On the long list of reasons why life is worth living, food and travel are right at the top. We pride ourselves on connecting travellers with truly amazing food experiences (heck, we have a whole movement around it called Contiki MUNCH), so here is a shoutout to those meals on Contiki trips that were the best thing ever eaten, changed lives and opened up whole new worlds for taste buds.
The ribs and pulled pork sandwiches from when we were in Canada at the Calgary Stampede were truly next level. – Crystal P.
Pizza Punk’s in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has the most amazing woodfired pizza with unlimited toppings for 10 pounds! Topping choices range from safe choices like pepperoni and mushrooms to more adventurous like mac & cheese, pulled pork and broccoli. It’s a must visit for anyone if you’re a pizza fan. – Nicholas B.
Back in 2015 on my Contiki, we were on Murano Island in Venice and I ordered a margarita pizza and it came out with fries on top of it. Sure, it was crazy expensive but it was definitely a delightful meal and my food highlight of Europe. – Katie W.
The best sandwich I ever ate was at all’antico vinaio in Florence. The best EVER. The little hole in the wall is so popular that they had to pass a law saying you can’t sit down outside and eat it. 100% worth the wait. – Paul S.
Melon bread ice cream in Osaka, Japan. Warm melon bread is sliced open and vanilla ice is sandwiched in between. The bread is fluffy and sweet and the ice cream is rich and creamy. I’m drooling just thinking about it. Also on Miyijama Island, Japan, they serve ice cream in a warm doughnut like cone and it’s absolute to die for. The combination of the warm donut cone and cold ice cream is INSANE. – Bronté B.
Raspo De Ua, a restaurant on Burano Island (near Venice) was not only a beautiful spot but also the home of the most epic seafood dinner I’ve ever had! – Ashleigh S.
The pork knuckle in Austria from “Gasthof Oberbräu” in Hopfgarten. I have no words to explain how good it was. – Sophie M.
I’m a pizza fiend and New York pizza was as good as I imagined it was going to be. I tried pizza at every stop on our Grand Southern but NYC pizza took the cake. – Pavlos T.
I have two, either the Texas BBQ ribs from my Grand Southern trip, OR the goulash in Budapest on my Europe Contiki. Both are still two of my favourite meals. – Rob C.
Gyros Gyros Gyros!! Never had anything like it and became addicted from the very first one in Athens! – Max H.
Trdelnik from Czech Republic. It’s a traditional treat that is cooked dough wrapped around strawberries and chocolate sauce, served with whipped cream! It was so delicious and served warm! – Alanna W.
The Hawker centres in Singapore offer a variety of food, from amazing satays to nasi lemak. Definitely a must try in Singapore. It’s kind of a mix of everything and anything. And pretty cheap as well! – Marggie P.
The absolute coolest restaurant I have ever been to is called Benasuza Restaurante in Mexico. People who don’t like to try different food or flavours and have no sense of adventure may hate it because it’s all those things and freaking amazing! Just stunning, small dishes that continue to arrive in front of you! – Trina L.
You have not lived until you’ve had Argentinian steak. There’s a reason they’re so celebrated for it. – Hannah L.
My favourite meal from a Contiki Japan trip is the ramen in Kyoto at the train station on Ramen Street. At the top of the station there’s all these different ramen restaurants, serving it hot and fresh. And you ALWAYS have to have a beer with it, it’s the Japanese way. – Matt K.
The Spanish jamon (ham), iberico, was soooooo amazing. They sell it everywhere, and I bought it everywhere. – Aaron B.
I had this giant, delicious dumpling from the markets in Shanghai, that was HUGE! You have to put a straw in it to suck the broth out. So good. –Taryn W.
The jam donut I had in the German Christmas markets, a Berliner! It went down a treat with Glühwein – Gaby M.
Gus’ fried chicken in Memphis with mac and cheese. It made me feel grateful. Nothing could put a dampener on my spirits. – John N.
Fergburger AND Ferg bakery in New Zealand! The pies at the bakery next door are as epic as the burgers. I’d recommend the lamb burger, but they’re all good. Ferg is good. – Lianna W.
The crazy fried sandwich in Portugal known as a Francesinha is so unique! It’s all these meats in bread with cheese melted over the top, served in a beer/tomato broth. There’s nothing else like it. – Kirsten B.
The pasta we had in Vernazza, Cinque Terre on our Europe Contiki was such a highlight. The views, the fresh pasta with mussels, the company… life was good. – Sophia M.
Kulfi ice cream from Cochin, India was one of the coolest things I’ve ever had. It’s a traditional Indian ice cream that tastes like ginger, and I know it sounds random but just trust me. – Olivia L.