The culinary scene of a city is what sets it apart as a great food destination. To truly understand the gastronomic culture of a place, one must explore its diverse array of dishes and indulge in its high-quality meals at reasonable prices. To determine which cities excel in this regard, we surveyed thousands of locals to get their insights on the best places to eat out in their hometowns.
Our research focused on must-visit restaurants, must-try dishes, and best-value bites. We also asked locals to rate their city’s food scene based on quality and affordability. By eliminating cities with lower scores, we narrowed down our selection and included only the highest-scoring city from each country in our final list. We then consulted with our global network of Time Out editors and writers to provide insights on why their city is a thrilling dining destination in 2024 and suggest their favorite dining spots.
Time Out has been exploring the culinary scenes of the world’s best cities for many years, and our expertise in reviewing and ranking restaurants has allowed us to keep our lists up-to-date. As a result, we have created Time Out Markets, where food, drinks, and culture converge in one space. For this feature, we sought advice from our Time Out Market chefs to identify three culinary capitals that deserve recognition for their exceptional food scenes.
The resulting list is a tribute to culinary cultures worldwide, highlighting cities that offer exceptional dining experiences ranging from high-end fine dining to affordable street food. These cities are at the forefront of the food and beverage scene, making them ideal destinations for food enthusiasts who want to indulge in diverse gastronomic treasures.
