NATGEOTRAVEL.COMDENNIS K. JOHNSON/ALAMY (PATIO), ALEX SEGRE/ALAMY (BAR); PREVIOUS PAGE: LUCVI/ISTOCKPHOTO (SQUARE), TAMER KOSELI (ILLUSTRATION)BEST LIST
CITIES FOR FOODIES
Bangkok
7
Devour street foods
such as tom sap (porky
sweet and sour soup)
and som tam (spicy green
papaya salad). Then claim
a seat at Nahm, where chef
Pim Techamuanvivit puts a
modern spin on Thai fare.New York
5
From curries in Man-
hattan’s Murray Hill to
knishes in Brooklyn’s Little
Odessa, the boroughs offer
global tastes. But don’t
miss the Upper West Side’s
cash-only, attitude-heavy
Absolute Bagels.São Paulo
8
Dive into the boho
Baixo Pinheiros area to
sample some of the city’s
hottest bars and restau-
rants, spanning cuisine
from Asia to Europe, a
nod to the immense expat
community. Brazil is home
to the largest Japanese
population outside of
Japan, which explains the
authentic flavors at Izakaya
Issa and Shin-Zushi. For a
taste of indigenous foods—
ants or tongue-tingling
jambuherb—transformed
into once-in-a-lifetime
dishes, make a beeline to
chef Alex Atala’sD.O.M.
restaurant. Keep caffein-
ated with a stop at the
progressive Coffee Lab.Seoul
3
With 5,000 vendors,
Gwangjang Market
offers iconic dishes like
soondae (blood sausage).
For Korean barbecue, try
local favorite WooSung
Galbi or the more upscale
Yeontabal BBQ restaurant.Paris
4
The City of Light
dazzles with Michelin
three-star stunners such
as Pierre Gagnaire and
Arpège, plus buzzy street
markets and serious shops
like Quatrehomme, which
stocks more than a thou-
sand varieties of cheese.Tokyo
2
Take a stroll down
Memory Lane (Omoide
Yokocho), where pint-sized
yakitori joints serve sizzling
chicken skewers right off
the grill. In the Kichijoji
neighborhood, belly up
to the standing bars of
Harmonica Yokocho.Rome
6
Utterly epic, the
Testaccio Market
houses farm stands,
fishmongers, and prepared
foods representing all of
Italy. An archetypal Roman
meal? Checchino dal 1887’s
tonnarelli pasta lavished
with thick oxtail sauce.London
1
Get a crash course in
British food culture by
exploring bustling Borough
Market, at the south end
of London Bridge. Vendors
peddle everything from
just-caught seafood and
just-picked produce to
artisanal cheeses and blue-
ribbon baked goods. Be
sure to sample traditional
fare such as a full English
breakfast at the Regency
Café or fish and chips at
the century-old Golden
Hind. Sup on contempo-
rary cuisine at The Hand
and Flowers, England’s only
Michelin two-star pub. Feel-
ing adventurous? Cruise to
Carousel, featuring rotating
chefs and concepts.Paris’s Rue Mouffetard
draws diners with an
array of restaurants.NATGEOTRAVEL.COM REPORTED BY NEVIN MARTELL
DENNIS K. JOHNSON/ALAMY (PATIO), ALEX SEGRE/ALAMY (BAR); PREVIOUS PAGE: LUCVI/ISTOCKPHOTO (SQUARE), TAMER KOSELI (ILLUSTRATION)BEST LIST
CITIES FOR FOODIES
Bangkok
7
Devour street foods
such as tom sap (porky
sweet and sour soup)
and som tam (spicy green
papaya salad). Then claim
a seat at Nahm, where chef
Pim Techamuanvivit puts a
modern spin on Thai fare.New York
5
From curries in Man-
hattan’s Murray Hill to
knishes in Brooklyn’s Little
Odessa, the boroughs offer
global tastes. But don’t
miss the Upper West Side’s
cash-only, attitude-heavy
Absolute Bagels.São Paulo
8
Dive into the boho
Baixo Pinheiros area to
sample some of the city’s
hottest bars and restau-
rants, spanning cuisine
from Asia to Europe, a
nod to the immense expat
community. Brazil is home
to the largest Japanese
population outside of
Japan, which explains the
authentic flavors at Izakaya
Issa and Shin-Zushi. For a
taste of indigenous foods—
ants or tongue-tingling
jambuherb—transformed
into once-in-a-lifetime
dishes, make a beeline to
chef Alex Atala’sD.O.M.
restaurant. Keep caffein-
ated with a stop at the
progressive Coffee Lab.Seoul
3
With 5,000 vendors,
Gwangjang Market
offers iconic dishes like
soondae (blood sausage).
For Korean barbecue, try
local favorite WooSung
Galbi or the more upscale
Yeontabal BBQ restaurant.Paris
4
The City of Light
dazzles with Michelin
three-star stunners such
as Pierre Gagnaire and
Arpège, plus buzzy street
markets and serious shops
like Quatrehomme, which
stocks more than a thou-
sand varieties of cheese.Tokyo
2
Take a stroll down
Memory Lane (Omoide
Yokocho), where pint-sized
yakitori joints serve sizzling
chicken skewers right off
the grill. In the Kichijoji
neighborhood, belly up
to the standing bars of
Harmonica Yokocho.Rome
6
Utterly epic, the
Testaccio Market
houses farm stands,
fishmongers, and prepared
foods representing all of
Italy. An archetypal Roman
meal? Checchino dal 1887’s
tonnarelli pasta lavished
with thick oxtail sauce.London
1
Get a crash course in
British food culture by
exploring bustling Borough
Market, at the south end
of London Bridge. Vendors
peddle everything from
just-caught seafood and
just-picked produce to
artisanal cheeses and blue-
ribbon baked goods. Be
sure to sample traditional
fare such as a full English
breakfast at the Regency
Café or fish and chips at
the century-old Golden
Hind. Sup on contempo-
rary cuisine at The Hand
and Flowers, England’s only
Michelin two-star pub. Feel-
ing adventurous? Cruise to
Carousel, featuring rotating
chefs and concepts.
Paris’s Rue Mouffetard
draws diners with an
array of restaurants.REPORTED BY NEVIN MARTELL