These Are the 10 Best Food Cities in the World, According to TripAdvisor

Maria Yagoda
Updated

As food experiences become more important in travel, people are spending significant amounts of time researching what they'll be eating before booking vacations. To track this trend, TripAdvisor gathered information on the top food cities in the world—that is, the tourist destinations where local cuisine is the biggest draw.

Rome took the number one spot, with another Italian city, Florence, coming in second. Third was Paris—quelle surprise—and Barcelona and New Orleans rounded out the top five. The list included each city's most-booked "food experience." In Rome, that was a food tour of the Prati district; in Florence, it was a cooking class and market tour at a Tuscan farmhouse. (According to their data, food tours are the fastest growing experiences category on TripAdvisor based on amount spent, which increased 61% last year versus 2016.)

"Travelers are increasingly interested in getting local insight on their destination, and food tours and cooking classes a great way to do that,” said TripAdvisor spokesperson Laurel Greatrix, in a statement announcing the list. “Guides can be a great resource for finding hidden gems or local favorite spots, and can create an unforgettable part of your trip. Coming home with a local recipe or a new favorite restaurant is the best souvenir.”

As for methodology, the best food experiences were ranked using an algorithm that considered "bookings, traveler reviews, and traveler ratings."

See the full list below of top food city alongside the most-booked food experiences.

1. Rome (Rome Food Tour by Sunset around Prati District)

2. Florence (Cooking Class and Lunch at a Tuscan Farmhouse with Local Market Tour from Florence)

3. Paris (Paris Food Tour: Taste of Montmartre)

4. Barcelona (Interactive Spanish Cooking Experience in Barcelona)

5. New Orleans (New Orleans Food Walking Tour of the French Quarter)

6. New York City (Best of Brooklyn Half-Day Food and Culture Tour)

7. Venice (Venice Food Tour: Cicchetti and Wine)

8. Madrid (Madrid Tapas and Wine Tasting Tour)

9. Tokyo (Tokyo by Night: Japanese Food Tour)

10. Bangkok (Bangkok Food Tour)