Food & Cuisine Around the World
A guide to the world's greatest food destinations, from Italy and Japan to Mexico, Thailand and beyond.
To travel for food is to understand a place from the inside out, since nothing reveals a culture more intimately than what and how it eats. Around the world, whole journeys are built around the pursuit of flavour, from steaming street stalls and bustling markets to temples of high gastronomy and generations-old family kitchens. Food travel connects you to history, geography and hospitality in a single unforgettable mouthful.
The world’s great food destinations each offer a distinct culinary identity, shaped by climate, trade, migration and tradition. Some are defined by the sophistication of their haute cuisine, others by the vibrancy of their street food, still others by singular ingredients or techniques found nowhere else. The best food travel mixes registers, pairing a bowl of noodles from a back-alley stall with a landmark restaurant meal.
Eating well on the road is about seeking out the authentic and the local: the market where residents shop, the dish a region is famous for, the seasonal specialty at its peak. Whether you come for the wine, the seafood, the spice or the sheer theatre of a night market, the destinations below span every continent and every appetite, chosen as the world’s most rewarding places to eat.
The World's Great Food Destinations#
Bangkok, Thailand The Thai capital is one of the world’s great street-food cities, its sidewalks and markets perfumed with grilling satay, simmering curries and the sharp, balanced heat of som tam and boat noodles. Eating here means grazing from stall to stall, from Michelin-starred street cooks to humble night markets. The cooler, drier months from November to February make outdoor grazing most pleasant.
Tokyo, Japan No city has more depth of dining than Tokyo, from the obsessive craftsmanship of sushi counters and ramen shops to the astonishing density of fine-dining restaurants. Precision, seasonality and reverence for ingredients define the food at every price point. Autumn and spring bring seasonal delicacies, and a market breakfast at Toyosu is essential.
Bologna and Emilia-Romagna, Italy The gastronomic heart of Italy, this region gave the world Parmigiano-Reggiano, balsamic vinegar, prosciutto and fresh egg pasta like tagliatelle al ragu. Its cities and countryside offer an unhurried culture of trattorias, delis and food producers to visit. Autumn brings the harvest, truffles and the year’s new produce at their finest.
Oaxaca, Mexico This southern Mexican state is a cradle of complex, ancient cuisine, home to the seven storied moles, smoky mezcal, tlayudas and grasshopper-topped snacks in its vibrant markets. Eating here means engaging with deep indigenous culinary traditions and remarkable regional variety. The festival season around Day of the Dead in late October showcases food and culture together.
Lima, Peru Repeatedly ranked among the world’s best food cities, Lima fuses indigenous, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese influences into a thrilling cuisine of ceviche, causa and pisco. World-ranked restaurants sit alongside vibrant markets and cevicherias serving the day’s catch. The summer months from December to March are ideal for the freshest seafood.
Istanbul, Turkey Straddling two continents, Istanbul’s kitchens draw on Ottoman, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean traditions, from mezze and kebabs to fresh fish sandwiches by the Bosphorus and honeyed baklava. Its markets, meyhanes and street stalls make it a feast for grazers. Spring and autumn bring the mildest weather for exploring on foot.
Penang, Malaysia The island of Penang is one of Asia’s great street-food capitals, where Malay, Chinese and Indian traditions collide in dishes like char kway teow, laksa and nasi kandar. Its hawker centres in George Town are legendary, offering extraordinary variety at low cost. Eating is a year-round pleasure, though the drier months from December to February are kindest.
San Sebastian and the Basque Country, Spain This corner of northern Spain packs an astonishing concentration of top restaurants alongside the pintxos bars whose counters groan with bite-sized creations. Grazing from bar to bar with a glass of txakoli is a way of life here. Late spring and autumn offer fine weather and the best of the seasonal produce.
Marrakech and Morocco Moroccan cuisine is a fragrant tapestry of slow-cooked tagines, couscous, preserved lemon and warming spice, best experienced in Marrakech’s food-stall-filled Jemaa el-Fnaa square. Riad rooftops, spice souks and traditional cooking classes deepen the experience. Spring and autumn bring comfortable temperatures for exploring the medinas.
Chengdu, China The capital of Sichuan is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, home to the tongue-tingling numbing heat of Sichuan peppercorn in dishes like mapo tofu, dan dan noodles and communal hotpot. Its teahouse culture and buzzing food streets make it a paradise for lovers of bold flavour. The cooler months make the fiery hotpot especially satisfying.
Hanoi and Vietnam Vietnamese food is a study in fresh, bright balance, from the aromatic beef broth of pho and the crackling baguettes of banh mi to herb-strewn noodle bowls eaten on plastic stools. Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a moveable feast of specialist street vendors. The cooler, drier autumn and spring make street dining most comfortable.
New Orleans, United States America’s most distinctive food city blends French, African, Spanish and Caribbean influences into Creole and Cajun cooking, from gumbo and jambalaya to sugar-dusted beignets. Its restaurants, oyster bars and music-filled dining rooms make eating a celebration. Spring, around the festivals, offers the finest weather and seafood.
Lyon, France Long considered the gastronomic capital of France, Lyon is defined by its cosy bouchons serving hearty regional classics and by its position at the crossroads of France’s great wine and produce regions. Markets, charcuterie and Michelin kitchens all thrive here. Autumn brings the harvest and the beaujolais nouveau to the city’s tables.
Georgia (Tbilisi and beyond) Georgian cuisine is one of the world’s most underrated, built on cheese-filled khachapuri, soup dumplings called khinkali, walnut-rich stews and an 8,000-year-old wine tradition. The famous supra feast, with its endless toasts, turns every meal into an event. Autumn is harvest and wine season, the most atmospheric time to visit.