The Ultimate Food Lover's Bucket List
Whether you savor the feel of fresh mozzarella in your hands as you start to make dinner or are really more adept at eating dinner; whether you smell every dish with your eyes closed before pulling each morsel into your mouth or are searching for new favorite flavors; whether you're a hole-in-the-wall discoverer or Michelin-star aficionado; if you would literally write home about a perfectly filleted piece of fish served in a pool of melted butter, this is your bucket list. Regardless of the culinary school of thought you subscribe to, eating in the world's most acclaimed restaurants, walking through markets filled with locals, and tasting new and exotic dishes the world over are integral to being not only a food lover, but a traveler.
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A restaurant like Noma, which came into the spotlight as el Bulli was set to close, is a culinary destination in itself, with diners traveling from near and far as soon as they're able to secure a table. Tell anyone you're headed for Tuscany and they'll gush about the food and wine, with memories of hearty cuts of steak and robust red wines, before talks turn to things like the stunning countryside or architecture. For the traveler that prefers white-glove service and award-winning chefs, Tokyo is now the city with the most Michelin stars in the world, making it the definitive fine-dining destination.
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And then there are journeys to places that aren't on the tip of everyone's tongues as food destinations. Cape Town, for example, with rolling vineyards to one side and a crystal blue coastline on the other, has an immensely diverse food scene, with Indian, Malaysian, and Dutch influences throughout. Lima, too, has (surprisingly, to some) surpassed other South American cities as a premier culinary hot spot in recent years, with dishes that are fresh, bold, and adventurous, washed down with the country's ubiquitous Pisco sour.
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Culinary destinations are not always capital cities or even a country's largest hub. Marrakesh may be the first stop for most travelers to Morocco, but it's Fez that really showcases the true flavors of the country. And while Barcelona made our bucket list, San Sebastian did as well, beating out other Spanish cities like Madrid because of its unique Basque flavors and the locals' obsession with food. Then, Oaxaca, with a food landscape so rich you may need multiple trips to taste everything, easily secured its spot over the sprawling metropolis of Mexico City.
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American food-obsessives need not leave the country to eat some of the world's most coveted foods. Both coasts boast cities, from Napa Valley and New York City to Charleston and Portland, where artisanal foods at farmers markets and award-winning and celebrity chefs make up an incredibly varied food scene.
So, to come up with our food-obsessive bucket list, we picked each other's brains and combed our most trusted resources for countries and cities where food is not only a cause for national pride, but is also particularly lauded and loved by the world's top critics, and is simultaneously accessible and enticing.
From internationally known chefs to hole-in-the-wall eateries (that locals try to keep secret), and from comforting, familiar dishes to flavors that force you from your comfort zone, traveling for food is nourishing in every sense of the word. Beyond just being sustained, you'll learn something (even if it's just that you actually do like sushi), you'll feel connected to a new place (even if you go once and never need to go again), and you may come back a few pounds heavier (but happier).
Whether you go through our list to check off the places you've been or use it as the jumping off point for your journey to discover a world of flavors, here it is - the ultimate food lover's bucket list.
New York, NY
Just reading those words summon Frank Sinatra's smoky voice and images of yellow cabs whisking fashionable denizens to the newest, chicest spots. New York's high-low cuisine is virtually unmatched, with bagels, pizza, and deli sandwiches as equally argued about as the city's haute cuisine. French, Italian, Greek, Japanese, and Chinese foods are well represented by the city's diverse melting-pot culture.
Eat: Impossible as it is to narrow it down, some of New York's can't-miss eateries include Le Bernardin and The Spotted Pig, while Eataly is a surefire hit with newcomers and old hands.
Sleep: The uber-hip Mercer Hotel is contemporary cool in the boutique and café mecca of SoHo, or book into The Surrey for an intimate uptown vibe.
Napa Valley and Sonoma, Calif.
California's premier wine regions boast lush vineyards and a bright blue coastline. The wines and flavors are oft-imitated and craved, from buttery white wines, earthy red wines, and fresh seafood to locally produced cheeses and farmers' market fruits and vegetables. Mexican flavors, too, like fresh fish tacos and hearty tamales have infiltrated Californian cuisine.
Eat: Try the bar at Cyrus in Healdsburg for a French Laundry-like meal without the set menu. Brassica in St. Helena, Jarvis Winery, and Joseph Phelps Vineyards are must-stops, as are the gorgeous grounds of Chateau St. Jean winery in Sonoma.
