Where to Eat in 2024

Where to find the best food around the world in 2024

There’s a big world of food out there and it’s never been easier to taste all of it. For the right price, the modern travel industry can ferry you to nearly any food scene on Earth in a matter of hours, and once you arrive, technology makes it seamless to find a serviceable restaurant, translate a menu, and examine photos of dishes before ordering. Suddenly it feels like every cuisine is at the tip of our tastebuds all the time — an immense amount of info to parse, making it a full-time job just to plan a weekend getaway. It’s so much, in fact, that people are resorting to asking AI to write their itineraries and “set-jetting” to locations in their favorite shows, looking for any sort of guidance through the noise. Or they could do what we do: Ask a local what’s good to eat right now.

All 12 culinary destinations on this list are hitting their strides in 2024, according to our global network of on-the-ground contributors, making them obvious choices for hungry travelers. This is the year chefs in Udon Thani, Thailand, steal the spotlight from Bangkok with spicy-sour Isan cooking, the year Cairo’s contemporary restaurants redefine the ancient capital with modern takes on traditional Egyptian dishes, the year street vendors fuel a buzzing reggaeton scene in Medellín, Colombia. Among our intrepid team of expert locals this year? You, Eater readers, who have cemented Milwaukee as one of the buzziest dining scenes in the U.S. in our first-ever readers choice on the Where to Eat list.

So pack a bag, get hungry, and jump right into the maps and stories below — but consider all this the first course in a long feast. Eater will spend the next six months rolling out additional restaurant guides and features that continue to show why the places on our list belong on yours, too. Whether you visit during a snowy après-ski season in Vorarlberg, Austria, or enjoy a blissful summer of seafood on the Turkish Riviera, here’s your easy, no-fuss, crystal clear guide to where you should eat this year. — Nick Mancall-Bitel

A pile of shucked oysters in a blue plastic basket. — Fresh oysters on display in Haenyeo Chon.

BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA

Busan exists at a crossroads. South Korea’s second-largest city after Seoul, and one of the largest ports in the world, sits at the intersection of the Nakdong River and the Korea Strait, bringing in a steady stream of fresh seafood and international trade. It’s also a cultural hub, welcoming tourists for a myriad of annual events like the Busan International Film Festival and Busan Biennale. The combo of food, fun, and surf has earned the city nicknames like the Miami of South Korea.

As K-culture takes over the world, Busan has come to a metaphorical crossroads of its own, ready to claim its place as a global food capital alongside Seoul, especially with the arrival of the Michelin Guide in 2024. Along the stunning coastline, seafood-centric villages serve a briny array of fish, crab, eel, anchovies, sea pineapple, conch, and urchin, while regional dishes like milmyeon (wheat noodles) and dwaeji gukbap (pork soup) surprise visitors with bold seasonings. The city’s time as a capital during the Korean War has also shaped its cuisine, fueling the growth of areas like Gukje, one of the country’s largest markets. But the city is unabashedly modern too, attracting waves of coffee nerds to burgeoning specialty cafes and propelling young chefs to capture new sides of the historic cuisine. — Matty Kim

Chefs Sell Seafood by the Seashore

Along with quirky lighthouses, the coastline around Busan is dotted with fishing villages and markets, where vendors lure customers with the freshest catch. They make for great day trips from the city center.

Jagalchi Market

15-25 minutes from Busan Station

On the first floor of South Korea’s largest fish market (and the streets outside), vendors hawk a wide array of ocean creatures, while the second floor contains restaurants preparing elaborate seafood meals.

Taejongdae Jogae Gui Chon

40-60 minutes from Busan Station

Grilled clams are the dish of choice at the collection of stalls just outside Taejongdae Park, perfect for refueling after exploring the cliffside paths and other tourist attractions.

Gijang Haenyeo Chon

60-90 minutes from Busan Station

Named for haenyeo, women divers who collect shellfish off the coast, this village is well-known for its platters of fresh and live seafood, including some especially wriggly octopus.

A vendor in a wide-brimmed hat sits among seafood prep equipment on a sunny day in front of seafood-vending stalls. — Haenyeo Chon storefronts.

Diners sit around a platter of various seafood items and drinks. — Diners enjoy midday seafood platters.

A chef uses a towel to hold a hot skillet of scrambled eggs, meat, tomato, and herbs. — Baked eggs glaya with pastrami at Khufu’s.

CAIRO, EGYPT

Better known worldwide for its ancient sites dating back over 4,000 years, Cairo has struggled to gain recognition as a contemporary destination. But the traditional tourist itinerary, heavy on historical wonders, barely scratches the surface of Egypt’s bustling capital. Luckily, that particular reputation is finally giving way to a new one, partly thanks to the food scene.

