Delicious UK - (01)January 2020

MENTON,FR ANCE

France’ssunniestcityis ontheLigurianSea,eastof

Nice.Blueskiesreignfor 300 daysa year,nourishing

botanicalgardenszestywithkumquats,kaffirlimes

andbuddha’shandcitrons.Menton’smedievalcentre

is hometotheMarchédesHallesfoodmarket,a

Franco-Italianmixofprosciutto, pâte d’olive noire

and San Remo shrimp.

WHYNOW?Frommid-FebruarytheFêteduCitron

(fete-du-citron.com)takesover.Expectgiant

sculpturesmadefromlemons,orangesandlimes,

plus night parades, craft fairs and citrus tastings.

MUS T-TRYFOODIn2019,threeMichelin-starredMirazur

wasnamednumberoneintheS PellegrinoWorld’s 50

BestRestaurantsawards.ChefMauroColagrecocooks

with vegetables,fruitandflowersfromthreepotager

gardenssurroundingtherestaurant.

Tasting menus start from €160.

WHERETOSTAYTheseafrontNapoléon

Mentonhotel(napoleon-menton.com;

doublesfrom€82)paysartistichomage

tolocalcharacterJeanCocteau.See

theartist’seclectichighlightsinthe

Musée Jean Cocteau, 10 minutes away.

HOWTOGETTHEREEasyJet(easyjet.com)

fliesfroma dozenUKairportsto

nearby Nice from £53 return.

FEBRUARY

AVER AGES

lHIGHTEMP13°C

(28°CinAugust)

lLOWTEMP6°C

(theyear’slowest)

lSUNSHINE

HOURS 10

(15inJune)

lRAINYDAYS 4

(6inNovember)

PALERMO,SICILY

Sicilyis Italianinnameonly.Twomillenniaof

culinaryinfluencesfromAndalucia,Anatoliaand

NorthAfricahaveresultedinunpronounceabledishes

suchassfinci(ricottafritters)and’mpanatigghi

(sweet pastries stuffed with spiced beef).

WHYNOW?Localresidents,orPalermitani,celebrate

Epiphany(6January)withfoodrichinsymbolism.

Eatinglentilsbringswealth,whilegiuggiulena,a type

ofsesame-seednougat,is profferedtochildren.Still

peckish?InPalermoit’spermissibletoeatbrioche

con gelato (ice cream sandwiches) for breakfast.

MUS T-TRYFOODStreetstallsneartheMercato 00

Ballaròmakeuseofitsseasonalorangesandfish.

Sampleinvoltinidipescespada(swordfishrolls),

pane e panelle(chickpeafrittersandwiches)and

sfincione (thick-crust pizzas).

WHERETOSTAYTheapartmentsat

Butera 28 (butera28.it;from€120per

night)areina palazzoonceowned

byGiuseppeTomasidiLampedusa,

famedauthorofTheLeopard. The

currentowneris theDuchessofPalma

and she offers cooking classes for €150.

HOWTOGETTHEREEasyJet(easyjet.

com)fliesfromGatwick,Lutonand

Liverpool to Palermo from £54 return.

JANUARY
AVER AGES
lHIGHTEMP15°C
(31°CinAugust)
lLOWTEMP10°C
(9°CinFebruary)
lSUNSHINE
HOURS 5
(11inJuly)
lRAINYDAYS 8
(9inDecember)

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

Palermo is brimming with history – not to mention local specialities; Menton offers citrus-fuelled sunshine on the French Riviera