The best cities for food lovers
For travelers who plan the day around lunch. Ranked by how much of the itinerary is eating and how good the cheap end is, with every dish and place taken from the itinerary itself, so the stop is already in the plan.
Any month works for eating. The exceptions are Tet in Hanoi, late January or February, when the city shuts for a week, and the hottest weeks in Bangkok and Taipei, when a night market at 7 p.m. is still 86°F (30°C).
Checked October 10, 2026. Every city links to a day-by-day itinerary with the hours and prices looked up.
- Tokyo · Japan · 4 days
Tokyo
The itinerary eats across the city: tempura on rice at Daikokuya and eel at Unagi Irokawa in Asakusa, two kinds of gyoza at Harajuku Gyoza Lou, yakitori in the six-seat counters of Omoide Yokocho, and a lunch omakase at a Ginza sushi counter for a third of the dinner price. Tsukiji's outer market on day 3 is tamagoyaki on a stick and tuna bowls. Finish at Rokurinsha on Tokyo Station's Ramen Street for tsukemen.
See the itinerary: 4 days in Tokyo
- Osaka · Japan · 3 days
Osaka
Okonomiyaki at Mizuno on Dotonbori, where the yamaimo-yaki is made with grated mountain yam; kushikatsu at Daruma's twelve stools in Shinsekai, one dip in the shared sauce and never a second; big-cut nigiri at Harukoma after a 20-minute line. Kuromon Market before 11 a.m. for grilled scallops and tuna at Kurogin. Osaka's nickname is the nation's kitchen, and three days of eating fit it.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Osaka
- Bangkok · Thailand · 3 days
Bangkok
Thipsamai's pad thai wrapped in egg, with a fresh orange juice, before the line builds at noon; pad kra pao at the Tha Tien shophouses before the river boat; khao soi at the curry counters of Or Tor Kor, a produce market known for its prepared food. Chinatown's Yaowarat Road after dark on day 1 and the night stalls of Sukhumvit Soi 38 on day 2 are the dinners. Street plates are 50 to 100 baht.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Bangkok
- Mexico City · Mexico · 4 days
Mexico City
Tacos al pastor at El Vilsito in Roma Norte, trays of tacos at Taquería Orinoco at midnight, tostadas at the counters of the Coyoacán market, and lunch at Contramar if you book. Pujol and Quintonil need a table months ahead; the taco omakase at Pujol's bar is the way in. Tacos run MX$20 to MX$40 each, so the budget survives the eating.
See the itinerary: 4 days in Mexico City
- Istanbul · Turkey · 4 days
Istanbul
Köfte with piyaz at Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta, open since 1920; a balık ekmek of grilled mackerel from the boats at Eminönü for around ₺250; pistachio kebab and a katmer on Hamdi's terrace over the Golden Horn. Day 4 crosses to Kadıköy for Çiya Sofrası's regional Anatolian trays and the candied pumpkin with tahini. Meyhane night in Asmalımescit is meze, fish and rakı.
See the itinerary: 4 days in Istanbul
- Hanoi · Vietnam · 3 days
Hanoi
Bun cha at Dac Kim on Hang Manh, grilled pork in warm broth with noodles and herbs for about ₫90,000; egg coffee at Cafe Giang, where the family that invented it in 1946 still makes it; pho cuon on Ngu Xa island, where the dish comes from. Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su is the last bowl, served through the evening unlike most pho shops. Meals run ₫40,000 to ₫90,000, and the water puppets at ₫100,000 are the biggest ticket.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Hanoi
- Singapore · Singapore · 3 days
Singapore
The hawker centers are the point: chwee kueh at Jian Bo in Tiong Bahru Market from 5:30 a.m., Tian Tian chicken rice at Maxwell, Hokkien mee under the iron roof of Lau Pa Sat, sambal stingray and satay at East Coast Lagoon Food Village on the beach. Meals are S$5 to S$8 and tipping is not expected. Chili crab at Jumbo's East Coast branch is the one splurge, S$80 or more a head.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Singapore
- Lima · Peru · 5 days
Lima and Cusco
Lima is one of South America's great food cities: ceviche at a cevichería at lunchtime, when the fish is fresh, anticuchos from a street grill in the evening, and a pisco sour in Barranco. Its top restaurants book out months ahead. Cusco adds the Andean side: a lomo saltado, cuy if you are curious, and the San Pedro market for fruit juices.
See the itinerary: 5 days in Lima and Cusco
- Hong Kong · Hong Kong · 3 days
Hong Kong
Roast goose on lai fun at Yat Lok on Stanley Street, cash only since 1957; har gow and char siu rice rolls at One Dim Sum in Prince Edward for about HK$100 a head; curry fish balls and clay-pot rice among the 22 food stalls of Temple Street Night Market. Sing Kee's dai pai dong on day 3 is dinner at a sidewalk table with beer.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Hong Kong
- Taipei · Taiwan · 3 days
Taipei
Xiaolongbao at the Din Tai Fung Xinsheng branch after a wait that passes an hour from 11:30 a.m.; a Fuzhou pepper bun from the charcoal oven at the Ciyou Temple end of Raohe Street Night Market; the oyster omelette Shilin is known for; Lin Dong Fang's beef noodle with the half-tendon bowl. Breakfast is the line at Fu Hang Soy Milk for a shaobing wrapped round a youtiao. Night market dinners are NT$200 to NT$400.
See the itinerary: 3 days in Taipei
Questions
Which food city is cheapest?
Hanoi: street meals are ₫40,000 to ₫90,000 and the whole day runs ₫500,000 to ₫900,000. Bangkok and Taipei are next. Tokyo and Singapore cost more to sleep in but eat cheaply at the counters and hawker centers.
Do I need to book restaurants?
Only the famous ones: Pujol and Quintonil in Mexico City, the Lima tasting menus, a Ginza sushi counter a week ahead. Everything else here is a line, and most lines move in 15 to 20 minutes.
Why aren't Rome, Lisbon and Ho Chi Minh City here?
All three have itineraries and all three eat well; see the itineraries for Testaccio market, grilled sardines in Alfama and the snail street in District 4. These ten simply have more of the plan built around food.
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