Where to Eat in 2025

Eater’s annual guide to the most exciting food destinations, featuring hidden gems and well-known locales that live up to the hype

Remi Shoots, Malakhai Pearson, Ka Xiong, Marlon James

Scenes in Johannesburg, Providence, Luang Prabang, and Trinidad.

Let’s get out of here.

Let’s go somewhere we don’t know yet. Let’s eat something new to us. Let’s trade our familiar concerns for unfamiliar flavors and experiences. These are the basic desires that compel travelers to restaurants around the world and bring together people for meals across cultures.

They’re also the demands that power the global tourism industry, which has ironically frustrated customers’ needs for novelty and connection by funneling them into a few, well-trodden, and increasingly expensive destinations where locals have struggled to keep up with demand: the cruise ship ports of Greek islands, the beaches of Tulum, the influencer stomping grounds of Paris. As more people have joined the surge in travel in the last few years, 2025 is set to be one for the record books — and the guest books — in crowded hot spots, where it’s become hard to truly get away.

But many cities, towns, and businesses around the world are eager for visitors, including many places where chefs are attracting attention by putting their food cultures front and center. We tapped our team of culinary experts to find out about some of these overlooked destinations. They lay out arguments for the places they’re sending friends and hungry travelers in 2025: why you should skip the clogged Greek island ports for the olive groves and tavernas of Messenia on the mainland, eschew the packed Mexican coast for the contemporary Yucateco cuisine and roadside kibis of Mérida, and take a break from the bustling French capital for laid-back Basque specialties in St-Jean-de-Luz. In all 18 spots on this list, from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, to Goa, India, you’ll find local chefs, bartenders, and street vendors ready to make their own cases for escapism in full plates and brimming glasses, too. — Nick Mancall-Bitel

Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire | Houston, Texas | Goa, India | Messenia, Greece | Johannesburg, South Africa | Dominica | Whistler, Canada | Mérida, Mexico | Berlin, Germany | Luang Prabang, Laos | Cape Verde | Providence, Rhode Island | Chiclayo, Peru | Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France | Trinidad | Paso Robles, California | Jeolla-do, South Korea | Panama City, Panama

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Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images

Adjamé fish market.

Abidjan

Côte d’Ivoire

Street-side maquis (informal, open-air restaurants) are the beating heart of the Ivorian economic capital, serving as gathering places for the city’s millions of residents, who pass around attiéké (fermented cassava), fried seafood, and spiced meat skewers at every meal. While those establishments remain central to daily life, the restaurant scene is rapidly evolving in 2025, as Côte d’Ivoire pushes to assert itself regionally and globally. Through initiatives like Sublime Côte d’Ivoire, a seven-year project to promote tourism and culture that comes to fruition this year, the country has invested in infrastructure, marketing, and arts, including culinary traditions.

A diverse coterie of restaurants fuels this new era. At Saakan, French technique meets Ivorian rustic soul in dishes like choukouya de filet de boeuf (marinated grilled beef), mérou au kan kan kan (fish with sweet potato puree, chocolate, vegetables), and crème de baobab. At Débarcadère in Treichville, fishermen unload their catch a short walk away from diners savoring achatina achatina (giant African snails) in spiced sauce or seafood kedjenou (stew traditionally cooked in clay over fire) alongside gnamacoudji (ginger juice). The Bushman Café, a cultural landmark that mixes art and modern African design, transforms local coffee beans from export commodity into cultural statement. These meals are more than sustenance — they’re testaments to a country redefining its place. — Meha Desai

• Don’t miss
• Spend a night just outside town at la Fourchette de Rōze, chef Rōze Traore’s stylish hideaway for food lovers.

Akobs Studio

Whole fish served at Fourchette de Rōze.

Sophie Garcia

Diners at Fourchette de Rōze.

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John Coletti/Getty Images

The Houston skyline from Buffalo Bayou Park.