As Egypt experiences a massive population boom, Cairo’s residents are creating new connections across communities through TikTok and other platforms. Young diners rollerblade into old-school downtown eateries that have been serving classic Egyptian dishes since the ’50s. Once part of more insular immigrant food communities, Filipino bakers and Ethiopian cooks increasingly share pandesal and injera platters with wider audiences. And, while Cairo is still recognized as a destination for affordable street food, the high-end dining scene has burst out of luxury hotels and into upscale malls in growing parts of town like New Cairo and Sheikh Zayed, restaurants like Reif Kushiyaki from Dubai increasingly choose Cairo to expand their operations, and Cairo Food Week attracts international stars like Massimo Bottura.

As Egyptian designers, entrepreneurs, and artists create new works for a modern Cairo, chefs are pulling out all the stops to prove the city is more than ancient history. — Laila Hassaballa and Mariam Nezar

Eat This

At home, Egyptians eat salata baladi (tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, herbs). On the streets, they drink it. Some restaurants compose welcome shots of “whiskey” by gathering dressing from prepared salads. Fee sahetek! Cheers!

Look for This

Cairo’s baladi deliverers weave through traffic on bicycles while balancing large trays of bread on their heads, supplying baked goods to vendors all over the city.

Drink This

Vegan travelers should keep one word in mind when communicating at restaurants: “seyami.” Coptic Christians use the phrase, meaning “fasting-friendly,” while abstaining from animal products for much of the year.

A chef holds two dishes in a restaurant kitchen while surrounded by his team. — Chef Mostafa Seif and team at Khufu’s.

A variety of dishes is presented in copper pans and earthenware bowls, displayed on a stone table. — Mixed meze plates at Khufu’s.

Slices of roasted octopus tentacles in a pool of white sauce and topped with a stack of shredded vegetables. — Wood-fired Çeşme octopus with fermented pomegranate syrup at Od Urla.

İZMIR, TURKEY

Right as you step off the plane at the İzmir airport, you’re hit by the smells of the Aegean and pine trees. The İzmir province and eponymous city are the gateway to the resorts of the Çeşme Peninsula, where the jet set dine on Turkey’s freshest seafood, and farm-to-table restaurants intertwine with stylish beach clubs. Mornings begin with lively fish auctions in towns like Urla, while the markets in Alaçatı overflow with produce made vibrant by the Turkish Riviera sunshine.

The setting has proven irresistible to Turkey’s young chefs, who have been gravitating toward the coastline, turning villages into international travel destinations, and drawing on regional foodways while strengthening local economies. With the Michelin Guide’s arrival in İzmir (and Bodrum down the coast) in 2023, the country’s culinary attention has finally shifted beyond the capital.

Start with an Aegean home-cooked meal among olive trees at family-run Asma Yaprağı. Then tour the Urla Vineyard Route, where centuries-old indigenous grapes are generating modern hype. Choosing dinner is a challenge, so reserve a night each at Od Urla, Vino Locale, Teruar Urla, and Amavi, all known for impeccable meals drawn from the sea and land. Spend long enough walking the cobblestone streets, and you may end up staying well past your planned vacation. — Tuba Şatana

What Grows Together, Goes Together

The best pairing for a meal on the Turkish Riviera is a bottle of local wine. Here are a few native grape varieties to look out for.

Foça karası

This sooty, medium-tannic red has notes of cherry, black plum, strawberry, and clove. Though the grape is used in a few blends around Turkey, winery Öküzgözü Şarapçılık produces reds entirely with foça karası.

Bornova misketi

With floral aromas and citrusy flavors, this crisp muscat variety ends on a long, fruity finish. It shows up in both dry and sweet wines, including bottles from Usca, Urla Şarapçılık, İkidenizarası, Nif, and Sevilen.

Urla karası

A vibrant, tannic, acidic powerhouse, this grape delivers flavors of blueberry, blackberry, cherry, dark chocolate, and clove. Look for it at Urla Şarapçılık, which combines it with nero d’Avola.

A picturesque outdoor patio with natural-wood seating set beside an exposed-stone wall and surrounded by greenery. — Outside Vino Locale restaurant.

Chefs working in an open kitchen. — Chef Osman Sezener and team at Od Urla.

A diner holds a spoon next to a serving of flan with a few large bites taken out. — Flan de caramelo at Sambombi Bistró.

