Italy, Greece And Portugal Crowned The World’s Best Countries For Food In 2026

Hosting a Pizza Party Will Be The Most Fun You Have All Summer-Here’s Exactly How to Do It – Image for illustrative purposes only (Image credits: Unsplash)Condé Nast Traveller's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards put Italy, Greece and Portugal in the top three spots for food.[1] Europe took the whole podium, and the gaps between the three countries are tiny. Anyone planning a trip around meals has plenty to think about.

This is a readers' vote, so it measures traveller sentiment and not a technical audit of cuisine. Other 2026 rankings use different methods and sometimes reach different answers. Read together, though, they show why these three Mediterranean and Atlantic food cultures keep coming up.

How The Ranking Was Built (Image Credits: Unsplash)

The results come from the magazine's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, which asked readers to rate their favourite destinations.[1] Voting ran from April 1 to June 30, and Condé Nast calculated the final scores from respondents' ratings.[1] So this is a survey of people who travel, not a panel of judges.

Readers rated destinations on a five point scale from excellent to poor, and the average was converted into a percentage.[1] That explains why the scores bunch so closely. A difference of a few tenths of a point doesn't separate the countries much, so the top three are better seen as a cluster than a strict order.

Italy Takes First Place (Image Credits: Unsplash)

Italy came first with a score of 96.92 percent.[1] The regional specialities run from pizza in Naples and cannoli in Sicily to risotto in Milan, which gives travellers reasons to go beyond the tourist trails.[1] That regional depth is probably the simplest explanation for its lead.

Italy's strength in these lists isn't new. Back in 2013, readers of the British edition of Condé Nast Traveller named Italy their favourite travel destination for the second year in a row, largely for its food and culture.[2] Staying on top over more than a decade suggests the result is not a passing trend.

Emilia-Romagna And The Case For Going Deeper (Image Credits: Pixabay)

Condé Nast Traveller points to Emilia-Romagna as especially worth a look for its rich food heritage.[1] The region is the birthplace of Parmesan, prosciutto, balsamic vinegar and the ragù behind one of the world's best known pasta dishes.[1] A single region covers a lot of what people picture when they think of Italian food.

It's a useful reminder that "Italian food" is really many local cuisines. Planning around one region, instead of hopping between the big cities, tends to make a food trip feel more focused. The ranking's own examples, from Naples to Sicily to Milan, point the same way.

Greece Finishes Just Behind (Image Credits: Unsplash)

Greece scored 96.72 percent, and its fresh seafood, traditional tavernas and regional cooking helped it secure the runner up spot.[1] That left it just 0.20 points behind Italy and ahead of Portugal and Japan.[3] By the numbers, it was a very close race.

The food scene varies between the mainland and the islands.[1] A separate Condé Nast Traveller list of food destinations for 2026 also featured the island of Crete, as the first European entry.[4] Greek cooking is clearly appreciated both as a national cuisine and as a set of local ones.

Portugal Arrives As The Highest New Entry (Image Credits: Pixabay)

Portugal scored 96.57 percent, making it the highest ranking new entry on this year's list.[1] That's a notable jump for a country that has often been overshadowed by its neighbour Spain in food conversations. Here it finished ahead of Spain, which came seventh.

Condé Nast Traveller highlights the seafood on the Atlantic coastline, from grilled sardines to seafood stews and clam rice.[1] The same write up notes that Lisbon's pastel de nata, the flaky custard tart best eaten warm, has become a destination worthy snack in its own right. It's an easy treat to justify planning a morning around.

The Rest Of The Top Eight (Image Credits: Unsplash)

Behind the podium, the list stays international. Japan placed fourth with 96.00 percent,[1] followed by Turkey, Indonesia, Spain and Thailand, which scored 95.31 percent in eighth place.[1] Several Asian cuisines sit in the top eight, so Europe's dominance doesn't extend to the whole list.

One oddity is worth knowing about. Indonesia actually scored higher than Turkey despite appearing one place lower, and Time Out kept the order as published by Condé Nast Traveller.[1] It's a small detail, but it's another sign that the margins are slim and the ordering shouldn't be over read.

What Other 2026 Rankings Say (Image Credits: Pixabay)

The TasteAtlas 2026 report, which is built on user ratings of dishes, tells a familiar story at the top. Italy scored 4.64 and Greece 4.60, with Peru close behind at 4.54.[5] Portugal and Spain are listed next, both with ratings of 4.53.[6] Italy and Greece lead there too, and Portugal sits just outside the top three.

Not every list agrees, however. Travel And Tour World's 2026 food destinations list put Mexico first, with Italy second and Spain third.[7] Greece and Portugal both appeared in its top ten.[7] Different methods produce different winners, but Italy, Greece and Portugal appear in the upper tier of every list I've seen here.

Hospitality Is Part Of The Picture (Image Credits: Unsplash)

Food rarely stands alone in how people rate a destination. Greece was voted the world's best country by UK readers of Condé Nast Traveller, also earning distinctions for its cuisine, beaches, hospitality and accommodation.[3] Its overall score was 98.14 in the Readers' Choice Awards announced on October 6.[8]

Portugal gets a similar lift from its welcome. Porto was voted Europe's friendliest city, with Lisbon second, in Condé Nast Traveller's readers' ranking.[9] A readers' poll can't prove that hospitality improves the meal, but it does suggest that how a place treats visitors shapes how the food is remembered.

Italy, Greece and Portugal earned the top three spots in Condé Nast Traveller's 2026 food ranking by very small margins. The result reflects what readers enjoyed most, and other 2026 lists such as TasteAtlas back up Italy and Greece at the top while ranking Portugal a little lower. Mexico's first place in a different list is a good reminder to treat any single ranking as one view among several.

The practical takeaway is simple. Pick a region, eat what's local and in season, and let the meals shape the trip. The best food country, in the end, is the one where you actually sit down and enjoy the table.