Europe's most authentic food destinations

That’s why we’ve uncovered the European cities that offer the most authentic culinary experiences, helping travellers skip the tourist traps and head straight to the places where traditional food is at the heart of local culture.

We’ve also partnered with Irini Tzortzoglou, UK MasterChef winner and host of our food and wine in Crete holiday.

According to Irini:

To find Europe’s most authentic food destinations, we analysed 5,000 restaurants across 125 European cities. Our research used Google review data for each restaurant to see how often diners included words like “authentic” and “traditional” in their reviews. This was then combined with a sentiment score (the higher the number, the more positive the sentiment) to find the ultimate authentic food cities.

Traditional Hungarian street food at one of the stalls in the streets of Budapest

Budapest tops the ranking with a score of 98/100. Paprika is a staple of Hungarian food, so their most iconic dishes include Goulash (Gulyás), a rich beef stew, and Chicken Paprikash (Csirkepaprikás), a creamy paprika-infused chicken stew.

Budapest also has a thriving street food scene. One must-try dish in Budapest is Lángos, a deep-fried flatbread often served with toppings like sour cream, garlic, and cheese. For those with a sweeter tooth, you can find traditional Hungarian chimney cakes (Kürtőskalács), which are cylindrical, sugary pastries with a crispy outside.

Looking to tick off three of the top 10 most authentic food cities? Our Vienna, Prague and Budapest tour is perfect for combining the culture, history, and authentic flavours of central Europe.

Traditional Greek cuisine horiatiki, shrimp saganaki and grilled octopus

Ranking second is Piraeus in Greece with a rating of 97/100. Piraeus is home to Greece’s largest harbour, meaning there’s plenty of fresh seafood on offer, from muscles to bakaliaros (golden, crispy fried cod). Another local staple Horta, which is typically made from steamed greens and weeds such as dandelion, nettles and wild spinach – as well as the classic Greek salad (Horiatiki salata).

In Piraeus, you’ll also find fresh Loukoumades, which are deep-fried desserts bathed in syrup or honey. They’re one of the oldest recorded desserts in Greek history and were said to have been given to winning Olympians as a treat.

Piraeus is one of many stops on the Ancient Greece & an Idyllic Aegan Cruise. Irini recommends trying the seafood and fish, such as grilled octopus, kakavia fish soup, and fried whitebait.

A table full of traditional Greek cuisine. Moussaka, gyros, souvlaki, pita and olives

Considered to be the heart of Greece, Athens ranks third with a score of 96/100 and the highest review sentiment in the top 10. With travellers around the world craving popular Greek dishes like Gyros and Souvlaki, it’s no surprise that Athens’ authentic restaurants receive such rave reviews.

Some more unique dishes to try include Avgolemono, a Greek soup made with whisked eggs and lemon juice, and Fava, a dip made from yellow split peas, onions, and spices. When in Greece, one of the best ways to try local foods is through meze, where you can sample a variety of small dishes.

Irini commented:

A traditional Austrian meal of schnitzel served with potato salad in a restaurant in Vienna

Ranking fourth, Vienna in Austria achieves a final score of 94/100. Its most iconic dish is without a doubt the Wiener schnitzel – breaded pan-fried veal cutlet. The dish is so significant that it is protected under Austrian law and must be made with veal to be called “Wiener schnitzel”.

Aside from Schnitzel, when in Vienna, you’ll get the chance to try a traditional apple strudel (Apfelstrudel) – one of Austria’s most popular desserts. You’ll find many variations of strudel in Vienna, from topfenstrudel (made with sweetened quark cheese) to millirahmstrudel (a milk-cream strudel with sweet bread, raisins, and cream). Austrian cuisine takes pride in its old traditional pastry desserts, guaranteeing high-quality treats during your visit.

Polish pierogies with sour cream and parsley

Rounding out the top five, Krakow in Poland achieved a score of 92/100, with the highest volume of reviews referencing authenticity.

Dating back to the 7th century, Krakow is steeped in history and tradition, a quality evident in its food. Traditional Polish food is rich in meats, bread, and pickles, and many Polish dishes take a long time to prepare. Pierogi is a well-loved Polish dish made of small dumplings that can be boiled or fried and come with a variety of fillings, from smoked salmon and meats to lentils or sauerkraut.

Sweet pierogi is also popular with locals, especially in summer when they're served with sour cream and sugar – one popular variety is pierogi z jagodami, which is filled with wild blueberries.

Bustling restaurants and food markets can provide a great atmosphere, but if you’re looking for a quieter destination that’s a culinary delight, we have you covered. To uncover less crowded foodie destinations, we focused our analysis on cities with lower tourism volume but still a high review sentiment and authenticity score.

Our study found Heraklion, Greece, ranked top for authentic food away from the crowds, with a total score of 91/100. Vila Nova de Gaia (Portugal) and Pula (Croatia) also placed in the top five, alongside Thessaloniki and Kalamata – highlighting Greece as the perfect destination for a quieter culinary escape.

Hear Irini’s recommendations for top dishes to try in this region:

If your go-to holiday destination is missing from the top 10, fear not. We’ve broken down the most authentic foodie cities in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, helping you plan your next culinary adventure.

Leading the way is Milan (81/100). Must-tries include Risotto alla Milanese and Panettone – best enjoyed with an Aperol Spritz in the Italian sun. Bologna follows closely, cementing its reputation as the pasta capital and birthplace of Bolognese. Florence ranks third with 74/100, home of the legendary Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a thick-cut steak cooked until rare.

In Portugal, Porto ranks first, followed by Amadora and Vila Nova de Gaia. Beyond the famous pastéis de nata, Portugal offers hearty breads such as pão alentejano and bolo do caco, Iberian hams, and beautifully grilled seafood. The country is also home to piri-piri chicken, a global favourite.

It’s no surprise that Madrid comes first, with plenty of restaurants serving classic dishes such as gambas al ajillo (garlic prawns) and croquetas de jamón (ham croquettes). Barcelona takes second place, with its coastal location making it a hotspot for seafood. In third is Seville, the birthplace of the bocadillo serranito – a baguette filled with pork, Serrano ham, green peppers, and tomato.

And of course, no Spain holiday is complete without stopping at a tapas bar or churrería for freshly made churros and hot chocolate.