MEDELLÍN, COLOMBIA

Over the last two decades, the City of Eternal Spring has blossomed into one of Latin America’s biggest cultural hubs, alongside Mexico City and Buenos Aires. To attract international visitors and digital nomads, some rising cities snuff out pieces of local culture in favor of bland metropolitan attractions; Medellín, by contrast, has come to look more like itself as it has grown more popular. Cable cars and escalators tie neighborhoods together and ferry tour groups who come to gawk at the city’s beautiful graffiti. The raucous late-night scene attracts music lovers to the so-called reggaeton capital of the world. And, though the potential for gentrification is real, young entrepreneurs are committed to highlighting local products and makers.

The city’s dining scene has evolved in parallel. Chefs like Carmen Angel and Rob Pevitts of Carmen and Jhon Zárate of Sambombi utilize endemic ingredients and modern culinary techniques to reflect contemporary Colombian identities. Unlike Bogotá, Medellín boasts a bustling street food scene, including buñuelos (cheesy fried dough balls), decadent perras (hot dogs), and a huge variety of arepas. With local coffee beans showing out in third-wave cafes and Paisa regional pride coming through in cazuela de frijoles (bean stew), Medellín’s flavors are entirely its own. — Liliana López Sorzano

A chef stands in a kitchen, laughing. — Chef Ana Valentina Mejía at Sambombi Bistró.

Pay Homage in the Reggaeton Capital

Though reggaeton is often associated with Panama (its birthplace) or Puerto Rico (its glow-up), Medellín made the genre its own with an expansive music scene, including stars like J Balvin, Maluma, and Karol G. Here’s how to spend a night out.

Listen to This

Before you visit Perro Negro (Black Dog), an iconic reggaeton venue, listen to Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny honor the club in a collab with Medellín-born Feid. Click for the full playlist.

Raise a toast

Sold by the bottle or carton, aguardiente is the anise-flavored spirit of choice in reggaeton clubs.

Dance and dine

Vendors perch on street corners near popular dance spots, distributing warm empanadas to partyers as they emerge into the morning.

Get the look

Streetwear, asymmetrical cuts, and flashy accessories are all the fashion. Try local brands like True, Trece, and Desatín.

Sliced sausages, french fries, pickles, and dipping sauces fill a butcher board. — The butcher board at the Vanguard.

READERS CHOICE

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

This isn’t the first time Milwaukee has appeared on Eater’s Where to Eat list. The city was featured in 2020, poised to break out of the Rust Belt with a swell of buzzy restaurants, just as the Democratic National Convention booked the new Fiserv Forum, the title-favorite Bucks had MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and expectations filled the air like yeast floating from the city’s breweries. Then everything screeched to a halt in early March, restaurants and bars went dark, and — well, you know the rest.

Then, in late 2023, Eater asked its readers which great dining scene in the U.S. deserved a spot on this list. The answer, resoundingly, was Milwaukee, a reflection of residents’ tireless work toward a second shot. Hot spots like Adam Siegel’s Lupi & Iris have snagged award nominations; favorites like Odd Duck, Bavette la Boucherie, and Taqueria la Guelaguetza got new spaces; young businesses like Flour Girl & Flame and Taqwa’s joined the ranks; and even Zócalo Food Park got an upgrade. Now, Milwaukee is set to welcome another national political convention (the Republicans this time), Top Chef is shooting Season 21 in the city, and the Bucks have notched a championship (Antetokounmpo even opened his own restaurant). After four years, there’s little left to prove. So grab some glistening cheese curds and a High Life. It’s party time. — Todd Lazarski

OSAKA, JAPAN

There’s a common phrase in Osaka: kuidaore, or “eat yourself to ruin.” It gets at the city’s reputation for gregarious indulgence. Compared to refined dining in Tokyo and Kyoto, Osaka is like their gritty, punkish sister who revels in food with a lust for life. After dropping its last pandemic-era border rules in 2023, Japan has fully reopened to international tourism (including nonstop flights to Osaka from multiple North American cities); there’s no better place than Osaka for food lovers to revenge-eat their way through specialties like okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and takaida-kei ramen.

Osaka’s casual vibe doesn’t stop it from competing on a high level. In the 2023 Michelin Guide, 94 restaurants in the city received stars, including many by young chefs like kappo cuisine expert Akemi Nakamura, who leads an all-female staff at Nishitemma Nakamura; others, like Bib Gourmand winner Jibundoki, celebrate Osakan specialties like okonomiyaki. Still, some of the city’s best meals are its most affordable. The streets are lined with dishes that go for less than $10, ideally enjoyed on a food crawl through dozens of stalls in the retro-futuristic Shinsekai and Dotonbori districts. Follow your nose to a counter with a smoky charcoal grill, raise a whisky highball, and kuidaore until the early morning. — La Carmina