Ben Groundwater
Travel writer
Ben Groundwater is a Sydney-based travel writer, columnist and author with more than 20 years' experience. He specialises in food and wine – writing about it, as well as consuming it. Follow him on Instagram @bengroundwater
Europe’s new bucket list: 25 highlights beyond the cliches
You know its world-famous wine regions and iconic cities. Now get to know a different side of the Continent, one of hidden archipelagos and uncrowded marvels.
- by Ben Groundwater
Call this a biscuit? This US breakfast dish will confound Australians
Biscuits and gravy? Australians could be forgiven for being confused when they hear about this dish. But biscuits ain’t biscuits in the US.
- by Ben Groundwater
This classic Mexican dish has a disturbing origin story
This thick, hearty soup is a classic of Mexican cuisine, with a story of creation as fiery as any chilli that goes into it.
- by Ben Groundwater
Small packages: 10 amazing countries that punch above their weight
Tiny is mighty – you can have incredible travel experiences in some of the world’s smallest countries.
- by Ben Groundwater
Opinion
Food and wine
I met my travel hero and he was exactly what I’d hoped for
They say you should never meet your heroes. So it’s nerve-racking sitting in an empty dining room waiting to meet Rick Stein.
- by Ben Groundwater
The world’s most underrated countries for food
If you’re looking for your next great meal in this moveable feast we call life, it might be time to head to these often-overlooked places.
- by Ben Groundwater
This Indonesian national dish had a brief claim to fame in Aussie culture
The history of nasi goreng is murky and complex, but it’s famous enough in Australia to have been part of a Telstra ad in the 2000s.
- by Ben Groundwater
Twenty things that will surprise first-time visitors to Brisbane
If you haven’t visited in five years, things have changed. If you haven’t visited in 10 years, things have really changed. Brisbane has finally come of age.
- by Ben Groundwater
Opinion
Air travel
I tried the ‘world’s best neck pillow’ and I still didn’t sleep
One reviewer declared this pillow “makes the middle seat feel like first class”, which seems like hyperbole to me. So I tried it for myself.
- by Ben Groundwater
This is one of Rome’s best attractions, but without the crowds
The Baths of Caracalla is a site with all the beauty, history and scale of the city’s most famous attractions but a tiny fraction of the crowds.
- by Ben Groundwater