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People are increasingly travelling with their eyes, putting the focus on finding the most beautiful (and photogenic) places around.
Not so us. We travel with our stomachs in mind, looking for delicious experiences that mean a single bite of a certain dish will forever transport us back to a beloved travel memory.
Europe is known for its fantastic food – just last year, Italian cuisine was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list – but it can be difficult to identify the true culinary big hitters in a crowded field of fantastic options.
Thankfully, the experts at Food & Wine have done the legwork for us while producing its Global Tastemakers list for 2026, rounding up the top cities for food and drink.
More than 400 chefs and travel experts were polled to create the ranking, and each city was chosen because of its abundance of culinary options, from food tours and cooking classes to Michelin-star dining and hole-in-the-walls.
While the number one spot this year went to Hong Kong, Europe dominated the list with five entries among the top 10.
The best cities for food and drink in Europe
London leads the rankings within Europe for 2026, coming in second overall.
The city was praised for its “seamless mix of high and low”, with Food & Wine noting that you are “just as likely to eat an elevated bowl of curry as you are to find a street vendor selling remarkable shish taouk”.
With 88 Michelin-starred restaurants – the second most in Europe, after Paris – there’s no shortage of high-end eats, but the foodie experience is just as great in the city’s many pubs, or at its food stalls, like those in Borough Market.
Next up on the list was Barcelona in seventh place.
A place for seafood lovers, the Catalan capital is known for making the most of its fresh catches in paellas and simple grilled dishes.
Paris, the city of love (of food), came in eighth place, with experts noting “you don’t have to try very hard to have an incredible meal – everywhere you go, the food will find you”.
Be sure to try classics like steak au frites, coq au vin or beef bourguignon at one of the historic bistros scattered through Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Montmartre and the Marais.
Ninth place went to Copenhagen, a city that “emphasises local, seasonal ingredients and industry-leading techniques that are far from simple”.
Here, you can stroll through Nørrebro and Vesterbro for craft breweries and bakeries, or try to book a table at world-renowned restaurants like Noma or Alchemist.
Last, but not least, Istanbul rounded out the top 10.
A city that “represents a culinary crossroads of Ottoman traditions and Mediterranean influences”, you can try traditional dishes at the Grand Bazaar or try these same plates with a contemporary spin at places such as Nicole or Mikla.
Read the full article here