Houston

Texas

In November, Michelin finally arrived in Houston, bringing overdue appreciation for one of the U.S.’s greatest dining cities. Here, the dining landscape is as sprawling as the land it sits upon, and each neighborhood has something to offer: There are mango sticky rice danishes at Koffeteria, Vanarin Kuch’s quaint Downtown ode to Cambodia; and empanadas stuffed with stringy Oaxacan cheese at the Michelin-starred Tatemó in Northwest Houston. There are the rich, plantain-laden stews at Ope Amosu’s ardent illustration of West African foodways at Montrose’s ChòpnBlọk; or boastfully spicy Thai plates at the James Beard Award-winning, gas station outpost-turned-Second Ward hot spot Street to Kitchen. Don’t forget the juiciest cochinita pibil around at Victoria Elizondo’s Cochinita & co. in East End.

The city offers plenty of tacos and brisket, as you might expect. But it’s also home to some of the Lone Star State’s most innovative chefs, who are turning out progressive Creole fare, African Mexican fusion, the makings of a pizza renaissance, Cuban biscuit sandwiches, progressive and dynamic African American cooking, Vietnamese Texan whole-hog bánh xèo — well, you get the idea. — Kayla Stewart

• Don’t miss
• Head to nearby Kemah to enjoy an immersive Indigenous dining experience at Ishtia, one of Eater’s 2024 Best New Restaurants.

Annie Mulligan

The Prahok K’Tiss pupusa at Koffeteria.

Tex-Mex machetes at Koffeteria, stuffed with Cambodian-style fermented beef.

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Sachin Soni

The bar at Grumps.

Goa

India

Blessed with a long coastline ideal for water sports, rich green landscape, and laid-back lifestyle, Goa is a preferred outdoor destination for Indians. But the tiny state also excites with its food, a multicultural mishmash that’s heavy on meat (especially pork) and seafood; seasoned liberally with coconut, kokum (mangosteen), vinegar, and chiles; and involves plenty of seasonal greens from fields and forests. You’ll find jackfruit paté at fine dining restaurants, cashew and kidney bean xacuti curry at local joints, stacks of dried fish at buzzing markets, and cutlet pao sandwiches at late-night food carts. Local spirits like feni and urrak make their way into experimental cocktails, while revamped taverns like Pablo’s and Peter Tavern find new fans.

In the last few years, chefs and bartenders have flocked to the region. The area boasts strong international food options, including Spanish cuisine at Isabella’s Tapas or Asian small plates at Grumps, and plenty of regional Indian restaurants, including Mizo food at Pots N Grillz, Tamilian at the Tanjore Tiffin Room, and Kashmash for Kashmiri. But Goans remain at the culinary forefront, folks like Ralph Prazeres at Praça Prazeres, Priyanka Sardessai with Larder & Folk, Avinash Martins with Cavatina, Stacy Fernandes at Saint Cloud Patisserie, and Sapna Sardessai with Kokum Curry. — Joanna Lobo

• Don’t miss
• Crescy Baptista organizes local women to serve traditional meals at the Goan Kitchen, delving deep into culinary history and doling out lessons on preservation, sausage stuffing, and layering bebinca.

Kokum Curry

Thali at Kokum Curry.

Shubhra Shankhwalker

Patoleo (stuffed turmeric leaf wraps) at Aayi’s.

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Posnov/Getty Images

The town of Kardamyli.

Messenia

Greece

Messenia checks all the boxes of a Greek paradise: gorgeous beaches, archeological sites, mythological gravitas, amazing food. These days, the mountains that once defended Sparta now shade acres of olive groves and occasionally foil sunbathers along the beaches of Kalamitsi and Delfinia. As Greece has recovered from a nearly decade-long recession and tourism has put the country among the Eurozone’s top economies, once hard-hit regions like Messenia are seeing huge financial investment. Yet, while cruise ships do dock at Kalamata (the birthplace of the famous olive), you won’t find crushing mobs of international tourists — just some Athenians on weekend escapes soaking up sun and visiting local haunts for classic Greek dishes cooked by someone’s yiayia. Join them at mom-and-pop spots like Stou Kosta Vasileiadis, where Kosta Vasileiadis and Maria Karga serve sauteed greens in tomato sauce with dill and black-eyed peas, mushrooms stuffed with vegetables and local cheese, and other dishes utilizing ingredients sourced from their neighbors. Or check out Old Kardamili Traditional Restaurant, where chef Panagiotis Kikentzis prepares kremidolmades (sweet onions stuffed with meat and rice) and kolokithokorfades (stewed tomatoes, zucchini, and dill) that’ll make you nostalgic for an idyllic Greek childhood in the country — even if you never had one. — Marisa Churchill

