The best world cities for food and drink

Sampling the local flavours is a huge part of the travel experience for many of us.

From sushi and saké in Japan to Sydney's famous coffee culture; these seven popular escapes offer the ultimate culinary experience outside of Europe.

Not only are all the featured destinations rated among the best long-haul cities for 2025 in our survey of more than 1,500 people, they all clinched the full five stars for food and drink.

Read on to discover the world’s top getaways for foodies.

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1. Cape Town

Few world cities feel as close to nature as Cape Town, with the drama of Table Mountain and the rugged Cape of Good Hope in touching distance. High-quality food and drink at low prices is another draw. 

Cape Malay cuisine is unique to the Western Cape – a blend of Malaysian, Indonesian and South African flavours. Make sure to sample bobotie: curried ground lamb topped with a savoury egg custard, similar to moussaka. Just save some space for Koeksister: a cinnamon doughnut glazed with syrup and grated coconut. Try these dishes and many more in the rainbow-hued streets of Bo-Kaap district. 

Even better, the world-class vineyards of Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are just a short drive away. Watch the sun disappear behind jagged peaks as you sip a fruity pinotage (a red grape unique to South Africa) in the vine-carpeted valleys.

Which? Shorts podcast: Listen to our journey through captivating Cape Town

2. Kyoto

The former capital may be famous for its Buddhist temples, cherry blossom and geishas – but Kyoto’s food is also worthy of high praise. 

You’ll find all the Japanese favourites here: steaming bowls of ramen, fat udon noodles and excellent sushi (the saba-zushi with salted mackerel is a local speciality). 

Another Kyoto delicacy is yuba, or tofu skin, formed when soy milk is boiled in a shallow pan. Sample it (and just about anything else) at Nichiki Market, a lively indoor shopping street lined with food stalls and restaurants.

For more formal dining, kaiseki is a traditional aristocratic multi-course dinner experience. Popular dishes include a clear soup with a dashi-based broth and sashimi. You can expect it to be accompanied with a cup of saké, the Japanese rice wine, to heighten the umami flavour of the food.

3. Sydney

Your favourite world city of 2024: many rack up the air miles to marvel at the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge on the sun-spangled waterfront. But the food will also wow, whether you’re city brunching or dining beachside having inhaled lungfuls of sea air on the famous Bondi to Coogee walk. 

Doyles, on Watsons Bay, has been serving up fresh local seafood for five generations; its signature platter comes overflowing with oysters, stuffed jumbo prawns and baked scallops. 

The city’s coffee culture is also well known (a Sydney café controversially claims to have invented the flat white). Try a lamington on the side: vanilla sponge dipped in chocolate and coated in shredded coconut. 

See the best and worst city break providers for your next long-haul break

4. Tokyo

Anyone who has visited Japan won’t be surprised to see that two of its cities have made it into our foodie top five. In Tokyo, you’ll find everything from cheap hole-in-the-wall joints to the classiest high-end restaurants (and everything in between). 

Nigiri-zushi, an oval mound of rice topped with a slice of fish or seafood, can be traced back to 19th-century Tokyo. Watch chefs hand-shape its modern-day equivalent at the counter top of Ginza Sushi Marui. Tempura is another Tokyo staple: shrimp or vegetables, like sweet potato and shitake mushrooms, coated in a light batter and deep fried. It’s usually served with a flavourful dipping sauce (tentsuyu) of dashi, mirin and soy.

You’ll also find a plethora of ramen restaurants in every district of the city – they offer lashings of thick wheat noodles topped with sliced meat and served in an umami-rich broth (which is simmered for several hours). And don’t be afraid to slurp: it’s considered a sign of appreciation in Japan and is thought to enhance the flavour of the food.

5. Singapore

Food has always been a huge part of Singapore's culture and heritage, where ancient temple gardens meet modern skyscrapers. 

While many come for a Singapore sling cocktail in the Long Bar at Raffles hotel, you’ll enjoy a more authentic experience at the famous open-air food markets or hawker centres. Hop from one sizzling stall to the next for a head-spinning gastronomic journey through China, Malaysia, India and Indonesia. 

Hawker Chan was the first food stall in the world to be awarded a Michelin star. Owner Chan Hong Meng lost it in 2021, but his humble soy-sauce-marinated chicken rice is as sought-after as ever (just look for the enormous queue). Other local specialities include laksa, a spicy coconut soup laden with seafood, and chilli crab.

Looking for culinary experiences on the continent? These are Europe’s best cities for food and drink

6. Bangkok

It’s here, and not the islands, that you’ll get a taste of the real Thailand. The street food is excllent, with vendors dishing up generations-old recipes on every corner of the city. 

Beef, chicken or pork satay sticks are cooked over a hot grill and served with a peanut dipping sauce. Tom yum gung is another classic – punchy Thai soup that piles in tomatoes, lemongrass, shrimp, mushrooms and spices to make it sweet, sour and spicy all at once. 

Mango sticky rice is the nation’s favourite dessert: the Mae Varee shop in Thonglor serves it in multiple flavours, including pandan and green tea. 

For the raw ingredients, visit the famous Damnoen Saduak floating market – a multicoloured armada piled high with spices, dried fish and tropical fruits. A longboat will zip you through a maze of narrow canals, lined with wooden stilt houses and palms.

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7. Melbourne

High standards, higher ambitions and a rich history of immigration mean you have the choice of haute cuisine of every flavour in Melbourne. Head to Lygon Street in Carlton for authentic Italian food. The capriccosa pizza is a favourite: piled high with olives, mushrooms and shredded ham. 

Or there’s Victoria Street in Richmond, the heart of Little Saigon for cheap family-run eateries serving banh mi (a Vietnamese baguette layered with meat, pickled veg and various sauces) and big steaming bowls of pho. 

At Queen Victoria Market – the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere – you’ll find stalls and food trucks serving iconic Melbourne staples, from gourmet meat pies to wines from the nearby Yarra Valley. One thing is guaranteed: you won’t leave hungry.