Exploring a country’s vibrant culinary scene – whether at bustling market stalls or rustic restaurants – is often the highlight of any international trip.
And for travellers whose appetite dictates a large portion of their itinerary, a report has revealed the world’s top destinations for fine dining, street food, budget-friendly eats and authentic local cuisine.
In Time Out’s Best Cities for Food, created in partnership with Intrepid Travel, ten cities around the globe are celebrated by residents for their exceptional dishes, distinctive flavours and outstanding dining experiences.
While East and South-East Asian hubs dominate the ranking, a South American gem takes the top spot.
London also earns a place in the global top five, with locals praising its diverse food culture and thriving restaurant scene.
Grace Beard, Travel Editor at Time Out, says: ‘Locals are looking beyond small plates and sourdough loaves and packing out “neo-tavernas”, selling out signature dishes from independent restaurants and lining up for the best pizza slice in town
‘That’s the best bit about this ranking: there’s something for every palate, from the budget eater to the certified bon vivant.’
Joanna Reeve, General Manager UK & Ireland at Intrepid Travel, adds: ‘These cities offer many amazing food experiences that help us to connect to their people and culture, while also supporting the communities keeping food traditions and recipes alive.’
Read on to discover the finest food destinations across the globe – and the unique flavours they have to offer.
1. Lima, Peru
Lima has been crowned the best city in the world for food, boasting a thriving dining scene and bold takes on classic Peruvian cuisine
Topping the list is Peru’s capital, Lima, which currently boasts a world-class dining scene, exciting new openings, and bold uses of traditional Peruvian dishes.
Lima’s acclaimed food scene is highlighted by Nikkei fusion spot Maida, which holds the title of The World’s Best Restaurant for 2025.
The city’s dining scene is thriving, most notably in Barranco, a bohemian district that has become a global hotspot thanks to an influx of high-profile dining spots like Fernandini, headed by celebrated chef Rodrigo Fernandini.
Its menu is inspired by Peru’s rich and diverse culinary landscape – with ingredients like Andean root vegetables, Moriche palm fruit and cacao from the Amazon featuring in dishes.
These excellent rankings are backed by strong local feedback, with 80 per cent of residents praising the food quality and 85 per cent highlighting its affordability – making it the most budget-friendly city on the list for dining out.
2. Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok in Thailand falls into second place, thanks to reworked versions of traditional boat noodles, emerging dining districts and a new wave of Thai fine dining
In second place is Bangkok, already famous for its buzzing food scene.
A new wave of Thai fine dining is putting elevated spins on the city’s legendary street food, while emerging dining districts like Song Wat Road and Talat Noi are bringing fresh energy to the capital with their concept-driven eateries, bars and cafés.
Standout restaurants include Sorn, the first in Thailand to earn three Michelin stars, and ThongSmith, which prides itself in offering an elevated and polished version of classic boat noodles.
Visitors can expect huge queues at Daeng Racha Hoi Tod, where diners flock for its crispy oyster omelette.
The city scores highly for quality and diversity, with 81 per cent of locals praising its food scene and 66 per cent saying eating out is affordable.
Time Out’s expert panel awarded Bangkok 80 per cent, reinforcing its status as one of the world’s top food destinations.
3. Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico’s Mexico City is fast becoming one of the world’s most exiting food hotspots thanks to its combination of creative Mexican cooking, taco obsession and evolving food districts
Taking third place is Mexico City, where inventive Mexican cooking, global influences and an obsession with tacos make it one of the world’s most exciting food destinations.
From neighbourhood taquerías to ambitious new openings, the city’s food scene is constantly evolving.
Areas such as Condesa, Juárez and San Miguel are embracing Mediterranean, Asian and French influences, while a new wave of chefs is helping shape a more creative, ingredient-led approach to Mexican cuisine.
Standouts include pipián croquettes at Café Ocaso, mussels at Lindy mussels or Hasselback potatoes at Lotti, inventive kampachi fish at Etranger, and late-night cocktails at Pistilo.
Tacos are best experienced at Enrique Olvera’s Pujol, where diners can tuck into nixtamalized tortillas (tortillas made from corn cooked and soaked in alkaline solution) and traditional quelites (wild spinach).
The city backs up its reputation with strong ratings, as 80 per cent of locals praise food quality and 73 per cent say eating out is affordable. It also ranked joint second among Time Out’s expert panel.
4. London, United Kingdom
Bethnal Green’s Tiella has all the makings of a hipster trattoria – visitors can expect a perfect passatelli in brodo (an Italian soup) and a giant portrait of Cher in an intimate setting
London ranks fourth globally, with locals praising its diverse dining scene and evolving restaurant culture.
A boom in Italian openings across Soho and Chelsea, as well as the rise of pub pizza residences like Dough Hands, Short Road, Hot Saint and Little Earthquakes, is helping drive the city’s food scene.
Diners are encouraged to run, not walk, to Osteria Vibrato, which serves exceptionally creamy white risotto, Martino’s, where customers can expect hearty meatballs, and Auguste, known for its succulent Abruzzian skewers.
Bethnal Green’s Tiella has all the makings of a hipster trattoria, complete with perfect passatelli in brodo (an Italian soup) and a giant portrait of Cher.
An impressive 96 per cent of Londoners rate eating out as good or amazing, although only 42 per cent consider it affordable.
Meanwhile, 60 per cent say the capital’s biggest strength lies in its upmarket restaurants.
5. Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona in Spain is seeing an exciting turnaround on its food scene, which now boasts a mix of Michelin-starred restaurants, Asian fine-dining and a return to Catalan cooking
Despite being a coastal city, Barcelona is experiencing an intriguing turnaround on its food scene.
