Our annual Best Places to Go lists are designed to offer something for everyone – whether you travel for plush daybeds on breezy islands or for cosmopolitan cities buzzing with art and design. But so many of us travel for the distinct pleasure of eating: to visit hallowed dining rooms led by innovative chefs; to plop onto stools at markets for cheap, inimitable thrills; to forage, or harvest, or watch others wrest precious goods from the earth and turn them into beautiful dishes we can close our eyes and savour. For these travellers, we offer our list of the Best Places to Eat in 2026. These are cities, states, and even specific neighbourhoods that have food scenes worth planning your year of travel around.
If meze enjoyed on sun-soaked patios calls your name, consider Crete, set to be the European Region of Gastronomy in 2026. In this historic corner of Greece, hand-made phyllo and mountain herbs make heavenly pairings with briny seafood and wine from ancient vines. On the flip side, there’s Medellín, Colombia, long known for its hearty Andean stews and stick-to-your-ribs bandeja paisa, and now coming into its own as a South American hotbed for young chefs and buzzy restaurants – not to mention an electric cocktail scene, where well-crafted drinks now match the city’s love of a good time. Or perhaps you want to be whisked sky-high into a glossy Hong Kong restaurant – in 2026, your biggest challenge will be figuring out how to save space for a dim sum breakfast, bubble tea snack, omakase lunch, and Michelin-starred French-Cantonese tasting menu, before doing it all again the next day.
In the year ahead, we’re excited about the places that are only now getting recognised for their unique culinary offerings, as well as those that have only gotten better with time. Below are our top 10 food destinations for 2026. (We suggest having a snack on hand before digging in.) Bon appétit. Megan Spurrell
This is part of our global guide to the Best Places to Go in 2026
Boston
Go for: global flavours, waterfront dining, and more neighbourhood action than ever
There was a time when Boston’s food scene was as predictable as the Green Line at rush hour: not perfect but getting the job done. This was the city of just-fine steaks in wood-panelled dining rooms, red sauce by the gallon in the North End, and lobster rolls and fried clams in every direction – it was dependable and very Boston, but hardly adventurous or exciting. But in recent years, the city has pulled off the reinvention of the century. Much like its skyline, which is now punctuated by shimmering glass towers, its food scene is increasingly transforming into something sleeker and unmissable.
Today, Seaport is where much of the action takes place. Danny Meyer’s popular Italian concept Ci Siamo will open its first location outside Manhattan here in 2026. Mai, a sultry French-Japanese fusion concept with lacquered interiors and jewel-box plates, is about as far from Ye Olde Boston as you can get. It will join viral favourites like homegrown Lakon Paris Patisserie, an authentic French-style patisserie known for its cubic croissants, and Taiyaki NYC, which serves ice cream in adorable koi-shaped cones. Woods Hill Pier 4, which is still one of the best expressions of New England farm-to-table cuisine and has a stunning waterfront dining room to boot, proves that Seaport not only is sexy but has substance.
Local restaurant group BCB3 keeps raising the bar and generating serious buzz. Its trio of must-visits are Somaek, a modern Korean joint and semifinalist for this year’s James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant; Sushi @ Temple Records, a narrow, wonderfully authentic-feeling record bar, modeled after those in Tokyo, which offers some of the city’s top sushi; and Zurito, a splashy new Basque spot whose shared plates and extensive vermouth menu feels like a breath of fresh air on Boston’s staid Beacon Hill.
But the big moment that Boston finds itself in right now is happening not in the core historic downtown neighbourhoods like Back Bay or Beacon Hill. It’s unfolding in the residential neighbourhoods just beyond. In the South End, haute Greek restaurant Kaia – a 2025 Condé Nast Traveller Hot List winner – offers a catch of the day flown in from the Aegean and served in a swanky, design-forward setting. Somerville’s Celeste remains one of the northeast’s top Peruvian restaurants, and in 2026, its sibling Rosa y Marigold, also with Peruvian flavours, will enter the chat and focus on ceviches and tiraditos, benefiting from Boston’s iconic fresh seafood. And there are hidden gems too, like Dovetail in Charlestown; it’s tucked away in a former shipbuilding district yet offers one of the best spots for dinner if you’re walking the city’s famous Freedom Trail.
Boston has long felt confident in its role as a hub for innovation, health care, education, and history. What’s new for right now, however, is its creativity. In a city that has long rested on everything it’s accomplished in the past, and might not have always felt accessible to all, there is a lot to look forward to in the future. And everyone is invited to the table. Todd Plummer
Boston also appears on our list of the Best Places to Go in North America & the Caribbean in 2026.
