Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

FOOD & DRINK

INDULGE

Text Peter Q Blackburn

Our round-up of favourite restaurants from Brussels Airlines’ European network

A Margem PORTUGAL
Rua Agostinho Albano,
18 Afurada 4400 – Vila Nova de Gaia,
tel. +351 22 772 47 88

About a 10-minute drive from Porto, in the fishing village of Afurada, you’ll find charming local restaurant A Margem. The restaurant enjoys panoramic views across the Douro, tasteful décor and lively music – anything from quiet fado to lively bossa nova. The food is fantastically fresh; while carnivores are catered for with dishes like entrecôte with garlic, you should really try the fish, which is caught daily in Afurada and nearby Matosinhos, and varies according to the season. Parrilhada de peixes (a grilled fish medley) and cataplana de cherne (grouper cooked in a shellfish sauce) are both worth trying. Dessert is equally assured – the crème caramel was at once light and unctuously creamy. A Margem also stocks excellent wines from all over Portugal, including young wines (vinho verde) and mature reds, whites and rosés.

The best may be Planalto (a local white from the Douro) – the perfect foil to the fish. Expect to pay around €20 for three courses including wine. PQB

Foodie corner

While the goat cheese season officially started back in early April, May sees the cheese developing a more complex and satisfying flavour as the animals adjust to their new diet.

Try Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall’s simple recipe, which sets off their sprightly flavours a treat:

Mash 250g fresh goats’ cheese with four tablespoons of live yogurt. Crush a quarter of a clove of garlic with a pinch of salt, and stir in with a handful of herbs – try thyme, parsley or chives. Leave to chill for an hour and serve with good bread.

Marco Fadiga Bistrot ITALY
Via Rialto 23/C, Bologna,
tel. +39 051 22 01 18,
www.marcofadigabistrot.it

In a city known for its epicurean tradition, it’s tough to stand out. But Marco Fadiga, Bologna’s only member of the elite Jeunes Restaurateurs d’Europe, has found a way – by blending creativity with uncompromising quality in a cuisine that is, in his own words, “good and entertaining.” The result is a medley of flavours that both surprises and delights, such as rabbit cooked in beer with plums and thyme, or dried fruit, mint and ginger paired with a dory tartar.

This being the home of Venus’ navel – tortellini to the rest of the world – there’s a fair chance that you’ll find it on the chalkboard, hand-made in-house, and presented in a contrasting and flavourful capon broth. Oysters, foie gras, risotto, and – a dessert-lover’s heaven – sigaro (soft rum cream with wafers, nuts and a sauce of Cohiba cigar) also make regular appearances on the menu, which is completely refreshed twice a month.

Marco’s gastronomic style combines international flair with local Bolognese inspiration to produce a distinctly personal signature. Best of all, you don’t need a business expense account to afford it: average dinner for two with a bottle of quality wine from the carefully selected wine list costs a mere €80. DC

La Comedia SPAIN
Puente de Ronda 4, Marbella Casco Antiguo,
tel +34 952 776 478

Given its setting in a beautiful and historic building in the heart of Marbella’s charming old town, and that the interior is more backstage at an opera theatre than traditional restaurant, you’d think that La Comedia would stick out like a corked wine. However, for many locals, this is southern Spain’s best kept gastronomic secret.

The wonderful décor, enchanting nooks and open-air crannies are perfectly matched by a menu best described as comfort food filtered through international flavours: the stuffed mushrooms with dill and tarragon are a delight, as is the deep-fried brie.

For a main course, you could do much worse than opting for a sirloin or fillet steak, but it’s the rack of Kerry lamb, grilled barberry duck and pan-fried sea bass that really steal the show at this theatre of culinary dreams. The wine list is as impressive, and those that use the house tipple as a barometer of quality will be pleased by its spotless quirkiness.

Dinner for two, with wine, comes in at around €100. MW

Image Anthony Blake

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