The Best Food Cities Around the World

Some people travel for history. Others travel for adventure. Me? I travel for food – culinary travel! There is no shortage of great food cities around the world so I asked some of my blogging friends to share their favorite food cities. You might notice there are no cities in Africa listed here – don’t worry, I’ve got a post that’s dedicated just to foodie cities of Africa as well.

Best Food Cities in the US

New York City, New York USA

Love New York! There is so much variety there and the scene is so dynamic to cater to both the locals and the tourists. I tried some of the healthier dining options that will still make your mouth water.

Skye of The Fit Traveller

New Orleans, Louisiana USA

Love New Orleans and and Lake Charles Louisiana in the southwest. It’s so hearty and has blended together influences from Creole and Cajun traditions. Fresh boudin sausages, boiled crawfish, fluffy pastries, all of it. Everything is very fresh, lovingly made and follows simple recipes (except for those multi-faceted gumbos and Crawfish Etouffee!) I grew up in the states and felt like I’d gone to a whole other world when dining around LA. 

Eileen of Crooked Flight 

Chicago, Illinois USA

There are so many fabulous restaurants in Chicago that narrowing down your list of places to eat can be a bit daunting. So start with the top chefs in the city and you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at a quality spot that will always deliver. 

Kelly of Tasting Page

San Francisco, California USA

Can’t get much better than San Francisco. It is actually hard to find a bad meal, even in hotels. Since the city has a large Asian population, that cuisine is well represented throughout the city, and, of course, most people have heard of the city’s Chinatown, which is not necessarily the best place to go for Chinese food, though very tasty food is to be found there. I have written many times about eating your way around the world in San Francisco–a yummy thing to do and with no expensive air tickets to deal with. Just last week I had a simple French meal that was as good as anything you’d find in the same category in France, and next week I’ll be having authentic Japanese noodles in this city’s interesting Japantown.

Carole of Travels with Carole

Best Foodie Cities Europe

Istria, Croatia

Istria is a wonderous peninsula along the Adriatic Sea – and also happens to be the biggest. Istria has a long history and association with Italy, and you can really see that connection when traveling through Istria, including many of the food experiences.

Parts of Istria are sat in the Mediterranean climate, and others parts fall under a Continental climate of Croatia – mix with that the huge Italian influences from the past and it’s got to be the best place in all of Croatia, to eat and drink!!!

SJ of Chasing the Donkey

Sicily, Italy

Sicilian food is a mix of the peoples that have invaded this country included the Italians, the French Normans and the Arabs. They take their food very seriously, lots of fresh local ingredients and plenty of time to sit down and enjoy a meal.

Shobha of Just Go Places 

Budapest, Hungary

You can’t go hungry in Hungary – waaaay! Now that we’ve got the joke out of the way let’s get to the crunch: Hungarian food is so tasty and so much more than just goulash. Meat lovers are in for a treat, Hungarians do not waste anything so it’s not unusual to be chowing down on bull’s tongue or even testicles! My favourite meaty dish was mangalica, a very tasty pig. Much of the Hungarian diet is heavy in pastry or bread and laden in dairy. For instance Langos – a Yorkshire pudding / pancake style base filled with sour cream and grated cheese. A meal wouldn’t be complete without some form of alcohol, Budapest is the cheapest European city to consume booze in after all. A glass of Hungarian wine can be bought as cheap as 75p!

Gemma of Two Scots Abroad

Rome, Italy

Is Rome the best food city in Italy? Want to maximize your sight seeing time while still having eating time? It’s totally possible in Rome! While the attractions might not change, there’s always new, great food to be discovered. 

Kelly of Tasting Page

Turin, Italy

Eating your way through the northern Italian province of Piedmont is one of life’s great pleasures. Aperitif, chocolate and coffee have long been a tradition in northern Italy. The province of Piedmont produces 36% of Italy’s chocolates, its capital Turin is home of the world-renown Lavazza coffee brand and lingering over coffee in one of the city’s many historic cafes is a way of life. To that list, you can add vermouth, which was created in Turin in 1786, and grissini, the pencil-sized bread sticks invented by a local baker for the Duke of Savoy.

Christina of Travel 2 Next

Belgrade, Serbia

If you want a mix of every cuisine at an incredibly affordable price then head to Serbia’s capital city. Belgrade offers visitors and locals alike every type of cuisine you can imagine. Of course, the most popular is Balkan food consisting of meat, meat, meat, and potatoes. But we ventured out to find the best sushi, Thai, Indian, Mexican, and Italian that the city has to offer.

Natasha of The World Pursuit

Great Food Cities in Asia

Melbourne, Australia

One of the best cities in the world for food (in my probably biased opinion!). There are many different cultural groups which all bring their superb cuisine with them. The best part is that there are many little areas which will be a hive of one certain cuisine eg Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian, Greek, Ethiopian, etc and if you go to their area, there are a crazy amount of awesome options. 