Crete, Greece
Go for: traditional produce used in exciting new ways in Europe’s gourmet capital
Set to be the European Region of Gastronomy in 2026, the Greek island of Crete is renowned for its wholesome diet and culinary gems, some of which date back to the ancient Minoans, whose crumbled palaces dot the island. Much of the diversity of Crete’s produce can be attributed to its breadth of landscapes: Spanning deep gorges, high plateaus, and a varied coastline, the country’s largest island, dubbed Megalo Nisi – or the Big Island – by Greeks, stretches from Ierapetra in the east to Chania in the west.
All that freely growing produce makes foraging practically a sport here. In spring, Cretans head for the hillsides to dig up askolimbi (golden thistle) and vlita (amaranth greens) for mezze snacks and wild asparagus to be served in omelettes rich with cream skimmed off sheep or goat milk, known as staka. Autumn in the White Mountains, on the other hand, is the time when locals seek out wild mushrooms and black truffles.
Each of Crete’s four regions – Chania and Rethymnon in the west, Heraklion, the island’s central capital, and the far less visited Lasithi in the east – has its own specialities spun from this bounty of ingredients. There’s sfakianopita – honey-drizzled pie crammed with mizithra (goat or sheep cheese) in Chania; freshly made bougatsa, a traditional sweet or savoury pie in Rethymnon; the tastiest smoked pork loin known as apaki in Heraklion; and the delicious potatoes and tomatoes of the Lasithi Plateau.
Chania abounds in great places to dine. Bang on the waterfront, traditional taverna Kaiki is your best bet for seafood, while Theodosi offers creative Cretan cuisine dished up with sunset views. Great wine is never far behind, thanks to wineries like Manousakis, in the beautiful village of Vatolakkos, and Dourakis, an award-winning sustainable winery. For gourmet stays, make a beeline for Ikos Kissamos, Ikos’s first Cretan resort. When it opens in April 2026, it will feature no less than seven gourmet restaurants with menus crafted by Michelin-starred chefs including Ettore Botrini and Stephanie Le Quellec.
If the Venetian-fortress-topped town of Rethymnon is on your itinerary, time your visit to the weeklong Cretan Diet Festival, starting the week of July 1, when the city’s cobbled streets will be abuzz with cooking sessions, wine-pairing lessons, and culinary tastings. Don’t miss the bougatsa at Yiorgos Hatziparaskos’s pastry shop – he’s one of the last bakers in Greece to craft phyllo entirely by hand.
Over in the beautiful villages of Lasithi, slow meals can be enjoyed at family-run taverna that uses only the freshest produce. Olondi in Elounda and Xatheri in Kroustas are definitely worth bookmarking.
But the island’s capital, Heraklion, is where you’ll find Crete’s most vibrant food scene. Head to Thigaterra, a slow-food champion serving dishes crafted from the freshest organic produce, or try Apiri Greek Eatery for a clever fusion of Scandinavian culinary flair and top-quality Cretan ingredients. And don’t sleep on Heraklion’s bucolic wine trail for a taste of traditional Cretan wine.
Wherever your travels take you on the island, you’ll find it impossible to miss the abundance of truly excellent extra-virgin olive oil, a cornerstone of the Cretan diet. Most locals tend their own olive trees, and the mineral-rich oil stars in everything from crisp salads to hearty, slow-cooked stews. One standout dish is dakos: twice-baked barley rusks from village ovens, briefly soaked in water then layered with the pulp of ripe tomatoes, a crumbling of creamy mizithra, a dusting of oregano, and a generous drizzle of EVOO. It’s a staple on most of the island’s menus and a reminder that Crete excels at doing simple things to perfection. Heidi Fuller-Love
Crete also appears on our list of the Best Places to Go in Europe in 2026.
Fès, Morocco
Go for: immersive culinary experiences, ancient markets, and a splashy opening from Alain Ducasse
On the tranquil patio of Riad Fès, the notes of oud musicians drift under shadowy arches and toward the dining room replete with jewel-coloured zellige tiles and fine tableware. A parade of seven salads, then a cinnamon-dusted bastilla (pigeon pastry) followed by a mutton m’hammar (slow-cooked stew) and a smen-soaked couscous grace the table before the finale: plate of dainty almond cookies accompanied by steaming mint tea. This single feast, emblematic of Fes’s cuisine, carries the taste of the courtly table of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad, the flavours served at the Alhambra in Islamic Andalucia, a blend of West African spices, and Amazigh know-how.
Fassi cooking, as the culinary style of Fès is called, is cherished within Morocco but largely unknown abroad. That’s all set to change next year with the arrival of Alain Ducasse at Palais Jamai, the sister hotel of La Mamounia, which is due to reopen in spring 2026 after a decade-long renovation. Holding 21 Michelin stars, Ducasse is an inspired choice given that his cooking is so firmly rooted in terroir and seasonality – when applied to the Fassi table, diners can expect to see fragrant orange blossoms, prized cherries from Sefrou, and wild winter snails on their menu.
