Three Delicious Culinary Destinations

by Tiffany Figueiredo

Great restaurants are only the beginning. In these destinations, food is woven into daily life, from morning markets to long tables at night.

01. Provence, France

The lavender fields and hilltop villages get all the press, but the real reason to go to Provence is the markets. Every town has one, and they are not the polished versions designed for visitors. These are working markets where locals shop for dinner: farmers selling vegetables still dusty from the field, fishmongers selling the morning’s catch from Marseille, cheesemongers stacking wheels of Comté behind the counter, foie gras producers offering small samples and big opinions.

Stay at Château de la Chèvre d’Or in Eze, perched on a cliff with views that stretch to Italy and a two-Michelin-starred restaurant that alone justifies the trip. Or La Bastide de Gordes, a 16th-century manor with its own truffle cave. For something more private, let me find you a gorgeous villa with a private chef. It’s the way I’d do it.

Market tours with guides who know everyone, rosé tastings at small estates, cooking classes in farmhouse kitchens and tables at restaurants with no printed menu, just whatever the chef found that morning. This is France at its most elemental. Book now for July or August while good properties are still available.

02. Kyoto, Japan

If Provence is about abundance, Kyoto is about precision. Every meal feels deliberate, from a ryokan breakfast of grilled fish and perfectly seasoned rice to a kaiseki dinner that unfolds with discipline and artistry. The city’s culinary tradition stretches back more than a thousand years, and it shows in the restraint: tofu that tastes impossibly delicate, matcha prepared with reverence, ceramics chosen to reflect the season. Nothing is left to chance.

Tawaraya Ryokan in Gion remains the gold standard for those seeking a full traditional immersion, with just 18 rooms and notable kaiseki dinners. For clients who prefer a larger luxury footprint, Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto pairs contemporary comfort with one of the city’s most beautiful garden settings, along with a dining program that blends refined Japanese cuisine with modern interpretations.

Kyoto rewards those with the right access. The right introductions open doors to counters that do not advertise, sake houses that do not welcome walk-ins and private tours through Nishiki Market with someone who knows every stall. Go in spring for cherry blossoms or autumn for the maples, but both seasons require planning well in advance, especially if special restaurants are part of the brief.

03. South African Winelands

An hour from Cape Town, the Winelands feel like Napa if Napa had been designed by the Dutch in the 1600s and then improved by three centuries of winemaking obsession. Dramatic mountains, Cape Dutch farmhouses, vineyards that seem to go on forever, and, increasingly, some of the most exciting food on the continent.

La Residence in Franschhoek is where you want to be: gorgeous, eclectic suites, views across the vineyards to the mountains, a wine list of small producers you won’t find in export markets and every great restaurant in Franschhoek at your doorstep. For something more approachable, Boschendal offers a historic Cape Dutch setting, gardens you can wander through before dinner, and Arum, World’s 50 Best chef Peter Tempelhoff's new farm-to-fire restaurant.

Vertical tastings of Chenin Blanc and Pinotage, mornings cycling between estates, long lunches that stretch into longer dinners. And with the exchange rate where it is right now, South Africa still offers extraordinary value for luxury travel. Book for the US winter (South African summer), when I’m usually at home in the Valley.