Some of the best memories made abroad happen while breaking bread over a dining table.
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Alongside your passport, boarding ticket, a spare pair of jeans and universal adapter plug, it may also be worth packing your appetite.
That is certainly the message behind National Geographic’s Best of the World 2026 list for food. Ranking 15 of the best places for food right now, the list spotlights the destinations with the best flavours.
The magazine brought together its global writers and editors to compile this year’s list of the world’s most delicious and intriguing places to eat, with several European destinations making the cut.
“More than a pin on a map, these top spots reveal hidden histories, rising culinary stars, and surprising flavours that will leave you hungry for more,” National Geographic said.
The destinations and traditions on the list
For National Geographic, food on the island is more than just “sustenance”.
Crete, where as many as 40 million olive trees thrive, is the first European destination highlighted in the ranking. The combination of mountains, sea and plenty of sunshine has shaped an island that is rich in fruits, veggies and some of the world’s finest extra-virgin olive oil.
For instance, peas and asparagus typically are harvested in early spring; beans, cucumbers and aubergines from May; tomatoes, potatoes and squashes throughout the summer; and carrots, beetroot and avocados during the winter.
And "that’s just a snapshot", said the Discover Greece website. "It’s an island that never ceases to surprise."
In fact, the largest Greek island is also credited as laying the blueprint for the science-backed Mediterranean Diet, which emphasises plant-based eating while limiting processed foods for better health.
Named as one of the European Regions of Gastronomy this year by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism, Crete and its cuisine is said to be more authentic the further inland and the more remote visitors venture.
When it comes to dairy, Crete has a second weapon in its arsenal, “staka”, a clarified butter made from ewe’s or goat’s cream.
Cheese fans will also not be out of place on the island, where delicatessans and supermarkets are brimming full with varieties, from myzithra, pichtogalo or xigalo.
Myzithra cheese is a feature in boureki, a speciality of the port city of Chania, consisting of layers of potatoes, courgettes, or pumpkin during the winters, the cheese itself and mint.
While both staka and local cheese are used to add flavour to kreatotourta, a meat pie of either boiled goat or lamb, layered with mint, seasonings, staka and cheese.
France also isn’t the only destination to have developed a taste for snails. The molluscs have been enjoyed in Crete since around 3000 BCE, with one of the island’s best-known dishes being chochlioi boubouristi. Snails are pan fried in olive oil, rosemary and vinegar and served with a side of boiled wild greens.
For travellers with a sweet tooth, Cretan cheese also finds its way into sweet treats. One example is kalitsounia lichnarakia, which is a delicate morsel of pastry filled with a cheese such as myzithra, and infused with cinnamon and honey for a sweet take on local culinary traditions.
Where to eat in Crete
Last year, UK newspaper The Telegraph compiled its list of the 21 best restaurants on the island, with choices from fine dining to cheaper eats.
In the coastal town of Agios Nikolaos in eastern Crete, La Bouillabaisse offers menus that change with the seasons and a view of Mirabello Bay. Booking a reservation, especially closest to the edge of the terrace for the best views, was recommended, alongside ordering tender kleftiko lamb marinated in garlic, lemon juice and olive oil and slow-cooked in parchment.
Elsewhere, in the Old Town of Chania, To Pigadi tou Tourkou, which translates as the “well of the Turk”, serves up flavours from Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon and, of course, as the name suggests, Türkiye. For travellers looking for an alternative to Cretan fare on the island, dishes on the menu include Turkish pizza and lamb dishes.
The Telegraph also recommended Thigaterra in Heraklion for its take on "siga siga", which means slowly, slowly. Championing the art of eco-gastronomy, the restaurant's recipes feature organically farmed ingredients.
National Geographic picked out Chrisostomos, a traditional taverna in Chania. The magazine highlighted its hearty helpings of tsigariasto lamb – “simply seasoned with salt and cooked slowly in olive oil to maximise flavour”.