To understand the roots of this cuisine – and the raw materials Ducasse will soon be working with – head to the R’Cif market, an echo from another age, where donkeys carry in barrels of olive oil and hand carts come loaded with dark-stemmed mint from Meknes, grassy mallow leaves, fennel flowers, and spiky cardoons. In Souk Al Attarine, things get more specialised. Here, herbalists sell rare ingredients like ambrosia, gum mastic, and oud susin (orris root) from the High Atlas.
Honey is a staple in these parts, so much so that Fès has a market dedicated to it: the 17th-century Fondouk Kaat Smen, which will reopen by the summer of 2026 after a two-year renovation. The best way to experience it is to join honey experts like Nafis Hicham on one of Noureddine Chbani’s Culture Insider market tours, which take you deep into the medina’s labyrinth to pungent Souk Achabine, where workers congregate at their favourite food stalls to order deep-fried sardines, maakouda (spiced potato cakes), and steamed cow’s cheek and tongue sandwiches. Beyond the medina's walls, they offer a hike up Mount Zalagh, where villagers weave wild doum palms into baskets and shepherds herd prized flocks of sheep. Next year, they'll add a picnic showcasing their creamy, fresh, salty, and aged cheeses, alongside a honey tasting. The experience will connect travellers with the rural rhythms of the green Middle Atlas that keep the city’s markets so well provisioned.
Inclusive Morocco’s mission, meanwhile, seeks to connect visitors to a diverse array of locals through imaginatively designed food experiences, including cooking classes that allow guests to try their hands at fiendishly complex Andalucian dishes, like the sweet and peppery pigeon bastilla, which requires infinite patience and multiple layers of fine filo pastry. Their couscous-rolling class in Sefrou with a local Amazigh family is an opportunity to learn an art that the Amazigh gifted to North Africa as one of the continent’s earliest staples.
There are also olive and wine tasting experiences around the nearby Roman ruins of Volubilis. There, at French colonial–era Walila Farm, retired chef Azzeddine Zayr leads a Roman-themed class inspired by local olive oils, while at boutique winery Villa Volubilia-Domaine de la Zouina, tastings include the award-winning Volubilia and Epicuria wines of Gérard Gribelin and Philippe Gervoson. Venture out hungry, and return filled with unforgettable flavours – but also with a deeper appreciation for what fuels Fès’s culinary spirit. Paula Hardy
Fès also appears on our list of the Best Places to Go in Africa in 2026.
Hong Kong
Go for: restaurants full of retro glamour, tasting menus, and innovative cocktails
It doesn’t take much to find extraordinary food in Hong Kong – just look up. In a city where glittering skyscrapers cradle rooftop restaurants and fine dining spots hide inside shopping malls, the culinary landscape rises as high as the skyline. Long celebrated for its dynamic and diverse food, Hong Kong is a symphony of contrasts where East meets West. In 2026, it reinvents itself while staying loyal to tradition with a slew of new openings – and next eras for existing spots. This is the place to go if you crave mouthwatering Cantonese cuisine (like the crispy chicken at Dynasty or the beloved char siu at Mott 32) or are keen to explore a cocktail bar scene that is as vibrant as it is imaginative.
Where to start? Perhaps with a steaming basket of dim sum at Duddell’s or a bowl of shrimp wonton soup at Mak’s Noodle. Or take advantage of Japanese at an omakase counter or French fusion at a vintage bistro; better yet, combine both at cheese omakase bar Roucou, which opened in spring 2025. Maybe you’ll want to dive headfirst into it all, especially at the markets, where curry fishballs, golden-skinned crispy chicken or roast goose, and endless varieties of noodles await. For a dose of retro glamour, look to stalwart institutions: China Tang, The China Club (technically members only, though a discreet concierge may help), and Forum (a three-star mainstay famed for its braised abalone and dumplings) continue to draw loyal locals with menus that revere tradition.
Skip your daily coffee and opt for a different sip and snack. At Silk (with 10 locations throughout Hong Kong), the unmissable Smooth King offers a modern reinterpretation of the classic “silk stocking” milk tea. Or try Potion House, Hong Kong’s first jelly-based bubble tea shop since 2023, where texture becomes an experience. It unveiled its second concept store in 2024, extending a more traditional tea menu to include after-work bubble tea cocktails in Jardine House. The queues at Bakehouse (which debuted its eighth outpost in the Peak Tower in September 2025) or the stalwart Tai Cheong Bakery – for warm egg custard tarts with caramelised tops and buttery crusts – are well worth joining.
