I love the feeling of sitting down at a table in a city I’ve never visited and knowing, with absolute certainty, that I’m about to have one of the best meals of my life. It’s that moment where the design of the room, the scent of the wine, and the hum of the local crowd all align perfectly. As a travel advisor, I spend my life chasing those moments for myself and my clients.
Food and wine travel isn’t just about eating; it’s about a connection to the land and the culture. I see travelers make the same mistakes over and over again: they spend thousands on flights and hotels, yet they end up at the “tourist trap” restaurant because they didn’t plan the culinary side with the same rigor as their accommodations. Here are the seven most common mistakes I see in food and wine travel planning, and how I help my clients fix them.
1. Letting the Algorithm Dictate Your Dinner
We’ve all been there. You open Instagram or Google Maps, search for “best pasta in Rome,” and go to the place with the most pretty photos or nighest review count. The problem is that the algorithm rewards what is popular and “instagrammable,” not necessarily what is authentic or high-quality. I like to seek out the places that don’t care as much about their social media presence.
I prefer the quiet corner restaurants where the menu is hand-written and the wine list is a single page of local producers. When you rely solely on generic lists, you miss the beauty of a chef who is focused on the plate rather than the lighting. My advice? Use social media for inspiration, but let a travel advisor (like me!) provide the real insider knowledge. I look for the spots that locals actually frequent, not just where the influencers are posing.
2. The Seasonal Mismatch
I once had a client tell me they wanted to go to Piedmont in mid-August to explore the wine scene. I had to gently break it to them that most of the small, family-owned producers they wanted to see would be closed for the summer holidays (like Ferragosto). The region is beautiful, but only the largest makers are going to be open during that time.
Timing is everything in food and wine travel. If you want white truffles, you go in the fall. If you want to see the harvest, you time it for September. I’ve seen people arrive in a region when the vineyards are dormant and wonder why the experience feels a bit flat. I help my clients align their calendars with the actual rhythm of the destination, being in the right place at the absolute best time.
3. Just Walking In
This is perhaps the biggest hurdle in modern travel. The world’s most exclusive restaurants, the ones I love to book for my clients in Miami, NYC, or London, rarely have walk-in availability. And if you’re relying on standard booking apps like OpenTable or Resy, you’re competing with thousands of other people for the same three tables. It’s frustrating to be in a city like Paris or Dubai and realize you can’t get a seat at the restaurant you’ve been dreaming about for months.
This is exactly why I’m so excited about our new partnership at Atelier Journeys. We’ve partnered with PRIMA, a hospitality marketplace that gives us real-time access to book tables at some of the most exclusive, sold-out restaurants in the world. Whether you’re looking for a prime-time table in Ibiza, a chic retreat in LA, or a Michelin-starred experience in London, I can now offer you VIP concierge-level access that simply isn’t available to the general public. No more fully booked notifications. I can help secure the table while you focus on what to wear… click here to see some of the available cities and restaurants with Prima, or reach out and I can help!
4. The “Four Wineries a Day” Trap
I see it all the time in Napa or Bordeaux, and I’ve made the mistake several times myself. Travelers try to squeeze in four or five winery visits in a single day. By the third stop, everything starts to taste the same. Your senses are overwhelmed, your energy is flagging, and you’re no longer actually enjoying the wine…
I prefer quality over quantity, but I get the temptation to squeeze as much in as you can. I usually suggest two carefully chosen wineries per day. One midday, followed by a long, lunch, and one in the late afternoon. This gives you time to actually talk to the winemakers and walk through the vines. It turns a drinking session into a meaningful cultural experience. I want you to remember the story of the vintage, not just the number of glasses you had.
5. Ignoring the Vibe and Design
Food is only part of the equation. The environment you eat in matters just as much. I focus on blurring the line between boutique and luxury, finding properties and restaurants that fit into the local environment while offering high-end design. A meal in a brightly lit, sterile room will never taste as good as a meal in a dimly lit space with hand-painted murals and old-world glamor.
I look for design-forward travel, I want to know who designed the chairs and where the ceramics came from. When I plan an itinerary, I consider the vibe of every single stop. Is it understated and quiet? Does it have a genuine local connection? If the atmosphere isn’t right, the food almost doesn’t matter. I seek out the places that feel like a secret, even if they’ve been there for a hundred years.
6. The Logistics of the Liquid Souvenir
This is an area I struggled with for years… You’re either stuck trying to cram bottles in your luggage, or worse, you leave your purchases in the back of a rental car in the 90-degree heat while exploring other towns. Heat cooks wine, and it can ruin an expensive bottle in less than an hour.
When I work with clients, we talk about the logistics. Do we need to arrange for professional shipping? Should you bring a dedicated wine suitcase? (Yes, they exist, and I may or may not be nerdy enough to have one…). I can work with the vineyards to coordinate shipping, storage, transfer to a hotel, or whatever fits your trip.
Crafting Your Next Culinary Escape
Food and wine travel should be effortless. It should feel like a series of perfectly timed discoveries that reflect your personal taste. Whether you’re looking for a cultural escape, something quiet in the growing regions, or being in a busy urban area with lots of options, I’m here to help you navigate the complexity of it all.
I love sharing my personal discoveries with my clients. I want you to experience the world the way I do: with a focus on art, music, food, and design. I’d love to help you plan something truly special.
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