This week, released its annual ranking of the world’s best cities for eating and drinking. Twenty delicious destinations made the list, with the Peruvian capital Lima crowned the world’s greatest city for food in 2026.
How is the list decided?
To create ’s Best Cities for Food with Intrepid Travel, we surveyed over 24,000 locals in more than 150 cities worldwide about the food scene in their city. They were asked to rate the dining scene in their hometown on its overall quality, the diversity of food options, and the affordability of eating out.
We then combined locals’ responses with votes from a panel of experts – food critics and city editors across ’s global network – to land on the top 20. Only the highest-scoring cities for each country made the final list, ensuring that our ranking reflects culinary culture on a global scale.
London named the best city for food in Europe
Seven cities in Europe made the list this year, with the UK capital London coming first in Europe and fourth globally. A whopping 96 percent of Londoners rated the food scene in their city highly, with the city scoring particularly strongly for its upmarket and special occasion restaurants.
Following London in fifth place globally and second in Europe is Barcelona. The Catalan capital usurped Madrid, last year’s European winner, thanks to a strong backing from ’s food panel and an 82 percent quality score from locals.
Athens and Lisbon rounded out the top 10, landing in 9th and 10th place, respectively. Scroll on to see the full list of Europe’s best cities for food in 2026.
Europe’s best cities for food in 2026
- London, UK
- Barcelona, Spain
- Greece, Athens
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Naples, Italy
- Marseille, France
- Copenhagen, Denmark
Ready to see the world’s best cities for yourself? Book your next trip with Intrepid Travel and start planning the ultimate adventure today.
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