After a spin through the designer floors of K11 Musea, retreat to Yè Shanghai for dishes reminiscent of 1930s Shanghai, to the fusion hot spot Tirpse, or to Sushi Wadatsumi, where countertop elegance brings Ginza to Tsim Sha Tsui. Other transformative omakase experiences include Udatsu Sushi, Sushi Zinc, or Sushi Shikon, whose neighbour in The Landmark Hong Kong is Amber. The much-anticipated Terrace Boulud opens January 2026 on the 25th floor of the Landmark Prince’s. French fine dining is still in full bloom here, since first trending in the early 1950s. While Daniel Boulud may be the latest arrival, the scene is already gilded with options: Belon, Feuille, Caprice, L’Envol, Racines, Ta Vie, Jean-Pierre (the newest addition, which opened in spring 2025), to name a few. They offer impeccable iterations of foie gras with plum, grilled duck with nectarines, or simple bistro classics.
For something singular from the creative mind of the first two-Michelin-starred female chef in Asia, Tate (set to move locations in March 2026) remains an essential stop. Chef Vicky Lau artfully and expertly reimagines Chinese staples with French influences. Tate, with its “Ode to” menus (delving into one singular ingredient per dish), received its second star in 2021. Lau (who started her career as a graphic designer) is also behind Mora (one star), a minimalist appreciation of soy and local produce, and Jija, her latest venture, inspired by Yunnan’s earthy ingredients, which opened inside the new Kimpton Tsim Sha Tsui in October 2025.
Round out your evenings with an obligatory cocktail tour in the city’s thriving and ever-changing bar scene that emphasises intimate spaces, niche experiences, and curated offerings. Head to Bar Leone (and its Cuban sister, Montana, which made its debut in summer 2025), the zero-waste lab-like Penicillin, refined Kinsman, umami-filled The Savoury Project, and the sensory-driven Quinary, all provide drinks as crafted and considered as any tasting menu.
When in doubt, a whisky in the quieter and dim-lit bar at the Peninsula Hong Kong will do just fine. And if you want to feel on top of the world, head to Ozone, the highest rooftop bar in the world, for a glass of bubbly and a view to remember. Whether you’re discovering the bustling streets of Hong Kong for the first time or you’re returning to one of your treasured destinations, you are sure to discover unique gems along the way and indulge in classics, old and new, at a yum cha lunch or late-night haunt. Caroline Marques
Hong Kong also appears on our list of the Best Places to Go in Asia in 2026.
Medellín, Colombia
Go for: a new pantheon of Colombian culinary brilliance, and an ever-more-exciting nightlife scene
-2-BPTE.jpg)
-2-BPTE.jpg)
Bandeja paisa stacked with beans and chicharrón; steaming bowls of sancocho; arepas oozing with cheese and pulled hot from the griddle – these are the dishes that have defined Medellín for generations. And while those classics remain, the city’s kitchens now hum with something new: experimental tasting menus, fermentation labs, and cocktail dens soundtracked by vinyl. Dining here moves with the same creative energy that has reshaped the city itself over the past decade, making Medellín officially one of Latin America’s most exciting food destinations.
Wake, opening in spring 2026, is Medellín’s boldest project yet, a $100 million complex that folds dining into the city’s future alongside wellness, design, and hospitality outposts. More than a collection of restaurants, it’s a statement: Medellín belongs at the centre of Latin America’s food conversation. At its core is Boro, the debut Medellín restaurant from Jaime David Rodríguez of Cartagena’s Celele, where the menus trace Colombia’s ecosystems from the Pacific coast to the Amazon basin via the Andes mountains and beyond. Test Kitchen Lab, the chef’s counter by Adolfo Cavalie and bartender Daniela Alvarado, expands into a larger space dedicated to Colombian-only sourcing and fermentation research. Heavyweights such as Lima’s Osso by master butcher Renzo Garibaldi join local favourites like Krudo Viches y Vinilos, while a variety of concepts spin out across the complex.
If Wake signals Medellín’s future, Grupo Carmen laid the foundation. When chef and founder Carmen Ángel opened Carmen Medellín with chef Rob Pevitts in 2009, she treated Colombian biodiversity as the central story. More than a decade later, Carmen remains a reference point, earning spots on global and regional “50 Best” lists. In 2020, the group expanded with X.O., a 13-course “fun dining” experience rooted in partnerships with farmers and artisans, now carried forward by chefs Sebastián Marín and Mateo Ríos. Their ethos extends beyond the dining room: Through Fundación Corazones y Fogones, the team preserves Colombian traditions and creates opportunities for women in the food sector, a reminder that Medellín’s dining revolution is as much about social and agricultural roots as it is about what’s new.