• Don’t miss
• With hot summers and mild winters, Messenia produces a lot of Greece’s high-quality EVOO. Olive oil expert Panagiotis Papanikolopoulos recommends brands like Stalia, Olivian, Iliada, and Nileas.

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Remy Shoots

Chef Sanza Sandile prepares a meal at Yeoville Dinner Club.

Johannesburg

South Africa

South Africa’s energetic financial capital is at the center of an emerging African food renaissance that goes well beyond kota (bread stuffed with meats, fries, and mango achaar or curry sauce) and smoky shisa nyamas (barbecue spots). While the post-apartheid dining scene has been slow to represent the full gamut of residents and their varied foodways, chefs like Wandile Mabaso of Les Créatifs, Moses Moloi of Gigi, Mpho Phalane of Food I Love You, and Thabo Phake of Obscura Cocktail Bar are finding new ways to serve African ingredients (millet and sorghum, baobab, goat meat) and South African flavors (including Cape Malay and South African Indian). The city’s Black chefs build on a network of restaurants in outlying townships (formerly segregated areas), interconnected by a sprawl of freeways that rivals LA’s. It’s easy for locals to visit family for comforting oxtail stew, morogo (wild spinach), or curried tripe, while visitors can experience the vibe of a kasi (township) like Soweto at family-run buffet Sakhumzi or Chaf Pozi at the base of the colorful Orlando Towers. Maboneng and Yeoville are home to a range of blue-collar Nigerian, Tanzanian, and Congolese restaurants; Fordsburg offers Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Arabic eateries reflecting recent immigration; and locals love Cyrildene’s Derrick Avenue for Chinese dim sum. — Ishay Govender

• Don’t miss
• Book a seat at Yeoville Dinner Club, where chef Sanza Sandile serves pan-African meals to tables of chic locals.

Remy Shoots

Scenes from Yeoville Dinner Club.

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Design Pics Editorial/Universal

Fishermen in Scotts Head, Dominica.

Dominica

When many Americans think about “Dominican food,” they think of the Dominican Republic, which isn’t surprising given the comparatively large DR diaspora in the U.S. But the other Dominican cuisine, some 600 miles away in Dominica, deserves accolades too. The island’s culinary culture is a mix of Kalinago roots (cassava breads), West African influences (callaloo and accras), and colonial accents both French (pastries and patés) and British (provision pies and puddings). Despite these international influences, many of the ingredients on the Caribbean’s Nature Isle are locally owned and grown, fueling an economy that directly empowers its stakeholders. Chefs tend farms on rich volcanic soil or acquire ingredients from relatives in tight-knit farming and fishing industries. They use this seasonal bounty to cook up a range of signature dishes like pelau (one-pot, aromatic chicken and rice), crab backs (shells stuffed with seasoned crab meat), and sancoche (codfish in savory coconut stew). Make seafood your first priority, starting with the island’s best grilled lobster at Keepin’ it Real in Toucarie, the seafood boil at Chez Wen Cuisine, or a refreshing bowl of chatou water (octopus soup) at Nets of Reef in Calibishie. With new direct flights from Newark this year and stalwart, fan-favorite resorts like Secret Bay, it’s easier than ever to dive in. — Clementine Affana

• Don’t miss
• Alongside seafood, try a traditional smoked meat braff (broth) — a thick soup brimming with potatoes, flour dumplings, local herbs, and spices — a local favorite for weekend brunch.

Eric Martin

The Zing Zing restaurant at the Secret Bay resort.

Discover Dominica

Fried shrimp at a local restaurant.

