The Top 10 Global Cities For Food And Drink, According To The Experts / By Ksenia Prints

Winner: Hong Kong

Hong Kong earns the top spot on our list because, despite its small geographic area, it seamlessly blends ancient Chinese traditions with modern global influences, making it a gastronomic powerhouse.

In one street, a hungry diner can feast on carefully wrapped dumplings from a bustling dim sum parlor and then move to a Michelin-starred restaurant specializing in exquisitely prepared Italian cuisine.

It’s this unparalleled dining diversity that makes Hong Kong feel like a once-in-a-lifetime destination that you then yearn to come back to again and again. Street food culture thrives in the city’s night markets, where Cantonese, Sichuanese, and international vendors serve perfectly made wonton noodles and fish balls.

The city also pushes the envelope on drinks, offering mocktails and low-ABV drinks alongside craft cocktails served with the best Victoria Harbour views. There are plenty of daytime and nightlife options here; the challenge is just to choose.

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London

Courtesy of Borough Market

Since its days as a global naval and colonial force, London’s cuisine has become a medley of influences from India, the far East, the Caribbean, and so much more.

Today, this metropolis is experiencing a second food renaissance that has transformed it into a world-class food destination.

Just like its high street and haute couture fashion, London ranks second on our list because of its seamless mix of high and low. It boasts more five-star restaurant reviews on Tripadvisor than any other European city, according to The Times.

British cuisine got a new lease on life in recent years, with innovative chefs that are finally giving local flavors and ingredients their due respect. Borough Market remains an iconic destination for fresh produce and street food, and neighborhoods like Shoreditch and Soho offer cutting-edge restaurants and traditional pubs.

Besides all that, the city’s myriad immigrant cultures, from Indian and Chinese, to Middle Eastern, Caribbean, and Italian, redefine what international cuisine looks like.

Here, you’ll be just as likely to eat an elevated bowl of curry as you are to find a street vendor selling remarkable shish taouk, with each offering something completely unique.

Tokyo

Tokyo stands out as a culinary capital where precision, tradition, and innovation thrive harmoniously. From intimate ramen shops to omakase tables and multicourse kaiseki meals, izakayas filled with loud office workers, and yakitori restaurants wafting binchotan smoke across alleys, Tokyo has a food option for anyone.

The Japanese culinary destination manages to do everything perfectly. The ingredients here are impeccable, and the local food culture emphasizes seasonality and simplicity.

You are just as likely to be mesmerized by a beautifully pickled lotus root as you are by a slice of bluefin tuna. 

Tsukiji and Toyosu markets buzz with energy in the early mornings, while neighborhoods like Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Asakusa are nightlife destinations.

You could be eating and drinking your way in Tokyo from morning to night.

Mexico City

Mexico City is bursting with a local food culture that is deeply rooted in pre-Hispanic traditions and regional Mexican cuisines. While it has always had a reputation for great street food, in the last decade it has become a haven of experimentation.

Mexican cuisine has received UNESCO World Heritage recognition, and nowhere is it more present than in the capital. From historic markets like Central de Abastos, through more than 10,000 taquerias, and contemporary foodie neighborhoods like Roma Norte, Condesa, and Polanco, it seems like everywhere you go, someone in the city is experimenting and doing things their own way.

Mezcal and pulque represent another slice of Mexican life, with mariachi music serving as its soundtrack.

Mexico City is a notable food and drink destination for its authenticity, creativity, and atmosphere, the perfect place to discover the nuances of Mexican gastronomy.

Bangkok

Bangkok is on this list because it’s impossible to resist its explosive street food scene and complex flavor profile.

When one thinks of Bangkok, the mind immediately goes to its food markets, from Chatuchak to Damnoen Saduak, and countless others, which showcase Thailand’s diverse ingredients and cooking traditions.

But if you thought that street food was all Bangkok had to offer, you’d be completely wrong.

The No. 1 Global City for Food and Drink in the 2024 Global Tastemakers awards elegantly trods the fine line between quiet luxury, with its world-class five-star hotels and Michelin Guide-recognized restaurants, to homely restaurants with quiet, warm, and enveloping hospitality.

You could take a serene boat food tour along its floating markets, a testimony to how ingrained the countryside is in the city. You could dance the night away while alternating bites in a night market.

