By Jacob Dicker (UC Santa Barbara)

Upon receiving my official acceptance into a study abroad program, the very first thing I did wasn’t researching what my new home would look like, or figuring out travel plans, or making sure I had my accommodations in order. No, it was delving deep into the food scene in every single European city I could possibly think of.

It’s not easy to be a foodie sometimes—it definitely took some work to cross-reference which restaurants were well-liked by as many websites as I could use, and then to check menus to see which ones I could actually begin to afford. But it was all absolutely worth it.

Throughout my time abroad, I got better and better at finding the best places to eat, and more importantly, the best places to eat without completely blowing the budget.

My foodie-centric plan of attack was simple: Locate as many cool-looking food shops as possible within a city, and then while navigating from one bakery, restaurant, or food truck to another, get some sightseeing in. By the end of my time abroad, I’d visited 15 countries—and while the Netherlands (where I studied) might not have had the most exciting food scene, that just meant everywhere else was a delicious adventure waiting to happen.

Display case of food in European cafe

Find Great Food Abroad With These 3 Websites

These websites and apps will help you find the greatest food of your life on study abroad wherever you go!

The Michelin Guide

The first site I visited, no matter the destination, was the Michelin Guide. The coveted Michelin star is the absolute pinnacle of the restaurant industry, and it was always fun to see how many restaurants in a city even had one. In fact, I found that it was a great way to judge a city’s overall food scene. For example, Copenhagen had over 70 restaurants in the Michelin guide—fitting because it was nothing short of a top-tier city for all things eating.

On the other hand, Prague had about 20—fair, seeing that while the city was incredible, the food left some things to be desired.

Fair warning: Just about every Michelin restaurant is comically expensive, but every once in a while you’ll find a place that you can afford—and you seize the moment! Solid, a rooftop restaurant in Budapest, was the perfect example. At night, it becomes Salt, a two-star Michelin restaurant that I would probably have to sell my soul to ever afford, but it just so happens that in the mornings, it becomes an affordable, delicious brunch place.

Eater

The next best website is Eater, and I used it much more than the Michelin Guide. I can honestly say I was never disappointed with where it led me. While there are still some very pricey suggestions, Eater definitely skews more towards just great food rather than fancy restaurants—things like food halls, street food stands, dessert places, and bakeries, so there are a lot of student-friendly options to find on there.

TimeOut

Finally, there’s TimeOut—while not the most reliable, it covers the most ground by far. No matter where I went, whether to major cities like Paris or tiny towns like Bolzano, Italy, TimeOut had an article with suggestions about where to find the best food.

While on study abroad, I learned to love food halls. These are typically warehouses or abandoned areas that have been transformed into hip and trendy food stalls, with top-tier food vendors from all over, whatever city you might be in. They’re a great way to experience a huge chunk of a city’s food scene all in one place.

Example of delicious food that can be had on study abroad

Two Cities Every Food Lover Should Visit

As a foodie, you must visit Paris, France! This probably won’t come as a surprise, but there is simply nothing like the food there, and it is crystal clear how deeply everyone cares about their food. No matter where you are in Paris, it seems like every other storefront is a world-class bakery, fromagerie, or restaurant. The number of places where you can grab a baguette and a hunk of cheese and make a picnic to die for is simply astounding (Monbleu in the Marais neighborhood was my favorite place to do just that). The macaroons (specifically at Ladurée), the chocolates (specifically at Stohrer), and the well-worth-it fancy dinners (specifically at Verjus), are everything that you would expect from a place with Paris’s reputation.

Foodie options in display case in Paris, France

Less well known than Paris, however, is Copenhagen, Denmark, which I would argue is just as, if not more, magical for foodies. The food in Copenhagen absolutely blew me away. There’s a reason why it has recently been dubbed Europe’s gastronomic capital. I could have never in my wildest dreams imagined a city with a better bakery scene than Paris, but I genuinely think Copenhagen has it beat. The best coffee I’ve ever tasted (Prolog), the best cinnamon roll I’ve ever tasted (Juno), the best cookie (Hart Bageri), and so, so, so much more. And if the bakeries weren’t enough, some of the coolest food halls I have ever seen are also in Copenhagen (Torvehallen and Reffen).

One aspect of the food scene that really makes Copenhagen stand out is just how diverse it is. While in Paris there is an endless supply of French food and not too much else, in Copenhagen, chefs from all over the world flock to get the city’s best. Whether it be a burger (Gasoline Grill), a taco (Hija de Sanchez), a Korean fried chicken sandwich (Pok Pok Fried Chicken), or whatever else you can think of, Copenhagen will have the best possible version.

Study abroad foodie options in Copenhagen - breakfast rolls

One final tip: Go for local food. I always tried to do at least one traditional meal for that city or country wherever I went, and I was genuinely glad I did.

I always tried to do at least one traditional meal for that city or country wherever I went, and I was genuinely glad I did. Even though you might not be the biggest fan of a particular cuisine, being able to try it and experience it in the place where it was created felt pretty special. I tried to find the best pretzels in Munich (Leon’s Backhaus), the best gelato in the Amalfi Coast (David Gelateria), and the best waffles in Brussels (Maison Dandoy). Do your foodie research, experience the unique delights each city offers, and sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor—fantastic food.

Every UC student has a fresh and unique approach to their study abroad adventure – here are a few others: