It’s hardly a secret that London has one of the finest and most diverse culinary scenes on the planet. Oysters, jollof, baklava, dim sum, ceviche, you name it – whatever you happen to be craving, there will be a restaurant in London that can sort you out. And whatever kind of vibe you’re after – from ultra-posh dining room to hangover-curing caff – you’ll have no problem finding it.
Chefs, kitchens and street food stalls are a huge part of what makes a good city great. So each and every year, Time Out hits up city-dwellers across the planet to get a sense of the food scene where they are. For Time Out’s Best Cities for Food with Intrepid Travel 2026, we asked 24,000 locals the overall quality of the food scene where they live, how affordable it is to eat out and the food spots they believe their city does best.
How did our beloved Big Smoke do? In this year’s ranking, London placed fourth, underneath Mexico City in third place, Bangkok in second and Lima in first.
Of every city on the list, London received the highest overall rating for the quality of its food scene. An impressive 96 percent of Londoners told us that eating out in the UK capital is either ‘good’ or ‘amazing’. The city is most lauded for its fancier establishments, with 60 percent of respondents telling us that upmarket and special occasion restaurants are what the capital does best.
Time Out London’s food and drink editor, Leonie Cooper, wrote that ‘London is currently at peak chic due to a boom in lavish but fun Italian openings’ such as Osteria Vibrato, Auguste, Martino’s and Tiella. She added that ‘pub pizza is also the taste of 2026, with residences from Dough Hands, Short Road, Hot Saint and Little Earthquakes making London’s boozers even better places to hang out’.
And, if you order just one thing in the city this year, Leonie said that it’s got to be ‘something outrageously offally’ (such as cassoulet made with pig snouts) from French restaurant, and Time Out’s brand new number one restaurant in the city, Camille in Borough Market.
So why didn’t London rank higher, you ask? Well, the price of dining in the capital held it back from claiming the top spot. Less than half of locals (42 percent) agreed that going out for a meal out here is affordable. There are plenty of delicious budget options if you know where to look, though. Chinese Tapas House does jiangbing pancakes for £6, Shree Krishna Vada Pav in Vauxhall does excellent vada from £2.50 and M Manze does top class pie and mash for just £6.55. You can discover all of London’s best cheap eats here.
Dig into Time Out’s Best Cities for Food with Intrepid Travel here.
Ready to see the world’s best cities for yourself? Book your next trip with Intrepid Travel and start planning the ultimate adventure today. Renowned for the ‘best small group trips’ around, Intrepid is all about locally led adventures that find the sweet spot between authentic cultural experiences and responsible tourism. Trips span more than 100 destinations – from trekking the Inca Trail in Peru to street-food discoveries in Japan and desert camping beneath the stars in Morocco.
And feast your eyes on Time Out’s ultimate guide to the greatest restaurants in London.
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