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VisualCommunications/Getty Images

Whistler, glittering in the night.

Whistler

Canada

There’s nothing like relaxing with a good meal after a long day on the slopes. Yet, many of the world’s iconic mountain towns are plagued by subpar tourist traps. That’s not the case when it comes to Whistler, a destination as beloved for its food as it is for its fresh Canadian powder. With fewer than 15,000 residents, the town punches well above its weight thanks to a steady stream of culinary talent from nearby Vancouver, a wealth of great sushi restaurants established during a boom in the ’80s, and a blend of tried-and-true classics and acclaimed contemporary fine dining.

As the town celebrates its 50th anniversary this year as a resort municipality, the restaurant scene is more dynamic than ever. At buzzworthy Wild Blue, opened in 2022, acclaimed B.C. chef Alex Chen has earned a number of accolades with stunning plates in an equally spectacular dining room. Homegrown Toptable Group continues to expand the dining scene with new and imaginative concepts, like luxe cafe Provisions Whistler, joining other noteworthy newcomers Balam and Flute and Fromage cheese shop and wine bar. Long-standing iconic eateries are also not to be ignored; the Mallard Lounge at the famed Fairmont Chateau Whistler remains the ultimate spot for a fireside apres-ski cocktail, while fine dining institution Bearfoot Bistro offers a unique balance of white linen and rowdy wine bottle sabering lessons. — Dan Clapson

• Don’t miss
• Pair a sake margarita with some original maki rolls at quirky, ’80s-era, celebrity-favorite Sushi Village.

Leila Kwok

Small bites at Toptable’s Bar Oso.

Russell Dalby

The busy kitchen at Wild Blue.

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Tizatlan

Seasonal ceviche tostada at Tizatlan.

Mérida

Mexico

Travelers once sought out Mérida as a sleepy alternative to Yucatán’s buzzy beaches, but the peninsula’s inland capital has come into its own. The new Cancún-Mérida leg of the regional Tren Maya train line will clue in even more visitors to this bastion of regional cuisine, where patrons line up at market stalls like Taquería La Lupita for relleno negro and cochinita pibil tacos, or seek out roadside vendors for fried, Lebanese-ish kibi.

Building on a solid foundation of contemporary fine dining established in the 2000s by restaurants like Nectar and K’u’uk, chefs these days are digging into their roots to develop elegant yet casual dining options for a new population of gourmands. Holoch offers a traditional salbut, usually served with turkey but here with octopus and pickled cabbage tinged with local sour orange. Pancho Maiz anchors its menu in the region’s heritage corn. And Tizatlan reinvents the Oaxacan street food classics of chef Sara Arnaud’s childhood. Warm up for any meal with a drink at Patio Petanca, where kids play pétanque as their parents sip house sotol, or cool down with a nightcap at El Malix de la 53, a speakeasy where clinking cocktail glasses mix with strains of jazz. — Lydia Carey

• Don’t miss
• Owner Ramiro Orci of Ramiro Cocina drew inspiration from his grandfather’s recipes for his deceptively simple blue corn tortilla with local cotija cheese and burnt habanera salsa.

Rodrigo Hermida

Holoch’s beef tongue barbacoa with coloradito mole.

Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images

Inside Mérida’s Mercado San Benito.

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Pawel.gaul/Getty Images

A sunny day at the Brandenburg Gate.

Berlin

Germany

Berlin is a late culinary bloomer among European capitals. The city is known for its proudly poor-but-sexy mentality, which has fostered a world-famous club scene but not much of a culinary one. In recent years, however, an influx of immigrants, foreign investment across industries, and Michelin stars have kickstarted the food scene, giving the city new confidence. Now, Berliners, once self-consciously hip and distrustful of sophistication, are leaning into the locales and foods that make the city what it is.