Chase your great Medellin meals with an equally buzzy bar scene: Rooftop bar Mamba Negra conceals a lab where guests move through an eight-part sensory journey. Mala Audio Bar sets its cocktails to the crackle of vintage vinyl, while Konbini Medellín hides behind a grocery storefront that leads to a Colombian-Japanese speakeasy where disco and highballs collide.
Drive an hour east into the hills of El Carmen de Viboral and you’ll find another keeper of roots: La Casa de Vero. Operating on weekends and for special events, the open-air restaurant is run by chef and cultural guardian Verónica Gómez, who embodies cocina de montaña with dishes that draw on family traditions and the land around her. Ingredients come from nearby veredas, rural farming communities in the mountains, and the centrepiece is often a bubbling pot of meat and vegetable sancocho simmering over a wood fire. The experience feels less like dining out than being welcomed into a friend’s home, an immersion in Antioquia’s living food heritage. La Casa de Vero channels the intimacy of mountain cooking.
Sancho Paisa, meanwhile, embodies Antioquia’s other pole: the sprawling roadside feast. With two locations along the highway between Medellín and José María Córdova International Airport, it’s the kind of place where bandeja paisa arrives in unapologetic abundance – beans, chicharrón, arepas, and grilled meats stacked high – and where weekends turn into family gatherings in the open-air pavilion. It bookends a Medellin trip perfectly, whether it’s your first stop off the plane or last taste before heading home.
In 2026, Medellín belongs on any traveller’s eating calendar. It’s a city that doesn’t just feed you but pulls you into its rhythm, plate after plate, night after night. Allie Lazar
Medellín also appears on our list of the Best Places to Go in Central and South America in 2026.
Minas Gerais, Brazil
Go for: celebrated cheesemaking traditions, road trips to vineyards, and old mercados made new
Within Brazil, Minas Gerais is famed for a gastronomic culture rooted in rural, homestyle dishes and farm-made ingredients – particularly, its cheese and coffee. But as those traditions and foraged foods find their way onto tables in the capital city of Belo Horizonte, a wider audience is catching wind of the bounty this state is known for. In December 2024, UNESCO recognised Minas Gerais’s artisanal cheese production as Brazil’s first food-related intangible cultural heritage, celebrating the 106 municipalities within the state where local cheeses have been made for more than three centuries with nothing but raw milk, natural rennet, and the pingo (natural yeast) starter unique to each farm. Among those cities, Serro stands out for its mild, slightly tangy namesake product, and it has become the focus of the state’s second official tourist route: With around 800 small producers and family farms in Serro, the self-guided trail allows visitors to tap into the 300-year-old craft of cheesemaking and the enduring gastronomic heritage of Minas Gerais across the Cordilheira do Espinhaço mountain range – and aims to boost experiential travel and celebrate rural traditions. At Fazenda Ventura, amid grazing herds and rolling hills, the family will lead guests from barn to dairy before serving their award-winning cheeses; at Fazenda Córrego do Taboão, the experience extends beyond cheesemaking to include a visit to the farm’s museum and watermill, ending with a wood-fired tasting of cheeses and classic Minas pastries, all just a four-hour drive from the bustle of Belo Horizonte.
Meanwhile, Tiradentes – a village established in the 18th century and home to Brazil’s longest-running gastronomy festival – is experiencing a new passion for wine. Pioneers such as Vinícola Luiz Porto in town and Vinícola Trindade, which opened in nearby Bichinho (five miles away), are poised to grow wine tourism: Visitors can now taste Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah wines while gazing at the lush Serra de São José, or sample them straight from the tanks inside the cellars. A 50-minute drive from Tiradentes takes visitors to Mil Vidas, where the enological experience begins with a guided tour of the vineyard, focusing on the particularities of cultivation – especially the dupla poda (double pruning) technique that allows for winter harvests in Brazil – followed by a wine pairing with five award-winning cheeses. As for the Tiradentes Cultural and Gastronomy Festival, the first edition of which took place in 1998, when Tiradentes had just a few restaurants, the tradition continues every August, highlighting how far the food scene has come. Today, dozens of great restaurants line the town’s streets, from traditional joints like Tragaluz, housed in a 300-year-old colonial mansion and now joined by a more modern sibling, Lagar, to contemporary spots such as Angatu, where young chef Rodolfo Mayer gives local ingredients a fresh twist.
