Europe 2026
100days to go

Food & drink to try

Signature dishes and drinks in each country.

The Netherlands

EAT

  • Stroopwafel — thin waffle cookie with a caramel-syrup filling see photo
  • Bitterballen — crispy fried meat-ragout balls — the classic bar snack see photo
  • Haring — fresh raw herring served with onions see photo
  • Patat — thick-cut Dutch fries with mayonnaise see photo
  • Poffertjes — fluffy mini pancakes with butter and sugar see photo
  • Rijsttafel — an Indonesian 'rice table' of many small dishes see photo

DRINK

  • Dutch lagers — Heineken, Amstel and Grolsch see photo
  • Brown-café ale — traditional darker Dutch beer see photo
  • Jenever — the malty Dutch spirit, ancestor of gin see photo
  • Kopstootje — a glass of jenever with a beer chaser see photo

Poland

EAT

  • Pierogi — stuffed dumplings — potato-and-cheese, meat, sauerkraut or fruit see photo
  • Żurek — sour rye soup, often with sausage and egg see photo
  • Bigos — the Polish 'hunter's stew' of meat and cabbage see photo
  • Kotlet schabowy — breaded, pan-fried pork cutlet see photo
  • Placki ziemniaczane — crispy fried potato pancakes see photo
  • Obwarzanek — Kraków's ring-shaped street bread see photo

DRINK

  • Polish vodka — the national spirit, served ice-cold and neat see photo
  • Żubrówka — vodka flavored with bison grass see photo
  • Polish craft beer — a fast-growing local scene see photo
  • Miód pitny — traditional Polish honey mead see photo

Hungary

EAT

  • Gulyás (goulash) — paprika beef soup — the national dish see photo
  • Pörkölt — a rich paprika meat stew see photo
  • Chicken paprikash — chicken in a creamy paprika sauce see photo
  • Lángos — deep-fried dough with sour cream and cheese see photo
  • Kürtőskalács — sweet spit-roasted 'chimney cake' see photo

DRINK

  • Tokaji — the legendary golden dessert wine see photo
  • Egri Bikavér — 'Bull's Blood' — a robust Hungarian red see photo
  • Pálinka — a strong fruit brandy, the national spirit see photo
  • Unicum — the iconic bitter herbal liqueur see photo

Croatia

EAT

  • Grilled Adriatic fish — fresh local fish, simply grilled see photo
  • Crni rižot — black risotto colored with cuttlefish ink see photo
  • Peka — meat or octopus slow-cooked under a bell-shaped lid see photo
  • Buzara — shellfish in white wine and garlic see photo
  • Pršut — Dalmatian dry-cured ham see photo
  • Fritule — little festive doughnuts see photo

DRINK

  • Plavac Mali — a bold Croatian red wine see photo
  • Pošip — a crisp Croatian white wine see photo
  • Rakija — fruit brandy — the national spirit see photo
  • Croatian lagers — Karlovačko and Ožujsko see photo

Italy

EAT

  • Roman pasta — cacio e pepe, carbonara and amatriciana see photo
  • Pizza Margherita — born in Naples, near Pompeii see photo
  • Supplì — fried Roman rice balls see photo
  • Bistecca alla fiorentina — a huge Tuscan T-bone steak see photo
  • Cicchetti — Venetian small bar snacks see photo
  • Gelato — Italian ice cream see photo

DRINK

  • Chianti & Brunello — Tuscan red wines see photo
  • Prosecco — sparkling wine from the Veneto see photo
  • Aperol Spritz — the classic Venetian aperitivo see photo
  • Limoncello — lemon liqueur from the Amalfi coast see photo
  • Espresso — Italian coffee, taken at the bar see photo