To eat in the new Berlin is to eat through Berlin. The lunch counter Theke offers smothered leberkäse sandwiches out of a rebuilt 1870s distillery. Wedged between the Spree and the Berlin Wall, Anima broadcasts live DJ sets while serving chanterelle-shallot tarts and confit octopus. Ei-12437-B dishes out grilled cheese with sauerkraut and vegan potato goulash in the gorgeous, lodge-like Eierhäuschen (Egg House) from the 19th century. Cocktails and dancing run late behind the unmarked door of Bar Tausend, tucked away in a disused depot of busy Friedrichstrasse Station. All of these spots bring guests up close to Berlin’s old-school cool. — Elle Carroll

• Don’t miss
• Take a dance class in the stunning, ramshackle ballroom of Clärchens Ballhaus, originally opened in 1913 and transformed by new owners into a sexy standout, before refueling with hedgehog-shaped beef tartare and classic spaghettieis for dessert.

Marina Hoppmann

A carrot dish and sunny dining room at Ei-12437-B.

Marina Hoppmann

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Ka Xiong

A vendor grills at the Luang Prabang morning market.

Luang Prabang

Laos

Laotian food is having a moment in the U.S., but it’s never been a better time to eat your way through the motherland, especially as new train routes across northern Laos make it easier to dive deep into the country’s spiritual and cultural heart, Luang Prabang (sometimes spelled Louangphrabang). In this ancient capital, where rivers and dense jungles have shaped foodways, locals sail the Mekong transporting foraged herbs, and prepare khao niew (sticky rice) every morning for saffron-robed monks who meditatively stroll the streets.

One common phrase pins Luang Prabang into place: “sabai sabai,” or “take it easy.” It inspires locals to retreat with ping gai (grilled chicken) and post-work lagers at riverside spots like Lamache Restaurant, and it motivates chefs to tenderly nurture generational culinary traditions with hyperlocal ingredients from the morning market. At the same time, there’s plenty of creativity flowing around. Young baristas expand homegrown coffee culture with Laotian beans at Coffee Express; places like Little Lao Culture Bar and chef Joy Ngeuamboupha’s Tamarind turn out Lao-inspired cocktails and an ox meat stew called or lam; and chefs across the city charcoal-grill, sun-dry, and ferment local flavors into compelling meals. — Zinara Rathnayake

• Don’t miss
• Join chef Somsack Sengta, who returned to Luang Prabang after years working in Europe, on a tour of the morning market to snack on grilled Mekong fish, jeow bong (a spicy Lao condiment made with buffalo skin), and larb.

Ka Xiong

Scenes from the Luang Prabang morning market.

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Nicolas Sanchez-Biezma/Getty Images

The port at Mindelo.

Cape Verde

Uninhabited until the 15th century, Cape Verde — also known as Cabo Verde — feels like nowhere else. The archipelago’s desert landscapes yield abundant ingredients, shaping a soulful Creole cuisine that’s influenced by West African, Portuguese, and Brazilian cuisines, yet remains entirely its own. While the country’s Macaronesian cousins (Portugal’s Azores and Madeira, Spain’s Canary Islands) have long drawn food-focused tourists, this volcanic chain of islands farther south offers a unique flavor — or rather, many unique flavors.

In São Vicente’s vibrant Mindelo, Pastelaria Morabeza serves baked goods like pasteis de nata alongside cachupa refogado: a refried, chorizo-topped version of the national dish (normally a slow-cooked stew of corn, beans, and meat or fish). Fogo’s mineral-rich volcanic slopes produce some of Africa’s most distinctive coffee and wine. On Santo Antão, terraced farms cling impossibly to mountainsides; grogue distilleries offer tastings of the island’s signature sugarcane spirit; chef Analísia Silene at Mami Wata Eco Village crafts herby hummus, house-made goat cheese, and green banana ceviche from the property’s gardens; and Casa Maracujá makes traditional feijoada using sustainable practices. And over the noise of live street music on the main drag of Sal’s Santa Maria, restaurants like LobStar, Chez Pastis, and Ocean Café compete for attention with grilled lobster, smoked fish carpaccio, and sushi, respectively. — Seunayo Osoniyi-Ugba

• Don’t miss
• The vinyl spins until late at Bombu Mininu, a cafe where conversations about art, politics, and culture flow over pastéis (turnovers) stuffed with cassava or fish.

