Research shows that culinary activities like “trying local food and drink” are key drivers of travel to Canada, and Toronto’s multicultural food scene is a paradise for foodies looking to sample the best in fine dining!
Google reviews and social platforms remain some of the best ways to help travellers uncover trending restaurants and one-of-a-kind dining experiences, even before travellers book their trips. With this in mind, Travelbag, a company that offers tailor-made holiday packages, compiled a list of 50 cities worldwide and analysed their Instagram and TikTok data to find the most popular foodie destinations on social media. Toronto not only took second place, but it is the only Canadian city to appear in the top 10, making it one of the most sought-after destinations on social media for food lovers around the globe.
Toronto has the highest number of TikTok posts (145,600) among long-haul destinations with the location hashtag ‘#torontofood,’ and 2,600,000 Instagram posts under the location hashtag. Toronto also beats Melbourne, Australia (ranked third in food-related social media posts) when it comes to the types of cuisine available in the city, boasting 103 cuisines overall (compared to 100 for Melbourne), including traditional Canadian dishes like poutine, Michelin-starred sushi, Asian-inspired cuisine and Taiwanese food, Greek food, Turkish spots, and much more!
“For food lovers visiting Toronto, key areas to explore include Kensington Market, known for its multicultural street food and artisanal delights, and the Distillery District, which offers a mix of trendy restaurants and cafés housed in historic buildings,” Travelbag researchers noted.
London, England stands out as the top foodie destination on social media, with 3 million Instagram posts tagged ‘#londonfood’. London is tied with Melbourne for the highest number of food-related Insta posts but dominates all other cities on TikTok, with 163,500 videos using the same hashtag.
When analyzing the list for the top 10 ‘long-haul’ destinations for foodies to visit in 2025 — ranked on metrics like the variety of cuisines, dining affordability, number of food and drink activities in each location and their popularity on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok — Toronto still ranks second, boasting 40 food and drink activities and an average cost of a meal for two equalling about $118!
Based on the above-mentioned metrics, Toronto trails Melbourne — the Aussies boast more Insta posts (3 million) and slightly less TikTok posts (118,500) tagged with food-related hashtags, but offer 78 food and drink activities (the average cost of a meal for two down under costs about $102). In third spot is Dubai, which provides 61 cuisines and leads in food and drink activities with 106 options. Although social media posts are fewer in Dubai (2,100,000 Insta posts and 127,900 TikTok posts with food-related hashtags) compared to Toronto and Melbourne, the average meal price is $107.
Click here for a full breakdown on the study. To explore Toronto’s vast food scene, check out the city’s 25 best new restaurants as well as some of the best new restaurants to check out in Toronto this week.