In the state’s capital, Belo Horizonte, the food scene keeps expanding, with chefs opening everything from fine dining restaurants to modern spins on the city’s traditional botecos (casual dive bars). Chefs like Leo Paixão of Glouton, the city’s most sought-after haute dining destination, have dominated the scene for years. But a younger generation is also making its mark, including Caio Soter of Pacato and Bruna Martins of Gata Gorda – whose best-known restaurant, Birosca, recently moved to a new location in the city’s trendiest food neighbourhood, Lourdes, with more space and a completely new atmosphere. Still, it’s impossible to overlook the classics that helped define Minas Gerais’s cuisine as one of the most celebrated in Brazil – among them Xapuri and the famous Mercado Central.
The city also leans into large-scale culinary events: The Viradão Gastronômico, first held in 2025, will return in August 2026 with more than 30 restaurants, cafés, and snack bars serving popular dishes in the city centre at wallet-friendly prices – around $4 a plate. Here, the question isn’t where to eat, but where to start. Rafael Tonon
Minas Gerais also appears on our list of the Best Places to Go in Central and South America in 2026.
Parramatta, Sydney, Australia
Go for: melting-pot flavours in Sydney’s geographic heart
It’s no accident that Powerhouse Parramatta, set to be New South Wales’s largest museum when it opens in 2026, has been championing the local food scene. The tours, workshops, and talks with local producers featured in the museum’s preopening programming reinforce the role food has played in Parramatta’s makeover from a slightly scrappy city to Sydney’s second centre.
As urban renewal has transformed the streetscape of this area, a restaurant boom infused with multicultural flavours has lured visitors from throughout Sydney. Take the freshly refurbished tree-lined Parramatta Square, overlooking the town hall; it’s now reimagined as a dining destination with plant-shaded indoor-outdoor eateries. Keep it casual at the new outpost of beloved Lebanese charcoal-chicken specialist Henrietta or head to Ruse Bar & Brasserie for seafood and steaks cooked over an open-fire grill and paired with sides such as roasted carrots with labneh.
On the opposite side of the square, Lilymu’s mouthwatering prawn dumplings in a Thai tom-yum dressing are culinary cross-pollination at its best. (The XO-sauce-drenched pippis, a local shellfish, are another highlight.) At Oribu, a short stroll away, ex–Nobu chef Harry Cho offers elegant Japanese in a sandstone heritage building.
Aussies have turned breakfast into an all-day event, and accordingly, Circa Espresso is buzzing from early morning to midafternoon. Housed in a Victorian terrace house, the café is known for its quality coffee and Middle Eastern–inflected dishes such as Ottoman eggs: poached free-range eggs with crumbed eggplant, burnt chilli and sage butter, garlic labne, and fried leeks. Caffeine aficionados also flock to Homage Specialty Coffee, where unusual choices such as a Wagyu breakfast muffin sit alongside the ever-reliable avocado toast and bacon-and-egg rolls.
All-day dining doesn’t get more stylish than at Misc., tucked away near the river in a quiet corner of the 210-acre Parramatta Park that opens out from downtown. The adaptable Mediterranean sharing menu ranges from grilled salmon hash to lamb shoulder with minted labneh; whichever you choose, treat yourself to an order of its pillowy pita bread, best teamed with some black garlic and truffle butter.
Parramatta’s influx of newcomers hasn’t dented the popularity of the area’s longtime stalwarts that are helmed by immigrants from across the globe and dish up fabulous food at friendly prices. They include the family-run Pho Pasteur, which has been serving the area’s best pho for more than 30 years, and the equally venerable Temasek. Come with an empty stomach in order to make the most of Singaporean and Malaysian favourites like laksa, Hainan chicken, fiery Singapore chilli crab, and, for those feeling adventurous, an authentic fish-head curry.
Just a short walk away, or one stop on the train line, is Harris Park, also known as Sydney’s Little India. The streets are lined with close to 50 separate eateries serving cuisines from each’s respective home country, many housed in low-slung workers’ cottages surrounded by actual picket fences. Near the train station is Chatkazz, an alcohol-free, no-reservations diner where the Bombay street-food dishes dazzle the taste buds so effectively that some diners don’t even realise it’s a meat-free zone. Around the corner on Wigram Street, the full panoply of subcontinental cuisine is on display: The aromatic Mughal cuisine at Ginger Indian Restaurant is among the standouts, offering yet more proof that Sydney’s geographic centre has been reborn as one of its most important dining hubs. Ute Junker
Parramatta also appears on our list of the Best Places to Go in Oceania in 2026.
Patan, Nepal
Go for: knock-your-socks-off cocktails, tasteful takes on native ingredients, and lessons on Nepal’s tea terroir
Metropolitan Kathmandu has often been treated by travellers as a trampoline into the mountains beyond, but chefs and bartenders are changing the narrative with memorable meals and cocktails you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. Much like how Tokyo is made up of cities within a city, Kathmandu is comprised of three ancient city-state kingdoms (Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan), each of which is experiencing a toothsome balance between creatives stirring up fresh takes on Indigenous ingredients and old-school favourites upholding their traditions.