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Connor Beebe

The dining room at Frank & Laurie’s.

Providence

Rhode Island

Providence is one of the oldest cities in the U.S., with plenty of well-established eateries to its name. But diners also embrace upstarts, making the tiny coastal town a dynamic combination of old and new. Among an exciting crop of fresh flavors, you’ll find the juicy burger from There, There, one of Eater’s Best New Restaurants in 2023; the signature bowl of chewy, tingly noodles from Subat Dilmurat’s Uyghur restaurant Jahunger; and the pizza from Robert Andreozzi’s much-talked-about Pizza Marvin. You’ll also find happy customers at 45-year-old rustic Italian restaurant Al Forno (the birthplace of grilled pizza), fancy-night-out stalwart Persimmon, and Mexican favorite Dolores.

One of the country’s top culinary schools, Johnson & Wales, supplies talented up-and-comers, while longtime hospitality leaders promote new generations of businesses. After experimental pop-up Thick Neck at the well-established Dean Hotel, in 2024 chef Eric Brown launched sunny corner cafe Frank & Laurie’s with partner Sarah Watts, serving generous slices of custardy quiche and charred pancakes dripping with maple syrup. Despite Providence’s miniscule footprint, you’ll find it tough to cover all the city’s great meals. — Erika Adams

• Don’t miss
• Swing by Gift Horse — the award-winning newcomer from the lauded Oberlin team — and sip an ice-cold martini while comparing the flavors of oysters plucked from different parts of Rhode Island’s coastline.

Jahunger

A full meal at Jahunger.

Maurisa Mackey

A pie and seafood at Pizza Marvin.

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Nicholas Gill

Traditional boats in Chiclayo.

Chiclayo

Peru

Peruvian cuisine has made huge inroads around the world, often drawing on culinary talent and prestige from Lima. But locals have long kept the secret of the Lambayeque region on Peru’s north coast, home to a completely different cuisine from the capital. While Incan influences dominate elsewhere, Lambayeque was governed by other peoples, like the Moche, who constructed gold-filled tombs in Sipán, adobe pyramid complexes at Túcume, and renowned ceramics depicting soursop, soft yellow pepino dulce, and Muscovy duck. Following a surge of restaurants focused on the region’s cuisine in Lima, and successful chefs with Chiclayo roots like Valerie and Nando Chang in Miami and Rodrigo Fernandini in New York, the word about Lambayeque, and especially its capital of Chiclayo, is getting out.

Start your visit at reliable regional restaurants like the folkloric El Cántaro or chef Hector Solís’s Fiesta, before moving onto no-frills picanterías and chicherías in surrounding villages for tortillas de raya (ray omelets), ceviche de chinguirito (made with guitarfish), and arroz con pato a la Chiclayana (duck with cilantro rice). There are also exciting openings down by the beach in Pimentel, where fishermen make ancestral reed fishing rafts and where Solis built a seafood version of his Lima restaurant La Picantería. — Nicholas Gill

• Don’t miss
• This year, Jorge Muñoz, formerly of Barcelona’s Pakta and Lima’s Astrid y Gastón, is opening Casa Riviera, combining a wood-fired seafood restaurant, cafe, food hall, and rooftop bar.

Nicholas Gill

Cocadas and bizcotelas from a street vendor in Huanchaco.

Nicholas Gill

Clay pot duck in Illimo.

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Francesco de Marco/Shutterstock

Inside the Saint-Jean-de-Luz fish market.

Saint-Jean-de-Luz

France

Tucked into France’s southwestern corner, the oft-overlooked French Basque Country is just as alluring as its Spanish sibling over the border. Nowhere is this clearer than St-Jean-de-Luz, a blend of picturesque fishing village, laid-back surf town, and retro-chic holiday spot, and the best of both Basques. Prized Espelette peppers hang in dark red garlands across shopfronts. Wine bars treat guests to boards of local Kintoa ham, sheep’s cheese, and pepper-flecked patés alongside glasses of Bordeaux. And the town even has an answer to San Sebastián’s famed cheesecake: the gateau basque, which tucks irresistible crème pâtissière or black cherry jam into a crumbly, buttery pastry.

