This is the world's number one culinary destination for 2026

Time Out reveals the world's top culinary destinations for 2026. See where Athens ranks.

Food is an integral part of the travel experience, whether it's local traditional flavors and street food or a meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant. For this reason, the magazine Time Out once again conducted a global survey of thousands of city residents to publish a list of the 20 best cities for food right now.

Locals were asked to rate the quality, variety, and value for money of food in their area. Their responses were then combined with votes from a panel of Time Out culinary experts to produce the final ranking. See which city claimed the top spot and where Athens ranked.

Lima: The global gastronomic capital for 2026

At the top of the ranking was Lima, Peru, which comes as no surprise since in recent years Peruvian cuisine has captivated the culinary world. As Time Out notes, «Lima's restaurants consistently rank among the best in the world. In fact, the fusion restaurant Maido is the current title holder.

This impressive standing on the global gastronomic scene was reflected in strong scores across all areas, both from the survey respondents and from Time Out's team of experts. Locals in Lima rated the city's food scene at 80% for quality and 85% for affordability, making it the cheapest on the list for eating out».

Athens among the 10 best cities in the world for food

The Greek capital took 9th place worldwide. Time Out writes about Athens: «Tavernas that have been going for a century, modern gastro-tavernas, and fine restaurants set the tone in the Greek capital, with chefs redefining the taste and presentation of traditional Greek food».

As for its ranking on the list, it states: «Athens was among the highest-scoring cities according to Time Out's panel of experts, with 80% voting the Greek capital an exciting place to eat right now - a strong vote of confidence that was supported by 78% of Athenians. As for the best Athens has to offer? According to locals, it's the cafés and the family-run restaurants».

Here are the world's top 10 cities for food, according to Time Out:

1. Lima, Peru
2. Bangkok, Thailand
3. Mexico City, Mexico
4. London, United Kingdom
5. Barcelona, Spain
6. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
7. Melbourne, Australia
8. Beijing, China
9. Athens, Greece
10. Lisbon, Portugal