Hey! I’m Jessica
I interview the world’s best chefs, food writers and industry experts on their favourite places to eat and drink in their home city, to help you travel better.
These guides celebrate everything from neighbourhood restaurants to fine diners. But most importantly, they celebrate the power of food to bring people and communities together.
Each guide is fact-checked and updated every three months, and new guides are added weekly.
The Local Tongue exists thanks to people who are proud of their culinary identity and heritage: people who want you to visit their city and taste their culture.
Read more below, or to say hi please drop me an email here.
The Story Behind The Local Tongue
“Not everyone has the privilege to grow old.”
I was compelled to travel after surviving a cancer doctors said I wouldn’t. I worked two jobs, sold everything and set off on my own from Australia to explore and learn about a world I was more grateful than ever to be part of.
Travelling alone means frequently dining solo and I’d find myself talking with those around me. Waiters. Bartenders. Chefs. Restaurant owners. They would enthusiastically share their favourite local addresses and send me everywhere from dirty dive bars to Michelin-starred restaurants. Their advice gave me a true sense of the place they called home. I went out for a meal but found culture and life. I understood first-hand how learning about culinary histories and identities teaches us about others as well as ourselves. These food experiences changed me.
Now, I want to help other travellers learn about the world through deeper, richer and more delicious experiences.
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit. If you have any questions or you’d like to chat more, please feel free to get in touch here.
Warmest,
Jessica Rigg x