Of course, you can always just enjoy the bounty of the Atlantic — like line-caught hake, grilled sardines, and fresh oysters — at classic regional bistros like Pil Pil Enea and slick modern restaurants like Kaïku. Everywhere you’ll find culinary rigor, finesse, and a distinct Basque pride in eating very, very well. — Lara Gilmour

• Don’t miss
• Grab a seat at the counter of Buvette de la Halle, an old-school watering hole inside the Halle food market, order yourself a plate of bonito tuna with piperade (the regional equivalent of ratatouille) and a glass of Basque cider, and ponder the impressive collection of ceramic teapots lined up over the bar.

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Marlon James

Aunty Shanty rolls dough for dahl puri.

Trinidad

Trinidad is well-known for its iconic doubles and roti. While these dishes constitute beloved home cooking for many locals, they’re not the foods driving the island’s restaurant scene today. Chefs are busy unpacking Trinidad’s historic culinary influences, which span Africa, Asia, and Europe, as well as cuisines introduced more recently to the region, including Korean and Japanese, often augmented with local ingredients.

In lush Lopinot, Café Mariposa celebrates Trinidad’s legacy of cacao harvesting with cocoa-infused chicken and artisanal chocolates. At Freebird Restaurant, another picturesque oasis, the menu wanders between tamarind sorbet, Vietnamese coffee, and Peruvian ceviche. Korean cuisine is gaining popularity at spots like Shabang Shabang bakery; an influx of Venezuelan immigrants has filled the scene with arepas, empanadas, and cachapas; and you’ll find sushi restaurants peppering the island, offering signature rolls accented with local ingredients like scotch bonnet pepper. And be sure to check out Kaiso City Pizza, which has quickly become one of the island’s most popular spots, with toppings like pak choi, smoked herring, and guava.

Note: On December 30, 2024, Trinidad and Tobago declared a 15-day state of emergency in response to reprisals between organized crime groups. The measure is designed to support law enforcement in addressing these targeted incidents. Acting Attorney General Stuart Young has assured residents that public activities remain unaffected. Visitors can continue to enjoy the island’s vibrant food culture and warm hospitality, which are integral to both its economy and community. — Stephanie Ramlogan

• Don’t miss
• For traditional Indian Trinidadian cuisine, visit Aunty Doll or Aunty Shanty: two sisters, self-proclaimed queens of the chulha (earthen stove), and rivals with devoted online followings. At their respective establishments in Fyzabad and Siparia, they continue the fireside cooking traditions of 19th-century and early 20th-century indentured immigrants.

Marlon James

Scenes from Shanty’s Trini Fireside.

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htrnr/Getty Images

Vineyards in Paso Robles.

Paso Robles

California

When you think of California wine, you likely think of Napa and Sonoma in the state’s north and Santa Barbara to the south. The state’s central coast, a beautiful stretch of California centered on Paso Robles, is making a play to become a third great wine region, delivering vivid wines without the stuffiness or prices that visitors encounter elsewhere. Wineries run the gamut from classic to ambitious. Well-established Tablas Creek imports French vine cuttings for Rhône-style wines; Epoch Estate Wines utilizes the historic soil of one of California’s first wineries; and LXV Wine blends Bordeaux traditions with Indian influences.

To pair with all that wine, Paso Robles boasts multiple Michelin-starred restaurants, a strong agricultural industry, and food communities from across Latin America. Chefs utilize the region’s local produce to fuel a Michelin-starred farm-to-table tasting menu, wood-fired meats, French classics with modern flair, and more. Paso Robles also makes an excellent base for exploring the towns of San Luis Obispo County, from SLO’s absolute block party of a farmers’ market to tri-tip at a beloved 1950s steakhouse in Santa Maria. — Mary Andino

• Don’t miss
• At LXV Wine, owners Neeta and Kunal Mittal pair glasses in tastings with Indian spice blends to bring out new sides of familiar grapes.

