The Menu - Food Neighbourhoods

This week we’re joined by Dara Klein of Tiella at the Compton Arms in London. She gives us her drinking-and-dining recommendations for her corner of the city, Roman Road.

Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City is a culinary destination in its own right. The bustling metropolis is packed full of innovative restaurants and bars – and it’s difficult to buzz around the city without drinking in its hallowed coffee culture. Here, Monocle’s Hanna Pham takes us on a day of dining in the city.

Springtime in Italy signals the moment when wineries prepare to present their latest bottlings to the public. One highly sought-after event that producers enjoy attending is Summa, a boutique wine fair held annually in South Tyrol that brings together like-minded producers from Italy and beyond for a taste of something new. Monocle’s Milan correspondent, Ivan Carvalho, went along to find out more.

Monocle’s George Ruskin heads to Peckham for a full day of eating in the vibrant south London community.

This week we head to Johannesburg in South Africa. Known for its work-hard-play-hard culture, it’s a city that brings together a vibrant mix of cultures. Elna Schütz heads to the leafy suburb of Rosebank to sample its innovative restaurants.

This week we head to the southeastern tip of England to wander around the seaside town of Margate. In recent years, the town has become a bit of a magnet for creatives, which has lead to some exciting culinary additions to the local food scene. Holly Fisher went along to meet Natalia Ribbe, the owner of French-inspired wine bar Sète, to visit some of her favourite seaside haunts.

This week, Mandy Sinclair heads to the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival in Ontario to find out how the condiment is made and meet the faces behind the sweet stuff.

We head to the leafy suburbs of north London to visit Crouch End. The area might feel like somewhat of an underdog to the nearby bustling Finsbury Park but its abundance of quaint coffee shops and vibrant bistros, as well as its community feel, make it well worth a stopover. Local resident Rob Prendergast takes us on a tour of the neighbourhood’s best culinary spots.

Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, boasts a vibrant and rapidly evolving food scene. For many years, however, culinary talent has avoided the city’s medieval old town, which has been deemed too expensive and touristy. But now the trend is reversing and young chefs looking to make their mark have rediscovered the historical city centre. Monocle’s Petri Burtsoff met with restaurateur and sommelier Kristjan Peäske for a tour of his favourite drinking and dining spots in Tallinn’s Old Town.

Join Theo Randall, chef patron of Theo Randall at the InterContinental, as he takes us on a tour of Regent’s Park Road in the Primrose Hill area of London.

This week we’re in Ireland’s capital for the opening of the Dublin Coffee Festival. Sebastian Stephenson headed to the sold-out event, reusable cup in hand, to get a taste of how the Dublin scene is brewing and grab some recommendations from Ireland’s coffee masters.

Monocle’s Ivan Carvalho is in Florence to discover the culinary treasures of a city that’s best known for its cultural offerings. Amid its wealth of Renaissance art and architecture, the Tuscan capital has its fair share of gastronomic outposts rooted in local traditions. It’s also a place where both new and old concepts find space to entertain people’s palates.

George Town is the vibrant capital of the Malaysian Island of Penang. The bustling city was once an important trading hub within the Straits of Malacca and over the years has been influenced by a variety of cultures, which have transformed George Town’s food scene into the eclectic culinary destination it is today. Here, Monocle’s Lilian Fawcett takes us on a gastronomic tour of the Unesco world heritage site. Take a listen.

Monocle’s Hannah Lucinda Smith heads to Istanbul’s vibrant Aksaray district to discover the city’s lesser-known international food scene. Here, we wander Aksaray’s sprawling backstreets to taste everything from Uzbek to Senegalese cuisine.

The southern French city of Avignon is internationally known for its annual summer cultural festival. For more than half of the 14th century, it was also home to the Roman Catholic papacy. Its culinary reputation, however, is often overshadowed by two neighbouring cities: Lyon and Marseille. In this episode, Monocle’s Michael Booth visits the Provençal city to unearth some of its specialties, which range from unique pastries and archeological cheeses to a delicious lamb recipe.

Taiwan might be a small island but its culinary staples, such as beef noodle soup and bao buns, are soaring in popularity worldwide. And there’s a rich diversity of regional cuisines that have yet to travel beyond its shores. Monocle’s Naomi Xu Elegant takes a trip to the southern city of Tainan to explore its unique food and drink scene.

While the cool folk of Berlin can be found in all corners of the German capital, there’s one particular boulevard where they are known to congregate. Weserstrasse, in the heart of the Neukölln district, is a street where the food and drink offerings have stepped up to the city’s demands. Monocle’s Paige Reynolds takes us on a tour.

From sweet and spongy cinnamon buns with strong cups of coffee to fresh local seafood, there is no shortage of culinary delights in Oslo. Here, Nora Hoel wanders the popular neighbourhood of Sankthanshaugen to show us the best her hometown has to offer. Take a listen.

We head to the Côte d’Or in Central France, which is known as the epicentre of the nation’s fine wine production. Its offerings, however, extend well beyond just wine. From triple-cream cheeses and truffles to honey and ham, there is no shortage of culinary delights to be enjoyed in the region. Monocle’s Liv Kessler takes us on a winding roadtrip from the Côte de Nuits to the Côte de Beaune.

This week we head to Rebellious Wine Club in London, an ongoing series of wine tastings hosted by some of the most exciting women working in the UK wine industry. Its aim? To debunk some of the more common wine myths and rules, while keeping things relaxed – and maybe even a little bit mischievous. Monocle’s Mae-Li Evans went along to Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings in Clerkenwell to find out more.