There’s so much that goes into a properly outstanding city – that’s why we survey thousands of locals every year about city life to compile our annual roundup of the best cities in the world.
However, the thing that injects more life, love and flavour into a city than anything else is its food. So, off the back of that same survey, we’ve crunched the data on where’s best for eating and drinking in 2025 to bring you our latest list: the world’s best cities for food right now.
Cities in Costa Rica, Portugal and India made Time Out’s top 20, but the city that beat them all was in fact (drum roll, please) New Orleans!
That’s right, the loud, lively, Louisiana city is rich in culture, and it’s got the menu to match. Ninety-three percent of locals asked by Time Out rated their city highly when it comes to restaurants and dining out (the third-highest local rating of all cities on the list), helped by a whole load of votes from our food experts.
So, what’s all the fuss about? Well, the city packs a load of flavour thanks to its heritage, which stems from French, Spanish, Vietnamese and African influences, to name just a few, and standout dishes include seafood gumbo, jambalaya and beignets.
Gerrish Lopez, Time Out’s contributor for New Orleans, writes: ‘Try traditional dishes like shrimp Creole, jambalaya and red beans and rice at places all around town, or check out newer, award-winning restaurants combining Louisiana flavours with the likes of Senegalese (Dakar), Mexican (Acamaya) and Indian (Saffron). New Orleans celebrates its cuisine whenever it can, from the all-encompassing offerings at Jazz Fest to annual festivals honouring faves like gumbo, Creole tomatoes and beignets – and everyone is invited to the party.’
Hungry for more? Same. Bangkok claimed second place, and Medellín claimed third, but you can feast your eyes on the full roundup (which includes recommendations from locals) right here. Oh, and check out our lists of the world’s best sandwiches, steaks and pizzas.
Did you see that this is officially the best pizza on the planet, according to Time Out?
Plus: The cities and countries with the best-tasting tap water, revealed.
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