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If there’s one thing that every Hongkonger is proud of, it’s that we have some of the best food in the world. Aside from homegrown culinary treasures that have dazzled and delighted across the generations, we also have a seriously impressive roster of eateries serving flavours from all over the world. We are foodies here in Hong Kong, and proud of it.
Every year, Time Out conducts an international survey ranking the world’s best cities, and one part of the survey focuses on food, from which the team creates the annual ranking of the world’s best food cities. Thousands of city dwellers were asked to rate their cities’ food scene across 18 criteria like quality, affordability, and diversity. Then we ran the info past our global network of chefs, editors and food critics to provide local insight. The delicious result is Time Out’s annual list of best cities for food, and this year, Hong Kong has come in at number 16!
Aside from our dizzying array of food choices, one of the factors swaying voters in our favour was that Hong Kong is one of those rare cities where dining out can be just as easy on the wallet as grabbing a cup of coffee and, surprisingly, cheaper than going out for drinks. From casual cha chaan teng where the service is brusque but the food is comforting, to our down-to-earth open-air dai pai dong stalls where rubbing elbows with strangers is the norm, our city is full of wallet-friendly food options that have never even been in the vicinity of a Michelin star – and yet are so fantastically moreish that you wish you could give them the official recognition.
About half of locals named Hong Kong’s special-occasion restaurants and casual dining spots as better than anywhere else in the world, too. Even leaving aside the starred and pearled restaurants that could well cost your firstborn child for an admittedly gorgeous meal, there are still plenty of mid-range and elevated eateries in the city that will satisfy both the belly and the eye for aesthetics.
And what about the rest of the winners, you ask? Hong Kong was bested this year by a handful of other Asian cities, namely Bangkok in a proud No. 2, Ho Chi Minh City in No. 6, Beijing in No. 8, Osaka in No. 12, and Bangalore in No. 13, before we land at No. 16. Latin American flavours dominate foodie’s hearts this year though, because Lima in Peru has come up tops as the best food city of 2026, while Mexico City rounds off the podium at No. 3.
Find out more about why these cities are iconic for their food, and why you should sample their current food scenes!
Best Cities for Food 2026
- Peru: Lima
- Thailand: Bangkok
- Mexico: Mexico City
- UK: London
- Spain: Barcelona
- Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City
- Australia: Melbourne
- China: Beijing
- Greece: Athens
- Portugal: Lisbon
- South Africa: Cape Town
- Japan: Osaka
- India: Bangalore
- Italy: Naples
- USA: New York City
- Hong Kong: Hong Kong
- Argentina: Buenos Aires
- France: Marseille
- Denmark: Copenhagen
- Colombia: Medellin
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