It must seem funny to Florentines that locally grown food is trendy, because they’ve been eating it for centuries. The ingredients may be simple—extra-virgin olive oil, fava beans, pecorino romano cheese, wild game, etc.—but you won’t have a bad meal here. Tuscan wines (e.g., Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and the dessert wine Vin Santo) are equally excellent.

It goes without saying that some of the world’s finest restaurants are in Paris. But the beauty of Paris is that you don’t have to visit a fancy, expensive restaurant to have an amazing meal. In the hands of a French chef, a simple sandwich like a croque monsieur (grilled ham and cheese) becomes exquisite. And if you’re an oenophile, be prepared to have your mind blown by the wine lists.

If you visit Rome, you may want to pack elastic-waist pants, because traditional Roman cuisine is hearty stuff. Try filetti de baccala (fried cod fillets), pasta cacio e pepe (with pecorino romano cheese and black pepper), pasta carbonara (with egg, bacon and cheese) and carciofi alla giudia (fried artichokes). And anyone fond of offal will be in heaven here.

If you’re in a restaurant overlooking the gorgeous Amalfi Coast, there’s no reason to take your eyes off the view to read a menu. Just tell the waiter you want gnocchi alla sorrentino (gnocchi in a simple tomato sauce with mozzarella cheese) and freshly caught seafood—no matter what it is, it’ll be amazing. Then finish your meal with a glass of limoncello.

There’s much more to York’s restaurant scene than Yorkshire pudding. To be sure, there are traditional tea rooms, cafes and pubs here, but you’ll also find restaurants specialising in cuisine from around the globe (Thai, Indian, Pakistani, etc.) and trendy gastropubs. Thirsty? Try a pint of local bitter or a ginger beer, which was invented here.

You’ll find fabulous Tuscan cuisine in Siena. What’s even better: lots of tourists are day-trippers, so restaurants aren’t crowded at night. Try pici (a spaghetti-like pasta), ribolitta (bread and bean soup), and panforte, a traditional Christmas sweet that’s now available year-round. If you’re on a budget, order the house red wine. It’s probably Chianti, and it’s probably excellent.

Get the idea of lunch meat (and that commercial jingle) out of your head right now, because Bologna’s cuisine is far, far more sophisticated. You’ll find restaurants at all price points serving simply amazing Italian food. Try tortellini al brodo (stuffed pasta in broth), mortadella (cured sausage) or tagliatelle al ragu (wide pasta noodles in meat sauce).

Tapas, tapas and more tapas awaits you in San Sebastian. Local ham is always a good bet, as is fresh seafood, but if you see something unusual on the menu, go for it—this ancient town is also known for cutting-edge molecular gastronomy.

Barcelona is a foodie’s dream town. On one hand, you have traditional Catalan cuisine—try zarzuela (seafood stew) or fideua (like paella, but made with noodles instead of rice). On the other, though, you’re not terribly far from the famed-but-now-shuttered El Bulli, so you’ll find plenty of Adrià-influenced chefs dabbling in molecular gastronomy. Or simply buy local specialties at the lively La Boqueria market, grab a bottle of cava and have the best picnic of your life.

Beautiful downtown Edinburgh is home to a flourishing restaurant scene. Whether you want traditional Scottish food (haggis, anyone?) or contemporary Indian, Thai, or fusion cusine, you’ll have no trouble finding it here.