The Most Popular Food Experiences In The World

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Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor

Foodcations are the best way to experience a destination and are becoming more and more popular among travelers. In fact, TripAdvisor found that food tours were the fastest growing experience category in 2017. Tasting your way through local cuisines and dining with locals are culinary experiences that can easily become a travel highlight. Now that I’ve explored how to plan a delicious trip, you’re probably wondering where you should go.

Thankfully, TripAdvisor just released a report that shares insights from their booking data (including traveler reviews and ratings) on the world’s top food destinations. I am already salivating over all the possibilities.  Without further ado, these are the best food cities in the world to visit based on the most booked food tours on TripAdvisor – and not surprisingly, Italy dominates the list.

10. Bangkok

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Thailand, famous for its spicy and sour dishes, shows off its culinary gems in the finest restaurants and delicious food stalls in the capital city of Bangkok. Classic Thai flavors of garlic, coconut, cilantro, lemon grass, fish sauce and chilies come alive in this vibrant and bustling city. With over 8 million people, Bangkok has just about everything you can imagine in terms of meal variety and experiences. Take your pick between traditional fried rice and noodle dishes or for the more adventurous eaters, try exotic dishes like fried insects.

With multiple districts, it can be hard to know where to focus your meal time here. Foodies typically recommend local food tours to make the most of your time, and one of the most popular food tours in Bangkok is located in the Bang Rak district. This area is known for dining options ranging from street food to upscale restaurants with local and international cuisines. This is one of the best ways to explore local cuisine and allows you to sample authentic Thai dishes like green papaya salad and larb.

9. Tokyo

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For over a decade now, Tokyo has had the most Michelin star restaurants in the world. Well known for it’s attention to culinary excellence, this city’s food scene is unparalleled. In Japanese cuisine, what can start as a simple rice or noodle dish can dramatically change in taste and presentation when you add local seasonings and sauces.

To explore Tokyo’s highly regarded food scene, take a tour with a local guide. One of the most booked food tours in Tokyo is a walking tour at night where you can taste your way through local favorites including yakitori, monjayaki and wagashi. Enjoy some beer or sake with a local guide who will help deepen your knowledge of Japanese culinary and cultural traditions.

8. Madrid

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Madrid is filled with a variety of exciting food experiences and dishes with influences from around the world. Get to know the city through its traditional tapas like gazpacho, Spanish omelets, pork stew, fried squid sandwich, and churros. Enjoy a long leisurely lunch in the afternoon with locals, the most important meal of the day. Get to know local cuisine through a walking tour of the city’s most well-known bars and hidden gems.

For a tour that includes both, try the most booked tapas and wine tour in Madrid. Get to know the city while learning more about Spain’s culinary history with a local guide. Enjoy specialty Spanish tapas like fried calamari with squid ink sauce, fluffy ham croquette, baked garbanzo bean, and garlic shrimp, all paired with local wines.

7. Venice

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Three of Italy’s most popular cities made this list, with Venice coming in at number seven. Built on more than 100 small islands, Venice sits on a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. With no major roads but canals lining the city, it comes as no surprise that the highlight of its food scene comes from the sea. Stroll through the Venice Rialto Fish Market and you’ll find chefs and restaurant owners finding their favorite seafood options to fill their dinner menus.

For any first-time visitors, taking a Cicchetti and wine tour in Venice is a must. The most popular one according to TripAdvisor explores local eateries where you can sample traditional cicchetti (which are small snacks), such as seafood-topped polenta, spicy fried meatballs, and marinated olives.

6. New York City

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With nearly every ethnic cuisine well represented throughout the Big Apple, you may not know where to focus your time first. To get a taste of the city’s most popular food, you may inevitably think of New York-style pizza, bagels, hot dogs, clam chowder, pastrami, Italian ice, and cheesecake. When visiting, you should try and get a taste for what the city has to offer both in terms of its local specialties and international influences.

If you’re in town for Restaurant Week, you’ll have your pick eating at some of the best restaurants in town, with a discount. Otherwise, try a popular food tour such as the “Best of Brooklyn”. According to TripAdvisor, on this tour, you will “get a taste of pizza, pierogi, cannoli, chocolate, and more of what makes Brooklyn’s food noteworthy.”

5. New Orleans 

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Bite, chew and savor your way through the French Quarter with some of New Orleans’ most delicious dishes. Known for its Cajun, Creole, and French influenced cuisine, New Orleans has distinctive and one of a kind dishes such as shrimp gumbo and rice, oysters, po’boy sandwiches and jambalaya.

Food lovers should go on a walking tour of the French Quarter and sample some of the city’s greatest gourmet destinations. Samplings may include seafood gumbo, muffuletta, Creole-style brisket, and boudin beignets. Therefore, the tour recommends that you “bring an appetite for everything from beignets to brisket.”

4. Barcelona

Typical Catalan cuisine has a heavy influence from the Mediterranean coast, and includes fresh vegetables and all sorts of cheese, lamb, poultry, and fish. Typical tapas in Barcelona are fish and meat-heavy and can include Spanish ham, fried squid and grilled shrimps.

There is no better way to experience Barcelona then to learn how to make one of its most famed dishes, paella. During this paella and tapas cooking class, you will visit La Boqueria market (one of Barcelona’s most famous markets) to find fresh local ingredients to cook with. You’ll then head to a professional kitchen with a local chef where you will learn how to make it like a pro. Afterwards, enjoy your home-cooked meal with a glass of sangria.

3. Paris 

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There is no better way to experience Paris like a local then to enjoy some of the city’s finest dining experiences and first-class wine bars. Parisians are known to eat well and have plenty of options to choose from in their City of Light. Visit local food markets, gourmet shops, quaint cafes and romantic wine bars during your stay to make the most of your experience.

Go on a culinary tour in and around Montmartre, a charming Paris neighborhood with a flourishing restaurant scene and delicacies like croissants, macarons, and éclairs. On this tour, you’ll be with a local guide on a tour to visit fromageries, chocolateries, and boulangeries, where you’ll actually learn how to properly eat a baguette in France.

2. Florence

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Florence, the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, is home to some of the most delicious eats and Tuscan wines. When visiting, try the Florentine steak, a local favorite typically served in a bed of fresh arugula with cherry tomatoes, parmesan, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Throughout your stay, be sure to enjoy some gelato, which actually originated in Florence.

One of the most popular food experiences in Florence is a cooking class in a Tuscan Farmhouse along with a local market tour. At the market, you can pick local ingredients and learn local recipes for popular dishes such as bruschetta, roast pork, and tiramisu. Travel through Tuscan hills to a rustic farmhouse where you will enjoy some wine and enjoy a 4-course meal you’ve cooked. Buon appetito!

1. Rome

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In Italy’s capital, you can find pretty much any traditional dish from pizza, pasta and risotto to popular dessert options like gelato and cannoli. Relax in Rome by enjoying the Italian’s favorite aperitivo, the spritz (sparkling Prosecco wine and dash of liqueur), served on ice. To explore the city by foot, opt for a food tour or cooking class.

Explore Rome’s traditional neighborhood of Prati during sunset on the most booked food tour on TripAdvisor. On this tour, you will go off the beaten path and sample local delicacies along with classic dishes. Enjoy fresh buffalo mozzarella, traditional pasta and wine, and pizza with prosciutto, fig, zucchini, and ricotta. Throughout the tour, each meal will be accompanied by some delicious wine. Cin Cin!

 


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