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When Time Out’s global food team starts talking burgers, things get serious fast! They needed an answer to an all-important question: Where can you find the tastiest, juiciest, most over-the-top burgers on the planet right now?
From smoky smashed patties and buttery brioche buns to homemade sauces, wagyu beef and wildly inventive toppings, restaurants across the world are adding decadent stakes to the humble burger.
Nominating the best burger across the Mother City took some serious taste-testing, but we managed. Just! These results were taken a step further, ranking the selection by the venues with the highest Google star ratings. Needless to say, it's a massive deal that our local Zuney Wagyu Burger has placed 2nd in the world, out-flavoured only by Japan's Smash Things Burger!
And Zuney’s wasn’t the only burger fighting for the crown. From Sho Tho, The Dog’s Bollocks to Le Pickle, Cape Town’s burger game is seriously stacked - see our home-grown list here.
The final result? Fourteen lip-smacking burgers, found across some of the world’s best cities - each tried, tested, and ready to devour - including Johannesburg's Mafia Bite, cracking the top 10 at number eight. Jozi gang, these bragging rights are officially flame-grilled.
Time Out's 2026 Words Best Burgers list:
- Smash Things, Tokyo
- Zuney Wagyu Burgers, Cape Town
- Nolita, Madrid
- Hanbaagaasuuteeki, London
- Casse-Croûte MangeDansMonHood, Montréal
- Spécimen Burger, Paris
- Eat at ROBs, Sydney
- Mafia Bite, Johannesburg
- Kiddo, Buenos Aires
- Ground Burger, Lisbon
- Red Hook Tavern, New York City
- Clan BBQ, Rio de Janeiro
- Sick! Burger, Hong Kong
- GrindHouse 1%, São Paulo
Time Out Tip: Catch Zuney at the Time Out Market for all the wagyu deliciousness, along with specials for locals - check their app for more details.
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