Sharon of Where’s Sharon 

Bangkok, Thailand

Seriously, from street stalls to fine dining, burger bars to river dinner cruises…. Bangkok has everything for every budget.

Sarah of Fit Travels

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap, Cambodia is a city full of great food, but what’s even better is that many restaurants in this town offer food for a good cause. Social enterprises are popping up all over the city, from training workshops for disadvantaged youth to bakeries that provide support to women escaping violence. Support these great causes while you dine in Cambodia’s ancient city.

Bianca of My Altruistic Travels 

Macau, China

We were surprised with Macau! There is such a variety in this tiny place – between the Chinese / Cantonese and the Portuguese influence. Plus, they have their own unique Macanese creations. From street food snacks to high end restaurants and everything in between – we found ourselves eating all the time in Macau…something we never expected to be doing during our visit!

Elizabeth of Peanuts or Pretzels

Penang, Malaysia

Penang sits in between India and Southeast Asia, taken the best from each, rolled them up into one delicious whole and created it’s own eclectic mix to create this foodie paradise.

Stefan of Nomadic Boys

Tokyo, Japan

Definitely Tokyo!

In Tokyo, a meal is never just a meal. Culinary tradition touches everything you eat from perfectly sliced tuna on your donburi bowl to a quick bowl of ramen. Go to Tokyo with an open mind and experience everything that food can be!

Taylor of Travel Outlandish 

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai is full of gastronomical delicacies and the best part is, it’s so cheap! Street food meals will cost you no more than $3. For that, you can get yourself a pipping hot bowl of khao soi, a coconut curry soup with yellow egg noodles and braised chicken. While you’re at it, don’t forget to get yourself some grilled chicken skewers and some som tam (papaya salad). We usually go food stall hopping and buy a little bit of everything. If you’re not a fan of spicy food, better tell them because “regular spicy” which would usually burn your tongue unless you are used to it. 

Anna of Adventure in You 

Indore, India

This city in central India is known for the street food. This foodie heaven is full of street food stalls with all types of Indian regional delights.

Himanshu of Everything Candid 

Takyama, Japan

One of our favourite cities when it came to the culinary scene is Takyama, Japan for its incredible hida beef.

Japanese cuisine has to be one of the best in the world! It offers a huge variety of gastronomical delights with a boundless variety of regional and seasonal dishes. Restaurants range from mobile food stands to centuries old ryotei, atmospheric drinking places, seasonally erected terraces over rivers, cheap chain shops and unique theme restaurants about ninja and robots.

My boyfriend is a picky eater, who will not touch vegetables, fruit, seafood and many types of meat. I was a little worried and feared we would be spending way too much time in American Fast Food Chains. Food is a huge deal for me and one of my favourite ways of exploring a different Culture and Country. I had nightmares that we would be fighting over where to eat. This was not the case. Japan has such a large variety of dishes, that there really is something to eat for everyone, even the pickiest of eaters. Many restaurants are however specialized in a single type of dish and we did sometimes have to eat in two different restaurants to satisfy both of our appetites.

Dishes we tasted included Sushi, Sashimi, Kaisen Don, Tempura, Katsu Curry, Udon, Soba, Ramen, Yakitura and a lot of rice. Japnese Rice taste a whole lot better than in Europe. It is Japan’s most important crop and has been cultivated across the country for over 2000 years. It is the primary staple food of the Japanese diet and it is said that no Japanese Meal is deemed complete without a bowl of rice.

Katharina of A Life Beautifully Traveled 

Great Food Cities in the Americas

Lima, Peru

Peruvian food has been taking the world by storm recently and it’s no surprise really if you’re someone who’s been lucky enough to taste it! From ceviche to lomo saltado and picarones (doughnuts made from sweet potato and pumpkin puree and doused in sugar cane syrup), you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to Peruvian food.

It’s not just the street food that’s delicious, there’s been a rise in the number of Michelin starred restaurants and celebrity chefs in Lima who are now opening up restaurants all over the globe with the most famous being Astrid & Gaston. They’re so famous that our local hosts told us kids grow up wanting to be like Gaston rather than football players!

Hannah of That Adventurer

Quebec City, Canada

Quebec is the cradle of French civilization in North America. Check out delicious restaurants using local ingredients with a continental flare.

Paula of Contented Traveller 

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Nothing beats a good mixed grill to me, and the best city to enjoy one is Buenos Aires, in Argentina. What makes an Argentinian “asado” special is the combination of various kinds of top quality meat – Argentinian beef, pork chops, lamb, chicken and even chorizo – with the right amount of seasoning and the incredible skills of the “asador”, the man behind the barbecue. There’s no point in having an asado anywhere else in the world: it simply won’t taste as good. Buenos Aires is packed with good restaurants offering great asados. The best ones are actually not fancy at all: simple places with just a few things on the menu.  

Claudia of My Adventures Across the World

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