From Michelin-starred Nordic gastronomy in Copenhagen to biscuits and broils in Charleston, excellent cuisine is often a determining factor for travelers when considering where to go next. With most of the world opening up to travelers again, Indagare rounds up 15 destinations with serious culinary cred to put on your radar for 2023.
Contact Indagare for assistance planning a custom food-focused journey.
Lisbon
With a plethora of fresh fish and seafood, often served alongside hearty vegetable dishes, Lisbon’s cuisine most closely resembles that of the Mediterranean—with some local and national specialties like the famous pastry, pastéis de nata.
- Best Lunch: Prado or Heim Cafe
- Best Snack: TimeOut Market or Manteigaria
- Best Dinner: Cantinho do Avillez, Davvero at the Sublime Lisboa or A Taberna do Mar
- Best Drink: Verride Palácio Santa Catarina
- Iconic Bites: Pastéis de nata (custard tart pastry); sardines; ginja (sour cherry liqueur); bacalhau à brás (cod cake)
New York
Word on the street is that 6:00 p.m. is the new 8:00 p.m. for New York‘s dining scene, but we’re here to tell you that New York is still the city that never sleeps—restaurants are buzzing at all hours. Between old favorites that have stayed the course (many of them now debuting fresh remodels) and exciting new venues made for a big night out, you’ll have plenty to reserve ahead and look forward to, well into 2023.
- Best Lunch: Pastis, Buvette or Cookshop
- Best Snack: Russ & Daughters Café or Bar Pisellino
- Best Dinner: Daniel, Don Angie, Raoul’s or One White Street
- Best Drink: Overstory, Bar Blondeau or Bemelmans at the Carlyle
- Best New Openings: Le Rock, Laser Wolf Brooklyn, Tin Building and Kru
- Iconic Bites: Pizza; bagels; steak; Italian cuisine
Related: What’s New in New York City: Hotels, Restaurants & Culture in Manhattan
Lima
As astute foodies know, Peru’s food scene became one of the world’s most buzzed-about in the last decade. Ceviche, which is a national obsession, is traditionally eaten only at lunch, to be sure that the fish is fresh, and many of Lima’s best seafood restaurants are not open for dinner. Also, don’t miss trying coca tea, which is great for altitude sickness, and the national cocktail, a pisco sour.
- Best Lunch: Isolina, El Mercado or Pescados Capitales
- Best Snack: Panchita
- Best Dinner: Maido, Central, Mérito or Kjolle
- Best Drink: Carnaval or Cala
- Iconic Bites: Ceviche; pisco sour
Paris
Long revered for setting the global culinary standard, Paris remains home to some of the world’s top restaurants. From authentic French bistros to haute cuisine haunts, Parisian dining will delight both traditionalists and visionary foodies. Reservations for all restaurants should be made well in advance.
- Best Lunch: Le Récamier, Le Christine or Chez Janou
- Best Snack: Macarons at Pierre Hermé or chocolate at Jean-Paul Hevin
- Best Drink: Hemingway Bar
- Inspired Dinner: Fleur de Pavé, Juveniles or Shabour
- Big Night Out: Taillevent or Epicure
- Iconic Bites: Baguettes; pastries; escargot; soufflé
Related: What’s New in Paris: What to See & Do, Where to Eat, Stay
Mexico City
Walk down any street in Mexico City and you will encounter the smell of handmade tortillas and fresh tacos, but the city offers much more than just street cafés. In fact, the fine dining and gastronomic innovation make for an exciting culinary scene that is leading the way in Mexico City’s cultural revival.
- Best Lunch: Contramar, Maximo Bistrot or Tetetlán
- Best Snack: El Turix Tacos, Tsubomi Bakery or Molino El Pujol
- Best Dinner: Pujol, Quintonil, Ticuchi or Rosetta
- Best Drink: Fifty Mils Bar at the Four Seasons Mexico City or Baltra Bar (we highly recommend trying Mezcal, neat. This local spirit has gained well-deserved international notoriety, and you will find many options that are only available in Mexico).
- Iconic Bites: Al pastor tacos and tuna tostadas; a refreshing Michelada, a beer of your choice (go for a Mexican brand) poured over lime juice and ice, with a generous amount of salt around the rim.
Listen: James Oseland talks Mexico City Cuisine on the Indagare Podcast
Copenhagen
For such a small city, Copenhagen has a surprisingly large and varied culinary scene. From casual fish restaurants to several of the world’s Top 50 Michelin-starred culinary destinations, Copenhagen has something for everyone. We recommend a nice mix of the heavy hitters as well as local favorites.
- Best Lunch: Geranium or Palaegade
- Best Snack: Atelier September or Torvehallerne
- Best Dinner: Noma or Barr
- Best Drink: Ruby or Den Vandrette
- Iconic Bites: Herring on rye bread (at Schonnemann, ideally)
Montreal
Montreal’s culinary variety puts many of the world’s foodie cities to shame—in the course of a day and in a few-mile radius, a visitor can feast on a classic Montreal-style bagel (smaller, denser and sweeter than the New York variety), a bacon-and-cheddar sandwich bundled between two slabs of foie gras and a dry-aged filet mignon from a decades-old Jewish steakhouse.
- Best Lunch: Schwartz’s or LOV
- Best Snack: St-Viateur Bagel or Hof Kelsten
- Best Dinner: Joe Beef, Au Pied de Cochon or Toqué!
- Best Drink: Pullman or Cloakroom
- Iconic Bites: Bagels; smoked meat; poutine; foie gras
New Orleans
While New Orleans is justifiably celebrated for its incredible cocktail culture—don’t miss a Sazerac, for one, while here—the city’s food is also distinctly unique. The robust restaurant scene is as diverse as the city itself, offering a mix of old, new, Creole, French, Cajun and American cuisines.