Although Kathmandu has made headlines over the past year, it remains accessible under the interim government that has been running the nation since the September 2025 protests and fallout – and Patan, which was untouched, is where much of the area’s culinary energy abounds. Here, streetside metalworkers are shaded by centuries-old temples, and jalebi makers open as early as 5 a.m. to supply sweet treats after morning prayers. Just as flute-filled Newari wedding processions perennially take to Patan’s streets, good cooking has always been a familiar tune here. Bara sizzles on cast-iron tavas, the splatter of batter sounding through the neighbourhood like a monsoon patter. And no vendor of the green-and-black dal pancakes stops food lovers and street dogs in their tracks quite like Honacha, a third-generation, hole-in-the-wall eatery just steps from the UNESCO-recognised Patan Durbar Square. Another must-visit is Binu’s, abutting a 14th-century rainwater pond, for its chilled, spicy laphing – wide Tibetan mung bean noodles rolled up with chilli oil, with the option of getting them covered in crushed, uncooked Wai Wai (Nepal’s beloved instant noodle brand).
Fresh faces to Patan include the team behind Barc – the first Nepali bar on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list and 2025 recipient of the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award for their trailblazing work (think drinkable tributes to sukuti, the spicy buffalo jerky) – which opened a 20-seater cocktail bar, Swotha, in early December 2025. Even more exciting? The alleyway venue is dedicated to the traditional beaten-rice spirit aylā and holds a boutique hotel of the same name above the bijou drinking den. Then comes Michelin-recommended Old Nepal Tokyo: The Japanese restaurant is known for modern tasting menus inspired by 20 years of culinary field work throughout Nepal. It’s a restaurant where a regional raita (a yoghurt-based side) like nosyal is transformed into a dish that takes centre stage. In the summer of 2026, the Tokyo location will shutter and relocate to Patan (keep an eye on its social media in the meantime, as pop-ups are slated for 2026 while they find their permanent home). Wash all this down at organic tearoom Jun Chiya Ghar, a small-batch supplier to royal tea parlours and Michelin-starred establishments, on one of their vinyl spinning nights in 2026.
Zooming out to greater Kathmandu, the culinary riches continue. Crowds queue up to sample yak blue cheese at The Farmers’ Market at Le Sherpa and jostle to exchange red tokens for steaming plates of buffalo dumplings doused with a cool Himalayan herb broth at Everest Momo, down the road from newcomer cocktail joint The Old House. The latter is led by Asia’s 50 Best Bars favourite Yangdup Lama’s Old House, which opened its doors in the summer of 2025. Expect gimlets juiced up with the Syangya region’s superlative oranges, clarified sea buckthorn purées, and timbur pepper tinctures. Meanwhile, Bhaktapur’s menu-less Tusa is guided by the seasons and research trips undertaken by its chefs, their travels forming haute homages to Nepal via native ingredients. Inspiration from the East means dry-aged wild river eel is pepped up with black soybean achar, lacto-fermented radish, and dehydrated fish salt, while nods to the Mustang region bring together green leaf buckwheat, plum jam, and a touch of apple brandy to form Swiss rolls. Julian Manning
Patan also appears on our list of the Best Places to Go in Asia in 2026.
Prince Edward County, Canada
Go for: handcrafted wines and eclectic produce-driven dining – served with homegrown hospitality
The year 2026 will be when the world catches up with what Canadians have known for quite some time – that the County, as locals call it, is the perfect long-weekend getaway for just about anyone, but especially for those who love food and wine. Conveniently positioned between the cities of Toronto and Montreal, Prince Edward County has been quietly simmering for decades, first attracting winemakers and farmers and then vacationers drawn to the sweeping sand dunes of Sandbanks Provincial Park. In recent years, chefs have followed, creating a dining scene larger and far more bountiful than the 35,500-person population of the county would suggest.
.jpg)
The region’s culinary awakening began in the early aughts with the arrival of pioneering wineries. Today, more than 40 flourish across the countryside – many award-winning, including Closson Chase, Hinterland Wine Company, and Drinks Farm. Most open their doors for tastings and tours and, alongside the area’s farms, play host to immersive dining experiences featuring visiting chefs and seasonal pop-ups. Summer brings the most magic: think freshly caught East Coast lobster, crisp Chardonnay, and live music drifting through the vines. At Littlejohn Farm, guests can get a tour, see where their food is coming from, and get alfresco cooking lessons. At Paper Kite Farm, the owners lend their Chinese and Hmong heritage to live-fire cooking for a communal dining experience, and at 100 Acre Wood, husband-and-wife chefs Mary and Kevin Wood craft bespoke, food-focused events at their 100-acre estate and host intimate gatherings in cosy barns.
