The best cities for food in the world: Readers’ Choice Awards 2025

Few things are as synonymous with travel as food. Gallery-hopping itineraries guide our city stomps, but travellers often recall the pizza slices they devoured in Brooklyn rather than which sights were visible from the Empire State Building. We’re all too familiar with the ravenous pre-trip social media scrolls, losing sleep in our determination to hunt down the tastiest spots across the new city we’re headed for. And what a year it’s been on the foodie scene – so much so that just two of last year’s top 10 cities grace the list again. Cape Town’s back, albeit with a slight fall from grace, while our obsession with Japan has given Tokyo quite the boost. Here, we take a look at the best cities for food in the world, as voted by you, the readers of Condé Nast Traveller.

These are the best cities for food in the world, according to the 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards.

Urban skyline in Midtown ManhattanGetty Images

10. New York

There aren’t many places across the States, or indeed the globe, that excite foodies as much as the Big Apple. Things move fast here, timeless restaurants surrounded by come-and-go openings whose reputation is quickly determined by hungry, on-the-go New Yorkers. Every block hums with culinary ambition, from A-list favourites such as Carbone and Nobu Downtown to Magnolia Bakery’s banana puddings, which locals and travellers will brave any elements to queue for. Whether we’re picking up artisan bakes in Brooklyn or getting dressed up for a Michelin-starred experience in Manhattan, one thing’s for sure – our stomachs will always lead us back to New York.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria, Palma de MallorcaGetty Images

9. Palma

Palma is a Mediterranean dream with menus to match – a seaside haven that’s as blissful as it is buzzy. Chefs reimagine Mallorcan traditions along winding streets, bakery foot traffic spills onto roadsides as travellers find shaded spots to devour sweet treats, and sunseekers lunch al fresco on hotel rooftops. Morning markets, delis and fishmongers make self-catering all part of the fun for budding chefs, while the labyrinthine Old Town calls hungry travellers after days on the sand for long, rosé-accompanied feasts.