On holiday in Europe in a heatwave, Jesse has some ideas and accolades for Kiwi hospo.<\/p>\n
\n I write to you from the south of France, where the sun has finally set on the second European heatwave of 2026. I was on holiday here with my family for all 11 days
\n of it. It was, as the cliche goes, like being in a sauna. Except, you know that feeling 10 minutes into a sauna where you\u2019re like, \u201cokay, I\u2019ve got it now, let\u2019s go do something else\u201d. There was no something else. The sauna lasted almost a fortnight.\n <\/p>\n
It affected my appetite. Two euros in Turin buys you a stuffed bag of prosciutto but I could barely summon the will to eat it. Meanwhile people from home kept live-texting me from the Michelin Awards announcement. Already delirious from the heat, I had to try to get my head around some deeply unfamiliar concepts. What is a \u201cBib Gourmand\u201d? What is an \u201cEssence\u201d? <\/p>\n
But, of course, I have found time to eat out and take notes. Here\u2019s what I\u2019ve noticed so far. <\/p>\n
Everybody is grumpy <\/p>\n
Deeply, deeply grumpy. Smiling at them doesn\u2019t help. Talking to them in their own language doesn\u2019t help. Being the only customers in their restaurant doesn\u2019t help. With only a few exceptions, service staff here cannot be charmed. Next time somebody bangs on at you about European career waiters and how much better they are than part-timer Kiwi students, you can tell them they\u2019re wrong. It\u2019s Student Job Search for the win. <\/p>\n
We could make more of open spaces <\/p>\n
Bracu in Auckland’s Bombay. Photo \/ Babiche Martens<\/p>\n
Look, I know outdoor eating only works six weeks of the year in Auckland, but could we try to extend the season? Cibo manages a mostly outdoor restaurant 7\/52\/365, while Bracu in Bombay does a great job of making you feel like you\u2019re eating among the olive trees year-round. I wonder if there might be an opportunity for more Auckland restaurants on or near farms? You get the view, the parking and the fresh air free as part of the package. At one restaurant lunch in Italy last week, a ripe fig fell from the tree above us, bounced and landed in my son\u2019s empty water glass. Moments like that can\u2019t be engineered, but it sure does make you feel closer to the stuff you\u2019re eating. <\/p>\n
Do you have a question for Jesse Mulligan?<\/p>\n
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Email Jesse for restaurant recommendations and expert dining tips<\/p>\n