FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
Foodie capital
MADRID has been named the best European city for fine dining, according to a new study. Travel logistics app Bounce analysed European cities on their total number of Michelin-starred restaurants, with the Spanish capital boasting 162 of them. Madrid has emerged in recent years as a culinary powerhouse, hosting some of the most exciting and creative restaurants in Europe, such as the three-starred DiverXO for cutting-edge gastronomy and Paco Roncero, which serves traditional Spanish dishes with a modern twist. In the study, Madrid earned a ‘foodie score’ of 8.35 out of 10. The city also had one of the lowest proportions of restaurants to fast-food outlets (4.62%), determining its impressive rank. Madrid rated above Paris which had 118 Michelin-starred restaurants, Amsterdam (72) and London (69).
TOP: Madrid dining
March 22nd - April 4th 2023
In for the long haul
CREAM OF THE CROP
A FUENGIROLA parlour now boasts Spain’s best chocolate ice cream. The Caramelo ice cream parlour won first prize in a contest organised by specialist magazine Helado Artesano, in which more than 150 professionals from all over Spain took part. The product, made and sold in FuengiTHE UK is set to introduce a new requirement for visa-exempt visitors to Britain which will see them fill in an online form and pay a fee in order to enter the country. The move will affect all European Union citizens and seems to be a tit-for-tat response to the EU’s ETIAS tourist tax, which has been causing consternation among Spanish tourism bosses. Starting from next year, tourists from Spain and other European countries will need to complete an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) form before boarding a plane to the UK.
rola, by the artisan Matias Kuyumdjian was crowned the best in the country. The professional won with a recipe that he had been working on for four months and that he had only just included in his business offering. "It is a mixture of pure chocolates from different origins," Kuyumdjian said.
Tit-for-tat UK hits back at the European Union’s Brit-hitting ETIAS tourist tax with one of its own By Walter Finch
The ostensible purpose of the ETA, according to the British Home Office - just as with the ETIAS - is to improve security and digitise the UK’s borders.
THREE cold soups from Malaga have been named in Europe’s top 10. Food guide Taste Atlas, has compiled a list of the best cold soups in Europe, three of which are typically ‘Made in Malaga’; Gazpacho, ajoblanco and porra antequerana. The very similar salmorejo, from Cordoba also made it on to the list. Tarator from Bulgaria - made with yoghurt and cucumber - was named best. Meanwhile readers of Taste Atlas have rated Spanish cuisine third best in the world. Based on criteria such as the ingredients,
Visitors will be required to disclose their full name, their date of birth, country of citizenship and details of their trip. There will also be a fee to be paid although it has not been revealed how much it will be.
Happy sopa dishes and drinks of each cuisine, they gave Spanish food 4.59 out of 5 points. Among the top-rated Spanish dishes are 100% Iberian acorn-fed ham, followed by cured Manchego cheese, fried fish, espetos (grilled sardines) grilled prawns and paella. Leading the list is Italian food, followed by Greece.
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Meanwhile the ETIAS tax that’s set to charge Brits €7 to enter the Schengen zone has been pushed back to 2024. The controversial measure has been bedevilled by delays, uncertainty and internal criticism. Applicants for the ETIAS form will have to detail their health history, criminal record and EU immigration history.
Taxes
With the ETA also coming in in 2024, the two reciprocal tourist taxes look set to come into effect at the same time. Visitors from Canada, the USA, Australia, Brazil, Japan and dozens of other countries will also be affected.
ANDALUCIA is hoping for a bumper year in long haul visitors with a host of top sporting and cultural events this year. The Junta hopes to entice North American tourists to view events such as the Solheim Cup and other golf tournaments; SailGP sailing, the Davis Cup as well as the centenary tournament of the Spanish Basketball Federation, which will feature the USA basketball team. On top of this, the Latin Grammy Awards coming to Sevilla , as well as an array of other cultural events, is hoped to attract the South American market.
Low class CEO of Jet2 Holidays Steve Heapy has waded into a row over ‘low class Brits’. He has written to Lanzarote’s president, Dolores Corujo, asking her to clarify whether or not she wants British tourists to visit the island. The president recently called for higher-quality tourists from places other than the UK. Heapy has called for Corujo to explain what she means by ‘higher quality tourism’. The British media has been infuriated by statements made by Corujo who said that the island should aim to attract ‘quality’ tourists from places such as Germany, France and the Netherlands.