you’ve got to try the chocolate. We stop at the Willy Wonka-like chocolate shop, Blondel in Lausanne, which dates from 1850, for some chewy, chocolate-dipped crystallised orange slices on the run. Don’t miss a visit to the Grand Hôtel du Lac in Vevey while you’re in the area – it’s the setting of Anita Brookner’s dreamy, Booker Prize-winning novel, Hotel du Lac, and is Grand Tour opulence defined.
Eat fondue in Switzerland
On your Eurail pass you can access Switzerland’s remarkably beautiful GoldenPass MOB Belle Époque train, which is reminiscent of the Orient Express with its dark wood panelling, ornately patterned, teal-toned seating and brass details dotted about. The journey takes you up into the spectacular heights of the Alps, through forests and snow-capped mountains, to the little village of Château-d’Œx, and to a fondue restaurant there called Le Chalet. “I lived in Morzine, so the Alps are really nostalgic for me,” says Toft. At Le Chalet, you get to watch the cheesemaker make the house cheese over an open fire, while you eat fondue made from the same stuff. Of the experience, Toft says, “It was really special to get a simple fondue and stick in a bit of bread crust, enjoying it around the table with a few glasses of wine.” We tried mushroom, wine and beer fondue, but the last one won out, “Go the beer fondue,” advises Toft, “All that yeasty beer loosens it up, while also cutting through the fat.”
Travel by land
We travelled with Toft by train travel throughout Europe using the Eurail pass – you pay once, then you can hop on most trains across 31 countries, anywhere you want in Europe. The best part? No airport traffic or long lines at immigration. What you get instead is the experience of seeing Europe’s gorgeous, ever-changing landscapes from the comfort of a train carriage, and arriving into the centre of town.
Vogue Living flew to Barcelona on Etihad Business Class, stopping once at Abu Dhabi. The mint lemon juice at the lounge will refresh you like nothing else, or go one of their well-made Negronis at the bar if that doesn’t quite hit the mark. On-flight flat-beds mean you can stretch out and arrive feeling refreshed, and you haven’t experienced in-flight comfort until you’ve snuggled into an uber-luxe Etihad blanket – real talk.
Vogue Living experienced this as a guest of Eurail, Catalunya and Lake Geneva.
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