Travelers love to eat, and one of the most unique aspects of travel is the luxury to sample great restaurants and exotic cuisine from all around the globe. The excitement is in experiencing new tastes that broaden your culinary horizon, and new flavors that calibrate your taste buds. Foodie destinations. 

There are many, many, reasons to travel the world, though for a growing number of travelers, food is one of the biggest ones. And whether you’re interested in hitting up the best markets, dessert spots, cafes, fine dining or even street stands, the joy for many people is returning home with new recipes in place of souvenirs! Where are the best food scenes in the world?

The following are the world’s premiere food destinations. If you’re a foodie and you love to travel, you should consider the following destinations for your next trip. Which cities have the best food? Best food scene in the world?

The Best Food Cities in the World

You can hover over these (or any image) to quickly pin it!

Tokyo, Japan

Japan is easily in the running as the culinary capital of the world, and with a rich, cosmopolitan dining scene, Tokyo should be your first port of call when searching for the best of Japanese cuisine (French food is also influential in Tokyo). What is food like in Tokyo? Find best Japanese food. 

Tokyo plays home to more cafes and bars than is possible to visit in a lifetime, and the city holds the record for the most Michelin star restaurants than any other city in the world…even Paris. French food in Tokyo.

A foodie bucket-list isn’t complete without splashing out on some of the world’s most critically acclaimed sushi, and a visit to at least one Michelin star restaurant in Tokyo is an absolute must. Michelin star in Tokyo. 

Sydney, Australia

Travelers hit up Sydney for it’s iconic landmarks and fabulous beaches, though most leave with an insatiable craving for more of the city’s fine food. There are diverse and exotic culinary adventures to suit every appetite; multi cultural foods and fresh Australian produce served across a huge range of gourmet restaurants, traditional historic pubs, boutique cafes and cool rooftop bars, all in spectacular locations throughout the city.

Sydney is home to the world’s best waterfront dining, and many Sydney Restaurants sit perched on the water’s edge offering a glittering view of Sydney Harbour against the expanse of the Pacific Ocean.

You’ll never be short of inspiration on where to eat and drink in Sydney.

Barcelona, Spain

Quite like Tokyo, Barcelona will have you bouncing from one Michelin star restaurant to the next, though you don’t have to score a table in the fine dining scene to eat world class food; big name chefs are offering creative Catalan cuisine in more casual settings all over the city at very competitive prices, and this has seen the emergence of a much more accessible restaurant scene.

Tapas bars from Michelin-starred chefs are popping up left, right and center, and beach-side shacks and street food stands are serving some of the best bites in town. Find best food in Barcelona. 

Naples, Italy

When it comes to Italian food, specialties are extremely regional, so this means lasagne in Bologna, Parma ham in Parma, and for the pizza lover? That shouldn’t even be a question. Those looking for the finest pizza on earth head to Naples.

Pizza pilgrims from all over the world let their taste buds lead them here – to the birthplace of the original pizza pie. Most take transfers from Naples airport directly to a restaurant; because hotel check-in can wait when you have pizza on your mind!

There are hundreds of specialty restaurants throughout Naples which make pizza and nothing else. Pizzas range from the size of a plate to that of a Hummer wheel, and are very different to anything you will find anywhere else in the world – and even throughout Italy for that matter! 

Wondering what to try? Marinara is the most basic form of pizza, topped with only tomatoes, garlic, oregano and olive oil. Margherita is your classic pizza topped with red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese and fresh basil – this actually reflecting the colors of the Italian flag!

Copenhagen, Denmark

Food is taken seriously in Copenhagen, and this is not a city where you casually miss a reservation – the city’s best restaurants fill up weeks, sometimes even months in advance. Should I reserve a restaurant in Copenhagen?

Avant-garde chefs are known for experimenting with unconventional ingredients to create works of art, and the city is home to the critically acclaimed former Pellegrino World No. 1-ranked restaurant, Noma.

Michelin stars? Copenhagen has 15 Michelin star restaurants, though the restaurant scene does cater to all budgets, and regardless of where you eat, food here is known for being of high quality and with a focus on using local and seasonal produce. The best bites often come in the form of open faced sandwiches called smørrebrød you can buy on the streets, or Danish-style hot dogs from Døp or Harry’s Place. Best places to eat in Copenhagen. 

New Orleans, USA

Those who come to New Orleans normally travel for the eclectic mix of food. It’s no secret the city is a haven for foodies, with some of the finest Cajun, African,Chinese, Italian, and French cuisine throughout the city’s many award-winning restaurants and cafes. New Orleans restaurants. 

From Gumbo and Jambalaya, to Mardi Gras King Cakes and a Cajun spin on fried cornmeal called couche chouche, New Orleans is responsible for some of the most interesting foods cooked up today.

If you find you become addicted to the spicy kick of the NOLA’s Cajun cuisine scene, you can organize Spice N Tice mini spice kits for homemade food once you’re back at home.

Edam, The Netherlands

Cheese in Europe is a serious business, and for centuries the most popular cheese in the world has been sold in Edam.

During the summer, towns such as Alkmaar, Gouda, Edam and Hoorn host traditional cheese markets. Here, they enact the day-to-day scenes of cheese markets of bygone eras; watching farmers navigate the ancient canals and ferry taking rounded hunks of the cheese to the market is quite the scene!

Paris, France

Paris is an exciting food destination, and people travel here from all over the world to eat like a Parisian in the glamorous French capital.

After-all, it’s a treat to sample some of the most delicate and flavorful cheese in the world, and a dream to eat crepes from vendors selling on cobblestone streets, or to visit a pâtisserie for mouthwatering sweets and pastries. Or perhaps you’ve dreamed of wiling way your afternoons at an outdoor cafe.

When it comes to French food there are two types of dish; traditional and modern. Though there has been a shift away from fancy table settings. As with Barcelona, expensive is “out” and “simply presented affordable food in a casual unpretentious setting is “in.” Best food int he world. 

INSPIRED? PIN THIS TO YOUR TRAVEL PINTEREST BOARDS ↓

Photo credits (+previous): Featured & Pinterest photos by Michael Stern. Sydney food by Roderick Eime. Opera House by Sacha Fernandez. Pizza by uıɐɾ ʞ ʇɐɯɐs. Noma by cyclonebill. Smørrebrød by Rachel Avelena. Nyhavn Waterfront by Cecil Lee. Edam by vpzone & Philip Cotsford.