Sleep: Rest your head at the charming and luxurious boutique Hotel Healdsburg, just north of Sonoma, or spring for the spa services and sweeping views of Napa's Auberge du Soleil.
Tokyo, Japan
With more Michelin stars than Paris (it currently has the most in the world, actually), Tokyo has proved itself to be an ultimate gastronome destination. Wagyu beef, savory tofu dishes, sweet and salty soy-based meals, noodle soups, lean grilled meats, and, of course, exceptionally fresh seafood-turned-sushi make up the vibrant (and tradition-filled) culinary landscape of this bustling city.
Eat: Street foods are more than worth the trip, but spring for Michelin-starred sushi at Ginza Harutaka. Hit the Tsukiji Fish Market for the full experience, and dine at a 100-year-old sake brewery, Tofuya Ukai.
Sleep: Get into the Tokyo scene at Design Hotel's Park Hotel Tokyo, where cutting-edge technology meets welcoming design.
Paris, France
The City of Light will always be a food lover's destination, melding flavors and legendary wines from across France. With perfect chocolates, flaky croissants, precious macarons, fresh and light fish in buttery sauces, succulent goat cheese, fall-off-the-bone meats, herb-y terrines, and roasted root vegetables, French cuisine in Paris can be as decadent or light as you desire. Grand, palatial, and Michelin-starred restaurants coexist with newly opened hole-in-the-wall eateries.
Eat: Suffer through worthwhile lines at the effortlessly romantic and world-renowned patisserie Ladurée, experience the classic brasserie style of Benoit, and find a cocktail under the dim red lights of Le China.
Sleep: L'Hôtel is the choice boutique hotel with rich dcor and history Oscar Wilde once called it home. The artsier hotel of choice is Hôtel Particulier Montmartre, with its calming, lush back garden.
Barcelona, Spain
The tastes of Barcelona precede it. We all know that dinner doesn't start until (at least) 9 p.m., and images of meaty tapas dishes, steaming plates of paella, plump anchovies with pa amb tomquet (tomato-rubbed bread), and fresh and flavorful seafood are conjured instantly. From a glimpse of Gaudís whimsies to the last sip of cava, Barcelona is a multi-sensorial trip, showcasing ingredients like succulent mushrooms, rich eggs, and herbed aïoli.
Eat: Line up with the rest of them for lunch at La Cova Fumada for freshly grilled seafood; dine on clever combinations made by an Adriá-trained chef at Dos Palillos; and if nothing else, make your way through the iconic La Boqueria Market.
Sleep: Buy into the surreal vibe at Hotel Omm, where playful angles meet dark neutrals. Grand Hotel Central has a natural, modern feel with rustic wood flooring and a rooftop infinity pool.
Copenhagen, Denmark
With Noma in the world's culinary spotlight, Copenhagen has secured a spot on the gastronome's map. Unconventional cooking techniques mixed with unique Scandinavian ingredients make Danish cuisine so fascinating. Elderberries, cloudberries, herring, local cheese, freshly caught seafood, and smørrebrød (simple sandwiches) scratch the surface of local foods, while mouthwatering cakes are at every turn.
Eat: Of course, if you can, book a table at the two-Michelin-starred Noma for a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience, or go a little more casual but no less delicious at Herman. Authentic and seasonal Danish food can also be found at Els.
Sleep: Well-designed and welcoming, Avenue Hotel is a chic and easy landing pad. Front Hotel Copenhagen has a mid-century modern feel and a canal-side location.
Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong is home to a mishmash of flavors that blend incredibly well, particularly with the never-ending buzzy vibe of the city. Street-food markets abound, selling lychees you peel and eat on the street, as do private-member dining rooms where Chinese cuisine is at its most authentic. Soft-shell crabs, noodle soups, steamed dumplings, and dim sum combine with Western techniques and flavors.
Eat: One of the city's top dining spots has long been China Club, for Peking duck on the terrace outside. Taste Tibetan cuisine at Yun Fu and remember the past with British gastropub food at The Pawn.
Sleep: Rest high in the sky at The Upper House in sleek luxury, or choose the more homey (though modern and gorgeous) Lanson Place hotel.
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- Nicole Campoy-Leffler, The Daily Meal
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