World’s Best Cities for Food Lovers: Top Cities Include Tokyo, Rome and NYC + Tom Cruise To Close Paris Olympics

The world’s best city for foodies is Tokyo, Japan, with the most Michelin-star restaurants and budget-friendly dining options starting at $44 USD.

Research conducted by AHTI Games looked at more than 50 cities worldwide to discover the globe’s top destinations for food lovers. It found that Italy has the highest number of fine dining restaurants, with 87 earning a Michelin star. London and New York City are hosting the most food festivals and events this year, with five each.

AHTI considered several key metrics, includingthe number of Michelin star restaurants, the cost of a mid-range three-course meal, the number of food festivals and culinary events, the number of cheap eats, mid-range, and fine dining restaurants listed on TripAdvisor, and the average ratings for top restaurants. Each city’s composite score was based on these comprehensive metrics, clearly showing the best culinary cities to visit.

Here are the top 10 cities, and a few notable destinations, including Canada.

CITY                                 TOTAL FOODIE SCORE

TOKYO                             40.0

LONDON                         37.1

ROME                              36.1

PARIS                              35.7

NEW YORK CITY         33.3

BARCELONA                28.6

MADRID                        28.1

SINGAPORE                 27.7

BANGKOK                    26.3

OSAKA                           25.1

 

OTHER NOTABLES

13th LOS ANGELES (22.9)

19th: LISBON (19.8)

21st: ATHENS (18.3)

22nd: MEXICO CITY (18.3)

23rd: SAN FRANCISCO (18.2)

26th: MUMBAI (16.3)

27th: MELBOURNE (15.8)

28th: MONTREAL (13.7)

29th: SYDNEY (12.9)

34th: NEW ORLEANS (9.7)

35th: HAVANA (9.6)

Neither Toronto nor Vancouver made the top 35. Big U.S. cities such as Chicago and Miami also failed to crack the top 35.

I doubt London would’ve made the list 20 years ago, but the city’s culinary reputation has been growing steadily the past few years. I’m sure the folks in Paris won’t be happy to finish behind both London and Rome, but there you go.

TOM CRUISE TO CLOSE PARIS OLYMPIC GAMES?

Architectural Digest says Tom Cruise will close the Paris Olympics by skydiving onto the Hollywood sign.

It seems Cruise or a stunt double will rappel down onto the field from the top of the 115-foot Stade de France with the official Olympic flag to close the ceremonies. The TV feed will then switch to a video of Cruise skydiving onto the Hollywood sign high above Los Angeles, which will host the Summer Games in 2028.

CABOT GOLF ADDS FIRST COURSE IN FRANCE

The Cabot Collection, widely known as the fastest growing golf destination brand, has expanded its award-winning portfolio to include Cabot Bordeaux.

Formerly known as Golf Du Médoc Resort, Cabot’s first location in continental Europe is situated in the iconic destination of Bordeaux, France, known as the wine capital of the world. Nestled across 400 acres, the property includes two 18-hole championship golf courses, a 79-room hotel, a charming restaurant, and a world-class spa. The resort will be renewed with updated design elements while preserving its historic charm and interior design updates will be led by acclaimed UK-based design firm Russell Sage Studio.

Cabot Bordeaux joins a growing portfolio of The Cabot Collection properties that includes Cabot Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, Cabot Highlands in Scotland, Cabot Saint Lucia in the Caribbean, Cabot Revelstoke in British Columbia and Cabot Citrus Farms in Florida.

Cabot was begun by Toronto resident Ben Cowan-Dewar and has become one of the top golf course brands in the world.