Savor meals from Europe’s award-winning chefs

Have you ever had a meal that was so delightful you thought about it for years to come? If so, you know that it’s always a good idea to plan a vacation around decadent, delicious meals. After all, the best way to experience a culture is through its cuisine. Rome and the Algarve are home to leading restaurants that are more than worth the trip. Here’s what to expect as a culinary traveler.

Rome

All roads lead to Rome when you’re dreaming of an excellent meal. This city is bursting with history and flavor, and it’s impossible to go wrong with so many options at your fingertips. La Pergola, which is perched on top of Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, stands tall as Rome’s only restaurant with three Michelin stars.

Both locals and international visitors alike come here for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Here, chef Heinz Beck pushes the boundaries of Mediterranean food with avant-garde dishes like duck foie gras with figs, deep-fried zucchini flowers and caviar served on shellfish and saffron consommé, and pigeon with cream of corn and black elderberries.

If you decide to make a pilgrimage to this awe-inspiring restaurant during the summer, consider dining alfresco under the stars. Either way, after waking up in Rome Cavalieri, indulge in the 15-course Imperial Breakfast in the comfort of your room, including spoon canapés with quail eggs, bottarga, black truffles and pineapple carpaccio.

When you’re ready to explore the city, head to Trastevere for an authentic experience with fewer crowds. Wander down the cobblestone lanes and through the medieval piazzas until you get to the Orto Botanico (the botanical gardens) before stopping for more culinary delights.

Fiordiluna is a local favorite for authentic gelato, and Rome’s only female Michelin-starred chef, Cristina Bowerman, serves ultra-modern dishes in the equally enthralling restaurant, Glass Hostaria

The Algarve, Portugal

If you ask the world’s most serious culinary travelers where they’re headed on their next trip, you would be likely to hear the word “Algarve.” This region in Portugal sits on the southern coast of the country. Rent a car and you’ll explore countless beaches, white-washed fishing villages and high cliffs above the Mediterranean.

The town of Amancil is an ideal base, given that it’s within reach of many of the region’s many Michelin-starred restaurants. Conrad Algarve’s restaurant Gusto has won a Michelin star. Here, you savor dishes designed by three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck offered with a wine pairing created by the sommelier.

The resident chef Liborio Buonocore collaborates with Beck to serve guests in a lively, open kitchen where you can watch the experts in action. Select the scarlet prawns with bell peppers and green gazpacho to begin, followed by Fagottelli Carbonara, chef Heinz Beck’s signature dish.

When you’re looking for a more casual meal, head to Gigi Praia for an authentically local experience. You’ll cross the Ria Formosa natural park over one of Europe’s longest wooden footbridges to a restaurant perched between the lagoon and the beach.

The owner serves the freshest local fish, vegetables sourced from local farms and wines from nearby vineyards against the sounds of local opera on the radio. Opt for the daily catch listed on his blackboard before taking in the sun on the beach.

Elizabeth Wellington is a travel writer and brand copywriter whose work has appeared in Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure and BBC. When not writing in her Vermont farmhouse, she's usually en route to a new destination with a notebook in hand.