It remains Spain’s hub for avant-garde gastronomy, boasting more Michelin stars than Madrid and a growing collection of luxury Asian restaurants.
Yet, at the same time, the city is seeing a strong return to traditional Catalan cooking, with chefs reviving a range of classic regional dishes, from slow-cooked stews, rich sofregits (Catalan tomato sauce), and capipota, a gelatinous dish made from veal head and trotters.
Latin American cuisine is also booming across the wider metropolitan area, especially in L’Hospitalet, Barcelona’s neighbouring city and part of the wider metropolitan food scene.
Time Out’s local expert recommends checking out La Cova Fumada in Barceloneta, a 1950s fishermen’s tavern and birthplace of the bomba, widely considered the city’s most iconic tapas.
Reflecting its appeal, 82 per cent of locals rate Barcelona highly for food quality, while 80 per cent of Time Out’s experts describe it as an exciting place to eat.
6. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
A beautiful dish at Tales by Chapter – Vietnam’s first zero-waste plant-based restaurant, based in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City’s food scene has truly exploded onto the global stage, with fine dining, street food and café culture all thriving side by side.
Recent standouts include Michelin-starred CieL and Tales by Chapter, Vietnam’s first zero-waste plant-based restaurant that recently featured in Condé Nast’s list of the world’s best new restaurants.
Even pho is being reinvented through 12-course tasting menus at Pot Au Pho 2.0, while traditional street-side bowls remain as popular as ever.
The city earned votes from 70 per cent of Time Out’s expert panel, while three quarters of locals rate its food scene as good or amazing.
Street food is considered its greatest strength, closely followed by its coffee culture.
7. Melbourne, Australia
94 per cent of locals in Australia’s Melbourne have described eating in the city as good or amazing, with standout dishes served up at the Middle Eastern-inspired Zareh
Melbourne continues to strengthen its reputation as one of the world’s great food cities, with chefs like Tom Sarafian and Rosheen Kaul drawing inspiration from Armenian, Egyptian, French, Chinese, Sri Lankan and Australian cuisine.
Restaurants that are helping redefine the city’s dining scene are the Portuguese-inspired Marmelo and Otakoi, Melbourne’s first Ukrainian restaurant.
One dish recommended by Time Out’s local expert is the chicken skewer at celebrated Middle Eastern restaurant Zareh, which is served grilled, slathered in toum (Lebanese garlic sauce) and placed over herbs and pickled green chilli.
In addition, cult burger, sandwich and pastry spots like Charrd, Chicky Boi and Bakemono regularly attract huge queues.
A remarkable 94 per cent of locals describe eating out in Melbourne as good or amazing.
With 79 per cent saying cafés and coffee shops are Melbourne’s standout offering, the city has a strong claim to being the world’s coffee capital.
8. Beijing, China
Some 60 per cent of Time Out’s experts say China’s Beijing is an exciting place to eat right now
Beijing’s food scene is rapidly spilling outdoors, with park-side cafés, garden restaurants and creative dining experiences becoming increasingly popular.
Historic buildings are being transformed into food destinations like Jollo Cafe & Bar, while immersive restaurants like Oriental Art Palace Beijing and a growing cocktail culture are adding fresh appeal to the capital’s dining landscape.
According to Time Out’s editor, the earthy and seasonal wild mushroom feast at In & Out near Liangmaqiao is a must-try.
Value for money remains a major draw, with Beijing scoring 82 per cent for quality and 83 per cent for affordability.
Most residents point to street food as the city’s greatest culinary strength, while 60 per cent of Time Out’s experts say it’s an exciting place to eat right now.
9. Athens, Greece
Athens in Greece is seeing an exciting overhaul of its food scene, with new fine-dining concepts and modern gastro-tavernas breathing new life into traditional Greek dishes
Athens combines centuries-old tavernas with a new generation of restaurants, creating one of Europe’s most exciting food scenes.
Chefs across the city are giving traditional Greek cuisine a modern twist, while acclaimed restaurants such as Delta, as well as newer openings like Kuchisabishii, Thirio and Zigoala, continue to elevate the country’s fine dining reputation.
Alongside them, a growing number of gastro tavernas such as Giagia Koukou, Manari and Pharaoh are breathing new life into classic dishes.
Ateno offers its own spin on Greek salad, which sees a whole red tomato scooped hollow and filled with tomato, cucumber and onion, set over feta cream and crumbled rusk, and finished with a cucumber broth.
The Greek capital impressed both locals and experts, with 78 per cent of residents and 80 per cent of Time Out’s food panel praising its culinary scene.
Family-run restaurants and coffee culture remain among its biggest strengths.
10. Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon is celebrated for its casual dining scene and emergence of the neo-tasca that combine classic Portuguese dishes with creativity and technical skill
Rounding out the top ten is Lisbon, where a thriving casual dining scene sits alongside an increasingly relaxed approach to fine dining.
The city’s defining trend is the rise of the neo-tasca – neighbourhood restaurants like O Velho Eurico, Polémico and Vida de Tasca that combine traditional Portuguese flavours with creativity and technical skill.
Star dishes include cabidela arancini (arancini filled with Portuguese chicken and blood rice stew) and beef tartare à Brás (beef tartare with crispy potato straws), which can be sampled at Gancho by Louise Bourrat.
Trendy sandwich shops like Tosta and Bibs, and more accessible tasting-menu restaurants, are also helping reshape the food scene.
Lisbon enjoys strong local support, with 86 per cent rating its food scene highly and 63 per cent saying eating out is affordable.
Bakeries, pastry shops and dessert cafés remain among the city’s standout culinary attractions.
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