As a Romanian, I would recommend my country, as now, being an EU country, you have direct/cheap flights from Dublin to Bucharest (Aer Lingus / Blue Air).
And Romania it’s still a cheap country, in comparison with Ireland, so grab your trolley and go :).
In Romania you can try the food from Transilvania (Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca and northern Transilvania: Maramures), Delta of Danube, with authentic fish soups and stews (south east of Romania, near the seaside towns&beaches) or even in Bucharest (but you have to go in there for food just having some tips from Romanians, because being a major city – 3 million people – it’s pretty cosmopolitan and you won’t find easy REAL authentic Romanian food).
Good Luck!
I think Ireland comes top and bottom in equal measure. We have some of the most fantastic produce available and some of the most amazing talented chefs to prepare it, but all too often restaurants, coffee shops and pubs take the easier option of handing out curries, kievs, nuggets, sausages (in fact pretty much anything that will go with chips) instead of our traditional and delicous native lamb, ham, seafood, stews, cheeses, vegetables and traditional bakes such as breads and apple pies. Places that do serve Irish food tend to overcharge for them – Irish food can be cheap, wholesome and extremely tasty, not to mention environmentally sound. Its such a pity because Ireland needs all the tourism it can muster that many tourists will go home and say they had pizza and frozen chips – it certainly wont encourage others to come here and sample our wonderful cuisine.
I think a lot of the blame for poor food served in Ireland lies with the punters. A huge amount of people actually want the chips with everything fare, rather than any more traditional options, usually because that’s what they were brought up with…..but that’s probably a rant for another day 🙂
Oh and I’ll throw my oar in with Mexico having some of the best food I’ve had, $1 street tacos were miles better and fresher than anything “mexican” I’ve had over here.
Germany’s deffo last, has anyone else tried spatzle? Yuck.
“I have discovered that the more you pay the better the food gets which I think is a bit of a swizz – in the end it’s the same produce being used.” Em no!
While I can’t say Paris/France is good value for money, I can say good produce costs more.
How can you compare chicken used for a dish and raised and sold for €1 or 2 with good quality reared chicken which takes a few more euro. The same with any produce, the best stuff is taken for the restaurants who pay more. Take for example the Lidl veg, it’s cheap but it’s often poor taste IMO.
Hi Cristi, what are the traditional dishes of Romania, can you recommend a recipe? I have heard that Transylvania is really beautiful, it’s on my list of places to see.
I was more talking about the standard of food than the produce but I don’t think it came across that way! I just think that if you go into your average restaurant in France, the standard of food in terms of the way it is cooked/effort depends on what you have payed for it even if both dishes (the cheaper and the more expensive) are using the same produce. This is not the case in Spain.
I am not comparing cheap produce to more expensive produce in France, supermarkets in France and Spain have a far higher standard of produce in general than Ireland and are much cheaper. You don’t go into a supermarket in France or Spain and see organic this and organic that, they don’t bother to label it, quality is quality over there – the way it should be.
Also I would never eat cheap chicken, it’s gross and wrong..scary too.
I agree CalKen, we do come top and bottom but could so easily excel with the fertile land we have. Over the years, I have been shocked when talking to tourists visiting this country, it’s more often than not “Great people, music, pints..terrible food”. Thankfully this is changing and compared to 10/15 years ago we have come along way. Do you think we will be ever noted as a culinary destination though?
We’re planning a trip to France with kids after the Leaving ends. My memories of France as a student focussed more on wine than food – recent trips prove it is the food that is defintely part of the draw – even today. I think France still (hopefully!) has some of the best restaurants and markets- especially in the south and good value seems to be available still.
If you are in the South of France in particular make sure to check out the foodmarkets – so much better than the supermarkets and full of great characters – Moore Street meets the Med!
We go each year to the Corbieres near Perpignan and the foodmarket in Narbonne is really worth a visit. Seamus Martin of The Irish Times described it as the best in France some time ago and it really lives up to the billing.
Just back and it was superb – although I have to say that prices in France are not always significantly lower tha Ireland and petrol was more expensive in some places. Eating out remains a pleasure and there is a definite move to more contemporary cuisine (too many yeras of Confit du Canard have helped the Spanish and Italians claim with some justification that Frnace is stuck in the past – and I have to say that they have a point)
Anyway – in Carcassonne down in the Languedoc there is great value, friendly service and lots of good new world style wine to be had.
Wednesday 28 April, 2010 at 11:31 am
As a Romanian, I would recommend my country, as now, being an EU country, you have direct/cheap flights from Dublin to Bucharest (Aer Lingus / Blue Air).
And Romania it’s still a cheap country, in comparison with Ireland, so grab your trolley and go :).
