Top Cities for Foodie Travel

Trying new dishes is one of the best things about travelling. Food really completes the experience of delving into a new culture and often opens your eyes to much more about the history of a region. For many travellers, planning a trip means working out the best places to eat along the way. We’ve put together a list of some of our favourite destinations for foodies, comment below and let us know which ones you’re adding to your foodie travel bucket list!

Mumbai – India

Mumbai, India, is an amazing city generally, but it’s great diversity and rich history mean the food is really something special. The diversity of the city means you’ll find dishes from every region of India, making it a great destination to get some serious eating done!

Not only will you find high-end and affordable sit-down restaurants, there are street vendors everywhere you look. These street food vendors offer some outstanding meals and snacks for super low prices and really must be sampled while in the city. Always look for vendors who are busy and popular with locals, and make sure you only order hot food that’s cooked fresh for your order. Food that’s sat around and fresh fruit or salads are easy ways to pick up illnesses and diarrhoea. Carry a hand sanitiser with you so you can clean up before eating anything; eating on the street with dirty hands is an easy way to make yourself ill.

Mumbai is also a great city for foodies with special diets! Most restaurants and vendors will offer vegetarian dishes or will prepare yours without meat when asked. Don’t worry if you’re not so keen on spice, try asking for your meal to be prepared without peppers or not so spicy. South Indian dishes, easily available in Mumbai, tend to be lighter on the spices and more creamy. Even if you can handle a lot of spice, south Indian dishes are incredibly delicious and worth trying. With so many different faiths in India, many following different diets, most cooks in Mumbai will be used to being asked for less spice, no garlic, no eggs etc. so just ask!

Buenos Aires – Argentina

In Argentina, it’s all about the grill! The best known Argentine cuisine is asado, a platter of grilled meats. More than just a meal, asado is part of the way of life in Argentina. It is not just the name of the prepared food, but also of the act of preparing it, much like what we call ‘BBQ’ and just as great at bringing loved ones or new travel buddies together. Make sure you pair your asado with an Argentine red wine, it’s some of the best in the world.

The other absolute must in Buenos Aires is the staple snack – empanadas. You’ll find them everywhere, both sweet and savoury with all sorts of different fillings. These little filled pastries are a great snack to carry with you on daytrips.

Bangkok – Thailand

Bangkok is a foodies dream! Street vendors can be found everywhere and offer a huge number of dishes that use a eye popping array of ingredients for you to try. Food is really affordable in Bangkok, you’ll easily get a decent hot meal for £2/3. When using street food vendors, make sure that you find busy ones, where food is being cooked fresh and that they specialise in one type of food rather than offering many sub-par dishes that may have been sitting around for some time. Make sure you carry hand sanitiser or no-water wash to clean up before eating, dirty hands can spread diarrhoea and other illnesses.

Tokyo – Japan

Tokyo, Japan, is truly a foodies paradise. You’ll not only find the world’s densest populations of Michelin starred restaurants, but you’ll find really affordable street food and sushi everywhere you go. Of course, you must try sushi in Japan, and Tokyo offers up some of the freshest and best prepared sushi you’ll likely ever eat. There are so many sushi spots all over Tokyo; whatever your budget, you’ll find delicious sushi to suit.

Although you won’t find as many bustling late night food markets as in other Asian countries, you will find a number of yokocho. These markets fill alleys and offer a variety of items beside food. You’ll get some great snacks and treats at these bustling, busy markets.

São Paulo – Brazil

São Paulo, Brazil, has recently become one of the best spots globally for foodies. You must try the local Brazilian dishes, such as Acarajé, Pão de Queijo and various barbeque grilled meats. The hugely diverse population has fused together Latin American, Portuguese, Japanese, Middle Eastern and Italian cooking styles to form a distinctly São Paulo cuisine. You’ll find pizza, sushi & hotdogs; all cooked with undeniably Brazilian style to create distinct dishes that will delight you!

Barcelona – Spain

Barcelona is a great city for tucking in to some of the best known Spanish dishes alongside the distinctive Catalan style cuisine. Due to the city being compact and easy to travel around, you’ll never be far from a huge variety of eateries. Restaurants for all types of budgets offer food in the relaxed and social atmosphere synonymous with Spanish food culture.

The real jewels of Barcelona are its food markets. From early breakfasts, to late night snacks, vendors cook up a huge range of meals and tapas prepared using fresh, local ingredients. You’ll find hot potato croquettes, grilled meats, wild mushrooms, paella, desserts and so much more. Barcelona’s markets are fascinating enough to just wander around for a few hours and offer a space to cool down in the heat of the day.

Travel Health for Foodies

We always advise a consultation on your trip with one of our expert travel Nurses before you travel. Book an appointment today to find out what vaccines are recommended and to get up to speed on how to stay healthy while enjoying as much food as you can!

We would always recommend travelling with your own prescription travellers diarrhoea kit. You’ll have a safe and effective supply of medicines and kit to treat your symptoms and get you back to enjoying your trip as quickly as possible.