3 Trips To Take-Make A New Food Discovery

What distance would you travel for an exciting food scene? From a Beirut beach break to a South American adventure, and a Canadian culinary hotspot, we select the best breaks for galloping gourmets

Long-haul: Santiago, Chile For dramatic scenery, fresh ceviche and punchy pisco sours

Chile is a country of extremes with towering mountains, pristine Pacific coast, lush farmland and rolling vineyards: terrain that yields a huge variety of produce. If you want a far-flung foodie adventure, this South American country is about as good as it gets.

Set in a valley surrounded by snow-capped peaks, the capital, Santiago, is a great place to recharge. Treat yourself to the ‘completo’, not just a hot dog but a Chilean national treasure, with as many toppings as you can handle – avocado and mayo among them. Got a sweet tooth? Chase the dog with a classic ‘mote con huesillo’, a delectable peach nectar, laced with cinnamon and served with a spoon. Both are readily available from street-side carts.

Hitting the town? Chileans usually drink their pisco (a grape-based spirit) in the form of a ‘piscóla’, a sweet concoction of pisco and cola, but don’t miss the opportunity to sample a more refined cocktail from Siete Negronis (sietenegronis.cl) serving twists on the classic negroni. Try the barrel-aged version, or ‘baconvardier’, a fun American influenced boulevardier, with bacon-infused bourbon (Dhs26). Appetite stimulated, head to Puerto Bellavista ( puertobellavista.cl) for crisp calamari, piles of mussels, smoked ribs and chicken (dishes Dhs31 - 63).