Food of the Week: Ah, this cooking is a breath of fresh air

Nothing adds savour to a meal quite like fresh air and sun. So make sure you include al fresco dining in your travel itinerary this summer.

Try the classic Catalan dish of fideua (like a paella but with noodles) while taking in the views of the marina from the terrace at Cal Pinxo, Placa Pau Vila 1, Barcelona (00 34 93 221 2211; calpinxo.com).

Sip a bottle of the house-brewed summer honey wheat ale and watch the sun set over the harbour from the patio at Canoe, 450 Swift Street, Victoria, Canada (001 250 361 1940; canoebrewpub .com), where the local, seasonal menu might include wild British Columbian salmon with Yukon Gold mash, slow-roasted tomatoes and herbed citrus vinaigrette.

A salad of fresh peas, pea shoots, mint and braised ham hock is just the thing to kick off lunch on the terrace at The Lawn, Fulham Palace, Bishop's Avenue, London (020-7610 7160; thelawnrestaurant .co.uk), overlooking the palace's extensive gardens.

Look out over Aberdeen to the South China Sea from the gardens at The Peak Lookout, 121 Peak Road, The Peak, Hong Kong (00 852 2849 1000; the peaklookout.com.hk), where the pan-Asian menu includes hainan chicken rice (garlic and ginger poached chicken flavoured with sesame, soy and chilli).

There are views of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge from the recently refurbished Sails Restaurant, 2 Henry Lawson Avenue, McMahons Point (00 61 2 9955 5998; sailsrestaurant .com.au), where the dishes from acclaimed chef Steven Skelly include roasted scallops with fennel purée, roasted black olives and preserved lemon.

Pacific Ocean views from the al fresco tables at Sapphire Laguna, 1200 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, California (001 949 715 9888; sapphirellc.com), complement globally inspired dishes such as Hawaiian-style steamed barramundi with ginger-shiitake mushrooms.

a.lynes@independent.co.uk