Time Out’s shiny new roundup of the best cities in the world for food just named New Orleans its champion, and cities such as this one in Spain and these four in Africa all claimed worthy places in the 20-strong list.
But so did two in South America! Surprised? No, neither are we. The first of these was Medellín, Colombia’s second city, which tied with Shanghai as the fourth-highest rated place for its food scene, but triumphed into third place overall for its affordability, according to our survey.
So, what is Medellin doing so well when it comes to food? Time Out’s local expert Maggie Clark writes that you should ‘tour old-school market La Placita de Flórez to sample the creamy pulp of fresh chirimoya, sweet-citric gulupa and rejuvenating uchuva berries; enjoy rustic lunch platters like cazuela or bandeja paisa in any barrio; and finish off with fine dining in the neighbourhoods of El Poblado, Envigado, and Laureles.’
The must-eat dish? Head to Ocio in El Poblado and order the chicharrón salad. Then make sure to check out our favourite restaurants in Colombia for a little more inspo.
The second South American city to claim a place on Time Out’s list was Lima, which technically has the most delicious food on the planet – 78 percent of locals rate the city’s food, but though they were also the most likely to describe it as ‘family-friendly’, not so many would consider it ‘trendy’. It sits in twelfth place on our roundup.
Peru’s national dish of ceviche (cold seafood marinated in lime and chillies) is rustled up across the country, but according to Time Out’s local expert Heather Jasper, Lima’s success is thanks to its reliance on good-quality Peruvian produce, and a willingness to be a bit daring when it comes to new flavour combinations and techniques.
The best place for a plate of ceviche? That’d be Restaurante Sonia, right by the fishers’ docks in the city’s southern Chorillos neighbourhood. Yum.
Cast your eyes over the full list of the 20 best cities in the world for food here, and follow it up with a look at our lists of the world’s best sandwiches, steaks and pizzas.
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