Best Foodie Vacations In 2023
One of the best ways to travel the world is by food. No, we don’t mean ‘James and the Giant Peach’ style, but rather by picking your destinations based on where the best food can be found, what amazing restaurants you’d like to try, and what fascinating cuisines and cultural traditions you want to explore.
Luckily for epicurean adventurers, the world is packed with amazing foodie experiences, and there has never been a better time to explore the wealth of incredible culinary delights that can be found in every corner of the globe.
So whether you are taking a cruise to Japan, exploring grape, pig, and olive across the length and breadth of Spain, or burning the roof of your mouth off with salsa and chilis in Mexico, here are some of the best foodie vacations you can take in 2022.
San Sebastian, Spain
San Sebastian has been the European destination of choice for food-lovers for years, and it still never gets old. It boasts the second most Michelin stars per head in the world (more on that later) and has a stunning, inventive, and innovative cuisine that is constantly changing and evolving to bring visitors ever-more delicious flavors and dishes to try. Most famous for its pintxos, you should also try churros, crema catalana, and solomillo con foie.
Oaxaca, Mexico
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Mexican cuisine has always been one of the most extraordinary, diverse, yet remarkably underrated foods in the world. While everyone knows about tacos, burritos, and Tex-Mex, Mexican food is so much more than this.
From carne asada in the north to slow-cooked cochinita pibil in the Yucatan, the variety of this stunning food culture is its charm. Oaxaca has emerged as the gourmet’s destination of choice, a gorgeous city filled with some of the most innovative chefs and remarkable restaurants. Drawing on the traditions of mole, mezcal, and nixtamal, Oaxaca serves up a dizzying array of tastes and is a must-visit destination for any serious foodie.
Kyoto, Japan
Remember San Sebastian, the place with the second most Michelin stars per head in the world? Well, welcome to Kyoto, topping the chart with more of the best restaurants in the world than anywhere else. Kyoto was the capital of Imperial Japan for centuries and developed a chic, elegant, and incredibly refined set of culinary traditions, based around the concept of kaiseki, a multi-course formal food presentation rooted in seasonality and local produce.
Kyoto is the center of Japanese tea-making culture, as well as the best place in the world to eat tofu. If you like Japanese cooking, prepare to have your mind blown as Kyoto expands the horizons of what you consider possible with cooking.
Hanoi, Vietnam
Asia in general is famous for its simple street food culture, but nowhere is this tradition better expressed than in Hanoi, Vietnam. From the most basic food cart complete with plastic stools and paper plates to the most sophisticated of fine dining establishments, Vietnamese cooking is grounded in the simplest, freshest flavors that come from no-frills, roadside restaurants. From Bahn-mi to bun-cha, not to mention the ubiquitous pho, every mouthful you eat in Hanoi is a treat for the tastebuds.
Lima, Peru
Overlooked for years (and often lumped in with other, blander Latin American cuisines), Peruvian cooking burst onto the scene a decade ago and has never looked back. Food is at the heart of what Lima is all about, with some of the best seafood you will ever taste (usually in ceviche form), as well as excitingly exotic dishes drawn straight from the Amazonian basin. It even has its own Chinese-Peruvian fusion tradition, thanks to Lima’s thriving Chinatown!