Mr & Mrs Smith's Top Honeymoons for Foodies

Written by: louise

Wining and dining requires more than a few hand-fed oysters; unique foodie experiences have taken centre stage in honeymoons, and newlyweds are hunting down regional delicacies, signing up for cookery classes and securing tables in Michelin-star-bearing eateries. We asked Sarah Jackson, honeymoon expert and travel consultant at boutique hotel booking service Mr & Mrs Smith, for her top three gourmet honeymoon destinations.

Italy

If, like me, you're craving a romantic break in Italy - and a few large bowls of handmade pasta - Tuscany has the perfect combination of top-notch dining and elegant boutique hotels, not to mention molto bella countryside. Start with an Italian staple, the humble pizza: in Castello di Casole 's cookery school, toss dough, forage for toppings in their kitchen gardens and then eat the fruits of your labour, before taking a dip in the scenic hotel pool and retiring to your rustic-chic room - it's easy to see why it's one of my favourite hotels.

Then head to L'Andana, which overlooks the Tuscan hills. Grown-up and elegant, the hotel's deserving of superlatives; however, its inarguable trump card is chef célèbre Alain Ducasse's superb restaurant.

Thailand

Thailand's scintillating foodie scene runs the gamut from markets filled with temptingly scented stalls to fragrant, painstakingly crafted meals dished up in buzz-generating restaurants. Throw in temples, galleries and palaces to explore - and some of the world's best beaches - and it's no surprise that many a Smith honeymoon has been spent in this fascinating country. Start in vibrant street-food central Bangkok, staying at the Metropolitan by Como, Bangkok - a chilled-out minimalist retreat; its renowned eatery Nahm happens to have been shortlisted for Best Hotel Restaurant in this year's Smith Hotel Awards.

After exploring the lively city centre, stay in a private island pavilion at Rayavadee, Krabi for some secluded R 'n' R and four restaurants to flit between. End your honeymoon by flying across to the island of Koh Kood for a few nights at Soneva Kiri, where ziplining waiters and dangling bamboo treepods create a dramatic setting for chef Khun Benz's tasty Thai fare.

California

In my opinion, Highway 1 is the ultimate road-trip stretch: there's so much to see along the California coast, and a multitude of Michelin-starred eateries and vast stretches of vineyards mean very fine dining and drinking. I'd start in San Francisco, staying at Cavallo Point - set the Sausalito side of the Golden Gate Bridge, with iconic views. Whether you're partaking in the hotel's frequent themed cookery lessons - they have couples-only 'date nights' too - or dining in the Murray Circle restaurant, all ingredients are fresh from the local farmers' market.

Next up, head to Napa Valley to tour the area's many vineyards, then drive south to Big Sur's Post Ranch Inn, a luxurious cliff-set stay and worthy winner of the Smith Awards' Best Hotel 2013. Continue down the coast to Los Angeles; Petit Ermitage 's dreamily decorated open-air restaurant doubles as a butterfly and hummingbird sanctuary! But, the Bloody Mary cart is equally amazing. Seek out First Fridays at Abbot Kinney in Venice, where food trucks dish up lobster rolls, Philly cheese-steak subs and a host of calorific delicacies.

To book a honeymoon with Mr & Mrs Smith visit PLUS - the brand new Great Global Chefs app is now available for iPads. It showcases the culinary talents behind menus at 20 of the greatest gastronomic getaways in the Mr & Mrs Smith hotel collection. Featuring exclusive recipes from celebrated chefs such as David Thompson of Nahm in Bangkok and Lee Westcott from the Typing Room, London, the app includes culinary inspiration by kitchen luminaries from Hampshire to Hong Kong. mrandmrssmith.com/honeymoons or call Sarah or one of her colleagues on the Smith Travel Team on 0330 100 3180.

Categories: travel & honeymoons · Tags: california, foodie, gourmet, honeymoon, italy, mr & mrs smith, road trip, thailand, travel