- Best Lunch: Mr B’s Bistro, Cochon, or Galatoire’s
- Best Snack: Café Du Monde or Domilise’s Po-Boy & Bar
- Best Dinner: Herbsaint, Coquette or August
- Best Drink: French 75 bar at Arnaud’s or Hot Tin at the Hotel Pontchartrain
- Iconic Bites: Po’ boys; beignets; gumbo; muffuletta; fried chicken; barbecued shrimp
Related: The 31 Best Farm-to-Table Restaurants in the World
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv offers flavorful cuisine and organic flavors with a young cultural scene that makes dining out a lively, energetic experience.
- Best Lunch: Suzana Café, HaBasta or Dallal
- Best Snack: Abu Hassan
- Best Dinner: Weiss or OCD Restaurant
- Best Drink: Aria Lounge Bar
- Iconic Bites: Hummus; falafel; shakshuka; shawarma; sabich (fried eggplant pita with lots of mixings); vegetable salads
Rome
When it comes to dining, Rome continues to lean traditional—and that’s a very good thing. While minimalist spaces offering innovative takes on local dishes have certainly cropped up in recent years, it’s the family-owned trattorias that continue to captivate the palate.
- Best Lunch: Trattoria Da Enzo al 29, Il Matriciano, Le Mani in Pasta or Ristorante Dillà
- Best Snack: Mordi e Vai, Otaleg or Biscottificio Innocenti
- Best Dinner: Rimessa Roscioli, Retrobottega, Pierluigi or La Pergola
- Best Drink: Jerry Thomas Speakeasy, The Court at Palazzo Manfredi or Enoteca Ferrara
- Iconic Bites: Cacio e pepe; carbonara; gelato, pizza; antipasti; fried artichokes (carciofi)
Related: Indagare Q&A with Rome Culinary Expert Katie Parla
Los Angeles
With its exotic mix of cuisines—from pan-Asian to Mexican to farm-to-table Californian—and dining experiences that range from backyard hangouts to sophisticated culinary temples, L.A.’s dining scene is as varied as the city itself. You can easily graze all day from Los Feliz to Santa Monica.
- Best Lunch: Gjelina, Gjusta or Pizzeria Mozza
- Best Snack: Republique or Guerilla Tacos
- Best Dinner: Felix, Majordomo, Damian or Osteria Mozza
- Best Drink: Tower Bar, Manuela or Calabra Rooftop at the Santa Monica Proper Hotel
- Iconic Bites: Tacos; sushi; Korean bbq
Related: Insider Journey to Los Angeles with Indagare and the ICAA
Bangkok
The bustling, intoxicating Thai capital is all about food. Sensory food stalls seemingly line every street—and may even outnumber tuk tuks. Bangkok’s upscale restaurants turn out complex, exquisitely presented dishes, often on rooftops with staggering city and river views. Every meal is supposed to include the five fundamental tastes—hot, sour, sweet, salty, bitter—all the more incentive to order multiple small dishes to share and taste them all.
- Best Lunch: Err or Paste
- Best Snack: Raan Jay Fai, Yaowarat Street (Chinatown) or Soi 38
- Best Dinner: Gaggan Anand, Côte by Mauro Colagreco at Capella Bangkok or Nahm at the Como Metropolitan Bangkok
- Best Drink: BKK Social Club at the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, J.Boroski, or Bamboo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok
- Iconic Bites: Spicy green-papaya salad; tom yam goong (a sweet-sour fish soup); pad krapow gai (spicy thai basil chicken); satay (grilled meat on skewers); curries.
Marrakech
Food in Marrakech just keeps getting better. Moroccan wines are also getting so good that French expats are bringing them back to Provence.
- Best Lunch: L’Mida, La Famille, Nomad or Grand Café de la Poste
- Best Snack: Kechmara or Café des Épices
- Best Dinner: Villa des Orangers, Royal Mansour’s Grande Table Marocaine or Dar Moha
- Best Drink: El Fenn or Comptoir Darna
- Iconic bites: Tagine; couscous; mint tea; harira
Related: Insider Journey to Marrakech with Indagare and Architectural Digest
Tokyo
Tokyo is one of the food capitals of the world, with an estimated 300,000 eating establishments ranging from tiny, nondescript noodle shops to fine kaiseki restaurants and wagyu beef institutions that can hold their own with the best in any of the world’s capitals.
- Best Lunch: Afuri Ramen, Savoy Pizza, Sushi Ginza Onodera or Maisen
- Best Snack: Toraya or Higashiya
- Best Dinner: Narisawa, Kyubey, Shima, Blind Donkey or L’Effervescence
- Best Drink: Gen Yamamoto
- Iconic Bites: Sushi; ramen; yakitori
Charleston
You could easily plan an entire trip to Charleston just for its restaurants, with bike rides in between to work up an appetite for your next meal. The South Carolina charmer packs a lot into its small (in comparison to other cities on this list) package, from soulful Southern food to Low Country cooking, and excellent cocktails besides.
- Best Lunch: Leon’s, 167 Raw or Basic Kitchen
- Best Snack: Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit or Glazed Gourmet
- Best Dinner: The Ordinary, Fig, Melfi’so r Chez Nous
- Best Drink: Husk Bar or The Dewberry Hotel’s Citrus Club
- Iconic bites: Fried green tomatoes; pimento cheese; fried chicken; biscuits; shrimp and grits; oysters; broils
Contact Indagare for assistance planning a custom food-focused journey.
