London just got crowned the World’s Best Foodie Destination – beating Italy, France and others

Anyone else wondering if we might need a recount?

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General view of a blazing sunset over the city on February 26, 2021 in London, United Kingdom. On this day in 2018, the original Beast From the East was beginning to sweep in. In stark contrast to this year where warmer temperatures are expected to last most of the week.
(Image credit: Chris Gorman / Getty Images)

When you think of a top culinary destination, places like Italy, France, and Japan probably all spring to mind. The UK’s good ol’ London probably doesn’t. However thanks to TripAdvisor, we have a new, data-backed winner – and it's none other than Old Blighty.

The review site looked back over its 12-month backlog of data to crown the winners of the 2026 Travellers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Destinations. Looking across 60 countries and 270 destinations, TripAdvisor looked at all categories from Trending Destinations, to Culture & History, and Solo Travel Destinations, crowning a winner for each. And across all of them, London came out on top for scran.

an image of five dishes on a table in the restaurant with a cocktail in the centre

(Image credit: Tamila)

To be fair, the London dining scene is fairly top notch, and has undergone a serious glow up from the days of pie and mash and fish and chips being your two options. It now boasts everything from multiple Michelin starred spots with a two month waitlist, to the best hole-in-the-wall dumpling spots and under-the-radar local favourites. Whether you’re after a wine bar, street food, a market, or an afternoon tea, London will have a stunningly delicious spot.

Hot on the heels of London were Dubai, Rome, and Hong Kong, which came in second, third, and fourth spot respectively, for the Best of the Best Foodie Destinations.

an image of the chicken and mushroom pasta dish at 27 Old Compton St. It is on a blue ceramic pasta bowl on top of a wooden table

(Image credit: Naf Castanas)

The full top 10 were:

  1. London, UK
  2. Dubai, UAE
  3. Rome, Italy
  4. Hong Kong
  5. Paris, France
  6. Majorca, Spain
  7. Doha, Qatar
  8. Crete, Greece
  9. Bangkok, Thailand
  10. Marrakech, Morocco

As well as ranking in the number one spot for food, London also scored pretty highly across some of TripAdvisor’s other categories, clocking in at number 2 for Best Destination in the World (pipped by Bali – a very worthy winner), and for the Best Culture Destination in the World. Plus, it managed to scoop up third place for Best Solo Destination in the world. Hopefully this will cheer up the miserable commuters, reminding then that London is actually a pretty epic place to live.

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Hermione Blandford
Hermione Blandford
Content Editor

Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.

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