Woohoo! Sydney is officially one of the greatest cities in the world for food right now, according to a global ranking. Time Out’s network asked thousands of locals across the world to rate how delicious their dining scene is, from flash fine diners to tasty cheap eats. Now, the 20 best global cities for eating and drinking in 2024 have been released, with Sydney firmly in the mix at 17th place. What’s more, Sydney was the only Aussie city to make the cut.
One of the things that makes Sydney so great (alongside our dreamy beaches, sparkling harbour, and lush national parks) is our diverse dining scene. From cracking banh mi to bowls of aromatic noodle soups, plump dumplings, luscious pasta and fresh sushi, Sydney’s food scene has got it going on. So whether you’ve got a craving for a loaded sambo, a slice of cheesy pizza, or an authentic taco, you can get it in Sydneytown.
How was the ranking determined? Time Out asked thousands of locals across the world to rate how good their city’s dining scene is right now, taking into account must-visit restaurants, iconic dishes and affordable eats. Time Out’s global network of editors and critics also provided their insights on what makes their city a dynamic dining destination. Time Out then refined the data to compile the ranked list of the top 20 food cities in the world for 2024.
Other recent accolades back up the #17 in the world achievement for Sydney's food scene. Last week it was announced that our city is home to six of the very best steak restaurants in the world (check out which ones, here). So Time Out editors suggest Sydney's must-eat dish of the moment is steak.
We have one of the world’s recently announced best restaurants (Josh Niland’s boundary-pushing seafood diner, Saint Peter). And one of the hottest, too (Hi, Le Foote!).
One of our cafés is the most Instagrammed restaurant in the whole world. Mega superstar Taylor Swift is a fan of our restaurants. And, let’s not forget we’re the creators of the humble, house-stealing avo on toast (which you can enjoy at one of our many ace cafés).
And the best bit? You can have a ‘wow’ meal in Sydney regardless of your budget at one of the city’s incredible cheap eats. Or go to town and splash some cash at one of the city’s finer diners.
If you're after a long, boozy lunch, head to sea-salt sprayed Sean's or Icebergs Dining Room and Bar. For a fiery curry with as much depth as the Pacific Ocean, make a beeline to Little India. Hot date? Our picks would be red-hued Hubert or charming-as-hell Jane.
In short: Sydney’s got the golden sand, the babes and the famous white sails of the Opera House, but it’s our multicultural dining scene that really has us smitten. And now, we can officially say we’ve got one of the best food scenes in the world.
Keen to know what the world’s best cities for food right now are?
The top 20 best cities in the world for food right now are:
- Naples
- Johannesburg
- Lima
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Beijing
- Bangkok
- Kuala Lumpur
- Mumbai
- Dubai
- Portland
- Liverpool
- Medellín
- Seville
- Porto
- Marrakech
- Lyon
- Sydney
- Montreal
- Osaka
- Copenhagen
You can check out the full list here.
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