In Romania you can try the food from Transilvania (Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca and northern Transilvania: Maramures), Delta of Danube, with authentic fish soups and stews (south east of Romania, near the seaside towns&beaches) or even in Bucharest (but you have to go in there for food just having some tips from Romanians, because being a major city – 3 million people – it’s pretty cosmopolitan and you won’t find easy REAL authentic Romanian food).
Good Luck!
Wednesday 28 April, 2010 at 11:54 am
I think Ireland comes top and bottom in equal measure. We have some of the most fantastic produce available and some of the most amazing talented chefs to prepare it, but all too often restaurants, coffee shops and pubs take the easier option of handing out curries, kievs, nuggets, sausages (in fact pretty much anything that will go with chips) instead of our traditional and delicous native lamb, ham, seafood, stews, cheeses, vegetables and traditional bakes such as breads and apple pies. Places that do serve Irish food tend to overcharge for them – Irish food can be cheap, wholesome and extremely tasty, not to mention environmentally sound. Its such a pity because Ireland needs all the tourism it can muster that many tourists will go home and say they had pizza and frozen chips – it certainly wont encourage others to come here and sample our wonderful cuisine.
Wednesday 28 April, 2010 at 2:35 pm
I think a lot of the blame for poor food served in Ireland lies with the punters. A huge amount of people actually want the chips with everything fare, rather than any more traditional options, usually because that’s what they were brought up with…..but that’s probably a rant for another day 🙂
Wednesday 28 April, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Oh and I’ll throw my oar in with Mexico having some of the best food I’ve had, $1 street tacos were miles better and fresher than anything “mexican” I’ve had over here.
Germany’s deffo last, has anyone else tried spatzle? Yuck.
Wednesday 28 April, 2010 at 8:37 pm
“I have discovered that the more you pay the better the food gets which I think is a bit of a swizz – in the end it’s the same produce being used.” Em no!
While I can’t say Paris/France is good value for money, I can say good produce costs more.
How can you compare chicken used for a dish and raised and sold for €1 or 2 with good quality reared chicken which takes a few more euro. The same with any produce, the best stuff is taken for the restaurants who pay more. Take for example the Lidl veg, it’s cheap but it’s often poor taste IMO.
Thursday 29 April, 2010 at 11:11 am
Hi Cristi, what are the traditional dishes of Romania, can you recommend a recipe? I have heard that Transylvania is really beautiful, it’s on my list of places to see.
Thursday 29 April, 2010 at 11:14 am
Hey Ronan,
I was more talking about the standard of food than the produce but I don’t think it came across that way! I just think that if you go into your average restaurant in France, the standard of food in terms of the way it is cooked/effort depends on what you have payed for it even if both dishes (the cheaper and the more expensive) are using the same produce. This is not the case in Spain.
I am not comparing cheap produce to more expensive produce in France, supermarkets in France and Spain have a far higher standard of produce in general than Ireland and are much cheaper. You don’t go into a supermarket in France or Spain and see organic this and organic that, they don’t bother to label it, quality is quality over there – the way it should be.
Also I would never eat cheap chicken, it’s gross and wrong..scary too.
Thursday 29 April, 2010 at 11:14 am
I agree CalKen, we do come top and bottom but could so easily excel with the fertile land we have. Over the years, I have been shocked when talking to tourists visiting this country, it’s more often than not “Great people, music, pints..terrible food”. Thankfully this is changing and compared to 10/15 years ago we have come along way. Do you think we will be ever noted as a culinary destination though?
Thursday 29 April, 2010 at 2:23 pm
India! Everything is dirt cheap and so delicious.
Tuesday 25 May, 2010 at 11:01 am
We’re planning a trip to France with kids after the Leaving ends. My memories of France as a student focussed more on wine than food – recent trips prove it is the food that is defintely part of the draw – even today. I think France still (hopefully!) has some of the best restaurants and markets- especially in the south and good value seems to be available still.
Wednesday 26 May, 2010 at 8:13 am
If you are in the South of France in particular make sure to check out the foodmarkets – so much better than the supermarkets and full of great characters – Moore Street meets the Med!
We go each year to the Corbieres near Perpignan and the foodmarket in Narbonne is really worth a visit. Seamus Martin of The Irish Times described it as the best in France some time ago and it really lives up to the billing.
Wednesday 30 June, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Just back and it was superb – although I have to say that prices in France are not always significantly lower tha Ireland and petrol was more expensive in some places. Eating out remains a pleasure and there is a definite move to more contemporary cuisine (too many yeras of Confit du Canard have helped the Spanish and Italians claim with some justification that Frnace is stuck in the past – and I have to say that they have a point)
Anyway – in Carcassonne down in the Languedoc there is great value, friendly service and lots of good new world style wine to be had.
and the weather was excellent – check out http://www.rentvillalanguedoc.com