You could sip a Tiger beer or a layered cocktail at a rooftop bar overlooking the Chao Phraya River. Or you could simply wander the streets, tasting freshly made dishes that shine with local ingredients and a proud passion for Thai food and conviviality.

Lima

gustavo ramirez / Getty Images

What used to be a stop on every backpacker’s South America tour has become a food destination in its own right, the kind you plan a trip around rather than just searching for good restaurants online upon arrival.

It has now earned a reputation as Latin America’s culinary capital, blending indigenous Peruvian traditions with Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish influences.

Lima’s ceviche and tiradito, combining fresh Pacific seafood with citrus and chiles, are widely known. But until you have tasted the incredible varieties of potatoes across the country, sampled fresh fish from the Amazon, or had an exquisite tasting menu of Peruvian cuisine in Restaurant Astrid y Gaston, it’s hard to imagine just how unique this city’s cuisine actually is.

Served alongside a perfectly chilled Pisco Sour, Lima’s distinct cuisine, natural agricultural abundance, and affordability make it a food destination that is worth traveling to.

Barcelona

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The capital of Catalan food and culture, Barcelona manages to effortlessly combine Catalan traditions with Mediterranean ingredients and Spanish cuisine for delicious results.

The city’s markets overflow with fresh produce, cheese, seafood, and all manner of canned fish. Barcelona restaurants are brimming with everything from simple patatas bravas to boquerones (marinated anchovies). Toast to a perfect meal for pennies with a glass of vermouth with an orange slice.

Of course, you could also spend a lot more on food in Barcelona.

Seafood dominates menus here, from plump, charred octopus, to grilled fish, gambas al ajillo, and black-as-night seafood paella with squid ink.

Modernist influences can be seen throughout the city’s sought-after high-end dining establishments, but casual pintxos bars can be just as hard to get into. Just remember to be ready for anything in this former seafaring paradise.

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Paris

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If our list has plenty of up-and-comers, then Paris is the grand dame overlooking them all through her opera spectacles.

The city everyone dreams of visiting boasts more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other European capital, according to The Times, and with good reason: French remains the standard by which many cuisines measure themselves, the beacon of refined, exquisite, and reserved good taste.

The good news is, you don’t have to book an extravagant meal to experience the Parisian food and drink scene. Historic bistros throughout Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Montmartre, and the Marais offer peasant dishes like expertly made Steak au Frites, Coq au Vin, and Beef Bourguignon, all served with a glass of perfectly chosen house wine.

Markets like Marche Bastille and little shops offer cheeses, baked goods, and charcuterie options that rival any three-star restaurant. Ask any shopkeeper for wine recommendations, and you’d be set with a selection of undiscovered regional gems. In short, in a city like Paris, you don’t have to try very hard to have an incredible meal — everywhere you go, the food will find you.

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Copenhagen

The New Nordic cuisine movement may have put Copenhagen on the global culinary map, but today, this city stands out on its own. Copenhagen emphasizes local, seasonal ingredients and industry-leading techniques that are far from simple, with excellent results.

Chefs like Rasmus Munk and Morten Krogholm proudly uphold the city’s tradition of environmental responsibility.

And Copenhagen’s food scene extends far beyond a single establishment. Neighborhoods like Nørrebro and Vesterbro are filled with creative restaurants, craft breweries, coffee shops, and bakeries.

The smørrebrød culture of artfully decorated open-faced sandwiches reflects the community’s commitment to beauty, minimalist aesthetics, and sustainable seafood. Dining here isn’t just about taste, it’s about philosophy.

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Istanbul

Istanbul has long been the gem of the Middle East, and its food and wine pedigree remains unmatched throughout the world. Straddling two continents, Turkey’s largest city represents a culinary crossroads of Ottoman traditions and Mediterranean influences.

You can start your journey in the past, with a stroll through the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market. Stop at a couple of meyhanes, or traditional seafood taverns, serving fresh fish, mezze platters, and raki.

Grab a fragrant simit bread and pair it with a kebab from a cart on the street, enjoying the vestiges of the cultures and empires that have made Istanbul their home over the last four millennia.

What makes Istanbul truly special is its ability to honor centuries of traditional dining, while leaving room for contemporary cuisine. Turkish food continues to be constantly reinvented, with restaurants like Nicole, Mikla, and Neolokal, and young chefs like Turk Fatih Tutak leading the charge.