Toronto’s Kensington Market has been named one of the world’s best foodie finds, according to a recent study that looked at TikTok data. The study, conducted by hotel chain Premier Inn, analysed TikTok hashtag data for 151 food markets across six continents to discover the most popular street markets across the globe.
According to the study, street food markets are continuing to grow in popularity, with Google Trends data reporting a 10 per cent increase over the past year in searches for destinations that allow travellers to ‘eat like the locals’ in cost-effective and casual settings.
“Food is something that excited many about travel and allows us to really connect with the culture and heritage of a location,” a spokesperson for Premier Inn stated. “With so many chain restaurants in each city, opting to head to a local food market instead can reveal delicious foods that you may not otherwise get the opportunity to try, not to mention that it also gives the opportunity for everyone to eat what they want, at a reasonable price.
Kensington Market (no. 9) in Toronto and ByWard Market (no. 14) in downtown Ottawa both rank in the top 15 of the world’s best foodie finds (and are the only two Canadian markets to make the top 15).
There were 6,165 TikTok videos specifically tagging Kensington Market in relation to the food market. It also ranks as the third most popular street-food market in North America, following Pike Place (no. 4) in Seattle, which takes the top spot as North America’s most shared food market on TikTok (with more than 14,800 videos associated with its food market), and Ponce City Market (no. 8) in Atlanta, which has 6,832 videos on TikTok.
It’s no surprise that Kensington Market made the list, it has long been an important shopping, foodie, hangout, and tourist spot, featuring tons of specialty items and foods from around the globe, as well as murals, family-friendly events, and over 240 eclectic businesses!
Another Toronto food market to make the top 50 global list is St. Lawrence Market (no. 25) with 1,937 videos tagging the historical market. St. Lawrence has 120 vendors, merchants, and artisans, and has been around for more than 200 hundred years!
When solely looking at markets in North America, Market 707 (707 Dundas St W) ranks no. 25 with 24 video tags. This market, near Dundas and Bathurst, is the city’s first and only retail market wherein every vendor operates out of their own shipping container
Other global favs included Souq Waqif, which was founded more than a century ago in Qatar’s capital (the old downtown area of Doha). With over 47,000 hashtags, it’s the most popular food market on the platform!
London, England is also a favourite for market foodies, with its Camden and Borough Markets ranking in second and third place globally. A full breakdown of the markets and their rankings can be found here.