Kendra Aronson

Outside the Hatch.

Rebecca Sligh

In the kitchen at the Hatch.

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Bloomberg/Getty Images

A seafood stall at Moraenae Market.

Jeolla-do

South Korea

Jeolla-do draws millions of domestic tourists each year for its food, including delicacies like marinated raw crabs, soybean sprout soup, and nose hair-burning fermented skate. Only a small fraction of those travelers are international tourists, but their numbers are growing. Odds are they’re heading to Jeonju, a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in North Jeolla and the birthplace of bibimbap, where restaurants like Seongmi Dang have served Korean presidents. Or they’re going to South Jeolla, which has launched the ambitious “Meet for Deep Korea” tourism campaign with an emphasis on namdo (southern cuisine): This includes items like Gwangju’s famous oritang (duck stew) at restaurants like the 80-year-old Yeongmi Oritang, or the city’s punchy seafood kimchi that’s celebrated at an annual festival, displayed at an interactive museum, and studied at the World Institute of Kimchi. With new international hotels — like the Mercure Ambassador, set to open in historic Mokpo this year — the region is looking forward to hosting more visitors. — Vivian Song

• Don’t miss
• Experience the region’s famed hanjeongsik, a traditional Korean full-course meal, at spots like Songhak Hanjeongsik in Gwangju or Yangbanga in Jeonju, where tables groan under the weight of copious banchan dishes.

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Raul Him

Andrea Pinzón at work at Baran Blü.

Panama City

Panama

Panama City connects the Western Hemisphere, linking North and South America and the Caribbean to the Pacific. Alongside traditional fondas, casual seafood spots, and the city’s robust dim sum scene, a generation of internationally trained chefs are engaging with the country’s historic role as a crossroads, spotlighting flavors and ingredients of people — including enslaved Africans and Chinese immigrants — who not only passed through Panama but made it what it is today.

Chef Isaac Villaverde at La Tapa del Coco, a pioneer in Afro Panamanian cuisine, features one-pot colonense, a hearty combination of coconut, rice, pork ribs, beans, and shrimp that’s cherished along the Caribbean coast. At Maito, chef Mario Castrellón describes his cuisine as “Chombasia,” his own term that represents the unique fusion created by Panama’s Cantonese, African, Indian, and Creole communities; for his pesca Chombasia, he applies a mixture of Afro Caribbean ingredients and smoky wok hei to the daily catch. Other restaurants, bars, and cafes find inspiration in the country’s Creole cuisines, its array of Indian spices, its plentiful produce, its famed Geisha coffee beans, and more. As new hotels pop up among the city’s colonial-era buildings, one of Central America’s most popular tourism destinations is getting even better. — Rafael Tonon

• Don’t miss
• At Baran Blü, chef Andrea Pinzón runs vegetable-focused cooking workshops, but her private dinner service also acts as a master class in local vegetables, fruits, flowers, and roots.

Raul Him

Roasted cabbage and beignet at Baran Blü.

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Credits

Editorial lead

Nick Mancall-Bitel

Creative director

Nat Belkov

Project manager

Erin DeJesus

Contributors

Erika Adams, Clementine Affana, Mary Andino, Elle Carroll, Lydia Carey, Marisa Churchill, Dan Clapson, Meha Desai, Nicholas Gill, Lara Gilmour, Ishay Govender, Joanna Lobo, Seunayo Osoniyi-Ugba, Stephanie Ramlogan, Zinara Rathnayake, Vivian Song, Kayla Stewart, Rafael Tonon

Photographers

Marlon James, Remy Shoots, Ka Xiong

Designer

Lille Allen

Copy editors

Nadia Q. Ahmad, Amanda Luansing

Fact checker

Kelsey Lannin

Engagement editors

Zoe Becker, Kaitlin Bray, Frances Dumlao, E Jamar

Special thanks to

Monica Burton, Missy Frederick, Brittany Britto Garley, Ellie Krupnick, Jess Mayhugh, Stephanie Wu

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