Beyond these site-specific experiences, a new wave of restaurants is showcasing locally grown produce with big-city, fine-dining sensibilities. In Picton, the county’s hub, set aside time for a meal at The Royal Hotel, Bocado, Onesta, or Theia, where former Toronto chef Myles Harrison is creating local-produce-driven takes on Italian, Spanish, and French cuisine. Like many of the county’s eateries, it maintains close ties with nearby farms, often crediting them on menus. The owners of The Royal Hotel also have a farm, which is open for tours – or for guests to purchase harvested items from, such as vibrant cut flowers or wood-fired maple syrup.
As in the case of many wine-centric regions, fine dining isn’t the focus here – the vibe is far more relaxed and casual. Some of the best food is a clam pizza at the bar at Darlings, cochinita-style pork tacos at La Condesa, and a seasonal fruit pastry at PECish Baking Co. On a café table outside homestyle Korean restaurant Sujeo, spreads of gal bi and bibimbap make for a comforting feast; on the back patio of Luso Bites, breakfast gets a Portuguese spin. This is food on the level you’d find in any big city, but with no chip on its shoulder. These restaurateurs are warm, welcoming, inclusive, and inherently Canadian. And their restaurants are the kind of places where, after one visit, you’ll feel like family. Kyle Beechey
Prince Edward County also appears on our list of the Best Places to Go in North America & the Caribbean in 2026.
Seville, Spain
Go for: legendary tapas bars, hours-long communal meals, and bold haute cuisine
If there is one thing about Seville that casts a spell on every visitor, it is the city’s distinctive cuisine. Here, where the scent of orange blossoms fills the streets and Spanish ham hangs from tavern ceilings, tradition and trends coexist in timeless restaurants.
Seville is a city that’s proud of its heritage, and reminders of its long history are evident everywhere, particularly in its kitchens: Romans, Arabs, Jews, and Christians have all left their mark on both preparations and flavours. But eating well is not an academic exercise here, and Seville’s cuisine is best understood when shared at a long table with others – family, friends, or a partner – over laughter and conversation.
The best place to get a feel for Seville’s gastronomy is in the city’s markets, where the atmosphere buzzes from early in the morning. Topping any list are Calle Feria and Triana, which are great introductions to the culinary heritage of Andalusia. La Encarnación market, located under the dramatic Las Setas de Sevilla – the world's largest wooden landmark, designed by German architect Jürgen Mayer – is also spectacular. You’ll soon realise that, in Seville, life unfolds outside the home: Whether it's a blue-sky summer day or the depths of winter, outdoor terraces at bars and restaurants are always bustling.
Seville’s classic side can be experienced in its legendary tapas bars, many of which have been fixtures of the city for ages. Be sure to visit historic tavernas such as Casa Palacios, Casa Morales, Bodeguita Romero, and Casa Moreno. Once you’ve found a spot among the crowd, enjoy one of the typical montaditos (small sandwiches) with pringá (stewed beef) or carne mechada (shredded beef); or go for spinach with chickpeas and pavía de bacalao (fried cod) paired with a good glass of manzanilla sherry – after all, Seville is just a stone’s throw from Jerez, the home of the fortified wine. One of the oldest bars in the city is El Rinconcillo. Open since 1670, it maintains a long tradition of having its waiters write your bill in chalk right on the bar.
While much of Seville’s culinary scene is grounded in centuries-old traditions, this is also a place where chefs fearlessly move in unexpected and surprising directions. Today a new generation, determined to set trends, has arrived with a bang. This can be seen – and savoured – in restaurants such as Sr. Cangrejo, where chef Jesús León and sommelier Fátima Villanueva demonstrate that, with good produce and infinite talent, you can create magic on a plate (start with the seafood chickpeas). Leartá opened just over a year ago, and its haute cuisine is already the talk of the town. At Cañabota, with one Michelin star, the bounty of the sea hits the grill. This art – that of cooking with fire – has also been mastered at Barra Baja, where the steak tartare is outstanding. The list of where to eat in Seville in 2026 goes on: Sobretablas, La Casa del Tigre, Eterno, and Ochando, for a preview. Wherever you dine, you’ll find the past and present coming together to create some of the best dishes you’ll ever taste. ¡Buen provecho! Cristina Fernández González (with translation by John Newton)
Seville also appears on our list of the Best Places to Go in Europe in 2026. Find more reasons to visit in 2026 here, or check out our complete Seville travel guide.