Mercure Hotels Inspires Travellers to Embark on Culinary Journeys

February is a whirlwind of festivities, from Chinese New Year to Mardi Gras, Valentine's Day, and Midterm breaks, packed into its short span. With the bonus day of leap year, we're given a brief pause to ponder a crucial question: what shall we eat this year? Fortunately, Mercure Hotels is ready to inspire guests, travellers, and anyone feeling a bit peckish, to embark on a journey of local discovery. 

Mercure's Bucket List is a selection of 50 handpicked food and drink experiences, revealing some of the world’s most authentically cool spots to eat – each conveniently located within the vicinity of a charming and well-connected Mercure hotel.

Mercure’s Bucket List is an extension of the brand’s popular ‘Discover Local’ program, which highlights local specialties and reveals unexpected local stories to its guests. This initiative underscores Mercure's dedication to providing guests with authentic, local experiences that go beyond traditional hospitality, fostering connections with communities and celebrating the essence and discovery of travel.

With over 950 hotels worldwide, from Jakarta to Oxford, Mercure enjoys a warm and welcoming presence in its communities, with hotel teams delighted to share their insights with travelers about the local life of each neighborhood.

To pique the appetites of food-driven travelers, here are a dozen tempting and wholly authentic experiences to try out in 2024. The full list is available at mercurebucketlist.com.

• Bicycle around Jakarta with a stop at Rumah Kopi Papowi, a quaint coffee shop where three generations – Akong, Papa, and Owi – serve a happy mix of Indonesian and Chinese comfort food favorites. Stay at: Mercure Jakarta Pantai Indah Kapuk.

• Feed the soul with the flavors of India while supporting women and youth who learn skills and gain experience at Luqma Kitchen, an NGO in Hyberabad​. The biryani sings with the warm spice of cardamom. Stay at: Mercure Hyderabad KCP.

• Take afternoon tea upon a floating terrace on the River Thames, with a visit to Folly restaurant in Oxford, England. Cruise by Rose Island, as Lewis Carroll did when imagining his story of Alice in Wonderland. Stay at: Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel.

• Get to know the soul of South African cuisine with traditional home-cooked dishes at Vee’s Tasty Dishes restaurant in Nelspruit. Vee’s specialties include grilled fish, fried chicken, modogu and pap, an African polenta. Stay at: Mercure Nelspruit.

• Dine with the chef at Ajikura Tengoku, a Yakiniku restaurant in Takayama, Japan, that specializes in perfect cuts of Hida Wagyu beef, that Chef Ajikura sears over hot charcoal for a peak umami experience. Stay at: Mercure Hida Takayama.

• Go dark with a blind wine tasting in Bordeaux, France. With eyes veiled, take in the vineyard terroir and air before sampling Saint-Emilion Grands Crus, creatively paired with chocolate and music. Stay at: Mercure Bordeaux Gare Atlantic.

• Learn the art of Hungarian handmade chocolates with a tour of My Choccy, a family-run chocolate boutique in Budapest that resembles a grand jewelery box and features more than 100 exquisite flavors. Stay at: Mercure Budapest Korona.

• Try a taste of Thailand in Berlin, Germany, at Thaipark, aka Preubenpark, where a weekly meetup of Thai, Filipino, Vietnamese, and other Berliners gather for outstanding cuisine and next level flavors. Stay at: Mercure Berlin Wittenbergplatz.

• Wade through the wafting fragrances of organic edible flowers and fresh herbs at an aromatic farm in Vendée, France. Les Jardins de Pauline 85 provides cultivated creations to top chefs across the country. Stay at: Mercure La Roche sur Yon Centre.

• Dance the tango and savor the sizzle in Puerto Iguazú, at the southernmost tip of Argentina. El Quincho del Tio Querido is ideal for a true Argentinean grill experience, with music, dancing, grilled meats and fish. Stay at: Mercure Iguazu Iru.

• Stroll through the apple orchards in San Sebastian, Spain, and discover traditional cider making methods. Sip fresh Spanish cider paired with salted cod omelette or quince cheese with walnuts. Stay at: Mercure San Sebastián Monte Igueldo.

• Discover one of the best botecos in Belo Horizonte. Casa Cheia is a hidden gem with Brazilian classics and multi-gen family recipes on the menu, such as feijão tropeiro, a spin on the national dish of feijoada. Stay at: Mercure Belo Horizonte Lourdes.

After checking off a Mercure’s Bucket List experience, guests can return to a warm, authentic, and locally inspired Mercure hotel for a comfortable and cozy night’s sleep. To start planning that next trip and discover Mercure’s Bucket List experiences, visit Mercure’s Bucket List website.