The best cities for food in 2026 according to Time Out

Time Out has just named the world’s best cities for food, and Peruvian capital Lima came out on top.

Four European spots made their way into the top 10 for 2026: London, Barcelona, Athens and Lisbon.

To create the ranking, more than 24,000 residents across 150 destinations worldwide were polled about the quality and affordability of restaurants, coffee shops, pubs and bars, as well as which parts of their city’s food scene stand out the most.

More than 100 Time Out editors and local experts were also asked to evaluate these cities, with the final score based 70% on local sentiment and 30% on expert opinion.

Here’s where London, Barcelona, Athens and Lisbon were ranked – and why.

Fourth place: London, UK

One of the best parts about living in London is the diversity of its foodie offering, where you can grab everything from bagels and pie and mash to Ethiopian vegan plates and Danish smørrebrød.

In fact, 96% of those polled said eating out in the British capital is ‘good’ or ‘amazing’, even as just 42% said it was affordable.

According to the experts, the city’s Italian openings are having their moment in the sun, with Time Out shouting out Osteria Vibrato’s creamy white risotto, Auguste’s Abruzzian skewers, and Martino’s meatballs as must-try dishes.

For something slightly more casual, pub pizza is also a big trend to embrace this year, with residencies from Dough Hands, Short Road, Hot Saint and Little Earthquakes popping up at various watering holes.

Fifth place: Barcelona, Spain

Only the highest-scoring city in each country was included in the final ranking, and while Madrid topped the Spanish list in 2025, this year the country’s culinary gem was Barcelona.

Described as an especially exciting place to eat out by Time Out’s food panel, and with 82% of residents rating the gastronomic scene for its quality, foodies will find plenty to love about the coastal city.

While Barcelona has long been a capital of fine dining, with more Michelin-starred restaurants than anywhere else, it’s the return to traditional Catalan cooking that has Time Out’s experts excited.

Here, you can try capipota, a gelatinous dish made from veal head and trotters, dig into comforting slow-cooked sofregits and long-braised stews, and fall in love with bombas, the fried potato balls Barcelona is best known for.

Ninth place: Athens, Greece

Greece’s capital performed almost equally well among locals as it did experts, with 78% of the former and 80% of the latter voting it as an exciting place to eat right now.

For residents, it’s the coffee shops and family-run spots that you should visit, while experts praised the city’s fine dining spots.

This includes the country’s only two-Michelin-starred restaurant Delta, as well as newer spots like Kuchisabishii, Thirio and Zigoala.

10th place: Lisbon, Portugal

Locals love eating out in Lisbon, with 86% rating the scene highly and a further 63% saying it is affordable to do so.

Neo-tascas, which Time Out describes as “authentic, welcoming neighbourhood restaurants with technical precision and creative menus rooted in Portuguese tradition”, are on the rise across the city, with some of the best including O Velho Eurico, Polémico, Vida de Tasca and Gancho by Louise Bourrat.

While Lisbonites love its bakeries and dessert spots, experts say it’s the trendy sandwich spots, like Tosta and Bibs, that you should be making a beeline for.

These are the top 10 best cities for food in 2026:

Lima, Peru
Bangkok, Thailand
Mexico City, Mexico
London, United Kingdom
Barcelona, Spain
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Melbourne, Australia
Beijing, China
Athens, Greece
Lisbon, Portugal

“Kitchens from Lima to Lisbon are having a lot of fun with food in 2026, experimenting with unexpected flavour combinations and elevating classic dishes,” Grace Beard, Travel Editor at Time Out, said.

“Locals are looking beyond small plates and sourdough loaves and packing out ‘neo-tavernas’, selling out signature dishes from independent restaurants and lining up for the best pizza slice in town.

“That’s the best bit about this ranking: there’s something for every palate, from the budget eater to the certified bon vivant.”

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