Pasta

The belief that Paris is Europe’s undisputed gastronomy capital is outdated at best. In recent years, several other European cities have stepped into the limelight and won over the taste buds of tourists. Italy boasts several culinary contenders, including Sorrento, Siena, Rome, and Florence, the last of which has become a particular tourist favourite; Copenhagen, San Sebastian, and Barcelona also receive honourable mentions. But perhaps the most surprising city to claim a spot in the world culinary competition is London, a city that has suffered from a negative—if bland—culinary image for far too long.

Over the past decade, London has been lauded by food critics and tourists alike for its gastronomic diversity and innovation. In fact, four London restaurants made the list of the Top 10 European Restaurants on TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards 2012, putting the rest of Europe to shame. What makes London an exciting culinary destination is that in recent years, the city’s increasingly multinational population has been reflected in its culinary offerings, with eateries ranging from South Asian to South American influence sprouting up throughout the city. In addition, the slow food movement has played a part in the reimagining of the traditional English diet. But there’s still
some room left for traditionalism, too: the rediscovery of traditional livestock breeds and seafood from the Thames Estuary have made important additions to the contemporary London food scene.

Bangers and Mash

London is gaining momentum, but that’s not to suggest that Parisian food has lost its gusto entirely. Paris is simply a city of strict traditionalists who are somewhat slower to accept new trends. At the top Parisian restaurants, after all, you’re likely to find French dishes and nothing else. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing. After all, many of the world’s best chefs have trained in Paris to learn the fundamentals of food preparation and later take their knowledge back home. And gourmet French cuisine remains popular even outside of the city limits of Paris or Lyon. In fact, three of the four restaurants in London that were honoured as TripAdvisor’s top European restaurants actually serve French-based cuisine: Le Gavroche, Chez Bruce, and La Trompette. Simply put, no matter how much competition Paris receives from other cities, it will almost certainly remain a culinary hotspot for years to come.

With this in mind, why not take advantage of the culinary delights that both cities have to offer? The trip from London to Paris is only two and a half hours by train, which puts food tourists in the fortunate position of being able to travel between two of the world’s most celebrated culinary capitals. You can sample the latest innovations in London as well as the classics in Paris and then let your taste buds decide for themselves.