Last month, released its annual ranking of the world’s best cities for food, crowning Lima as the reigning champ for 2026. The list is based on a huge survey of 24,000 urbanites worldwide, in which we asked locals to rate the affordability and quality of their city’s food scene, as well as specific aspects like cafés, brunch spots and fine dining.
But let’s be real, when you close your eyes and dream of eating abroad, you aren’t thinking about white tablecloths or stuffy dining rooms. You’re thinking about the hiss of a wok, the smoke in your eyes and that first, messy bite of something wrapped in paper.
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So, where in the world is best for street food, according to locals? Read on – these are the cities where the pavement rules supreme.
Ho Chi Minh tops the list as the world’s best street food city
Topping our ranking with a massive 63 percent approval rating is Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City. That is no small feat for a megacity that boasts six Michelin-starred restaurants, including Ănăn Saigon, which elevates street snacks into fine art. You can’t beat the original, though, so skip those reservations and wander into the scooter-filled alleys around Bến Thành Market, grab a tiny plastic stool on the nearest corner, balance a steaming bowl of fragrant pho on your knees, or smash a wonderfully crunchy banh mi on the fly.
Just behind is Kuala Lumpur on 62 percent, where the after-dark food stalls of Jalan Alor turn an entire city street into a roaring, open-air canteen. Follow the scent of sizzling fat for smoky charcoal satay, whole grilled fish, and platefuls of char kway teow, a stir-fried rice noodle dish packed with prawns and bean sprouts. It is cooked over raging heat to give what is known as a wok hei – a charred flavour known as the ‘breath of the wok’. Grab a plastic chair under a canopy of glowing red lanterns and inhale the lot.
Jakarta and Taipei tie for third with a 59 percent approval rating apiece. In Jakarta, the culinary magic happens at roadside warungs (casual food stalls), where locals tuck into mountain-high plates of spicy nasi goreng and peanut-drenched gado-gado. Meanwhile, Taipei’s legendary neon night markets, with Shilin chief among them, are an absolute rite of passage. Prepare to battle the crowds for crispy sweet oyster omelettes and maybe bring a mint in case you try the stinky tofu (I dare you).
Rounding out the top five is Mexico City on 58 percent, tied with Manila. There are no surprises there, given a good taco al pastor, sliced straight off the trompo by a street vendor, is one of the country’s great culinary exports. Elsewhere in the top 10, Hanoi (57 percent), Johannesburg (56 percent) and Bangkok (56 percent) all made the cut.
The best cities for street food in 2026
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – 63 percent
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 62 percent
- Jakarta, Indonesia – 59 percent
- Taipei, Taiwan – 59 percent
- Mexico City, Mexico – 58 percent
- Manila, Philippines – 58 percent
- Hanoi, Vietnam – 57 percent
- Johannesburg, South Africa – 56 percent
- Bangkok, Thailand – 56 percent
- Mumbai, India – 55 percent
- Marrakesh, Morocco – 55 percent
- Los Angeles, United States – 54 percent
- Beijing, China – 54 percent
- Singapore, Singapore – 54 percent
- Jaipur, India – 53 percent
- Guadalajara, Mexico – 52 percent
- Nairobi, Kenya – 52 percent
- Bucharest, Romania – 52 percent
- New Delhi, India – 52 percent
- Accra, Ghana – 51 percent
Read ’s Best Cities for Food 2026 with Intrepid Travel.
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