Lagos, the one in Nigeria (because there is another in Portugal) has just been recognized as one of the world’s top 20 cities for food by Time Out, a global media and hospitality brand.
This was disclosed after their recent survey where Time Out asked thousands of residents worldwide about their city’s food scene. According to Time Out, “each city was ranked according to quality and affordability ratings, alongside a score from a panel of Time Out food experts – editors, food critics and Time Out Market chefs – who were asked to share their insights into the most exciting cities for food right now.”
Lagos stood out, especially for its affordability: 88% of locals said it’s inexpensive to enjoy a drink, and 68% found dining out to be budget-friendly. When describing Lagos’s food, 78% of residents chose “delicious,” while 58% used words like “healthy,” “traditional,” and “convenient.”
According to this list, Lagos stood out as number seven among all these other cities with New Orleans grabbing the top spot.
Here is a look at some of these cities.
1. New Orleans
93 percent of the locals in New Orleans locals rated the city highly for restaurants and eating out – the third-highest percentage of all cities surveyed. New Orleans also got great reviews from food experts, making it the best place to eat out in 2025 according to Time Out.
2. Bangkok
For Bangkok, the food was seen as generally great and you can basically make anything you want. 86 percent of locals also called the food ‘amazing’ ‘delicious’, followed by ‘fast and convenient’ and ‘diverse’.
3. Medellín
Medellín which came in third position was ranked as the most budget-friendly city for food on the list, with 89 percent of locals saying going to a restaurant is affordable and 94 percent saying it’s cheap to grab a coffee.
4. Cape Town
Cape Town made it to the among top 20 best cities in the world for food because it is one city where there really is something to cater to all tastes (and budgets). With influences from Asia, Europe and across Africa, Cape Town is known for packing a punch when it comes to flavour.
5. Madrid
Madrid is seen as one of the world’s most exciting culinary cities according to Time Out and Madrileños were also the most likely group to describe food in their city as both ‘diverse’ and ‘experimental’ – a tasty combo.
6. Mexico City
Mexico City where locals can “talk about food all day long,” was the sixth among top 20 best cities in the world for food. According to the locals, (80 percent of them) the restaurant and dining scene in Mexico City was either ‘good’ or ‘amazing’, while 68 percent would describe the food as ‘delicious’.
7. Lagos, Nigeria
Lagos was also part of the top 20 best cities in the world for food as it was described as one city where food is woven into culture, history, and daily life according to Time Out. It was said that the dynamic food scene in Lagos “reflects the country’s diverse heritage, from smoky suya from Northern Nigeria to rich Igbo delicacies like Ofe Nsala, a spiced white soup made with catfish.”
Lagos was also ranked as the second-most affordable city for eating and drinking, while adding that food in Lagos is ‘delicious’, ‘healthy’, ‘traditional’ and ‘convenient’.
8. Shanghai
Shanghai is China’s epicentre for dining according to Time Out. The dining scene in China’s culinary capital and how diverse and trendy the city’s food scene is also made it rank high among the top 20 best cities in the world for food by Time Out.
9. Paris
Paris had major pints for being the world’s gourmet capital, but dropped to number nine because of it is the second-least affordable city for food on the list, according to the survey. According to the locals, the city’s food scene is seen as both ‘gourmet’ and ‘trendy’.
10. Jakarta
Jakarta is also among the top 20 best cities in the world for food due to its diverse food scene according to Time Out. According to the report, “numerous ethnic groups across Indonesia’s vast archipelago have made their mark here, as have Dutch, Chinese, Arab and Indian cultures.” In addition, seventy-five percent of the locals in Jakarta would describe the culinary offering as ‘diverse’, while 73 percent would call food in Jakarta ‘delicious’.
Others on the list of top 20 best cities in the world for food were;
11. Marrakech, Morocco
12. Lima, Peru
13. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
14. Mumbai, India
15. Abu Dhabi, UAE
16. Cairo, Egypt
17. Porto, Portugal
18. Montreal, Canada
19. Naples, Italy
20. San Jose, Costa Rica
Do you agree with the ranking on this list?
