What region is considered your country’s culinary capital?
June 13, 2025
What is considered the culinary capital of your country?
26 comments
That’s a really really weird question.
We have none.
And the other European countries that I know fairly well no obvious answer pop into my mind except maybe for France.
Maybe ask for something more specific like wine
Italy has a lot, but I’d say probably Emilia-Romagna is considered the ‘food capital ‘… the area around Bologna in particular.
It has lots of specialities that are well known both abroad and in Italy.
The food is pretty good in most parts of the country though… personally I prefer the local food in Sicily,Campania and Puglia.
I wouldn’t say a region but Lyon is generally regarded as the culinary capital of France. Every region has diverse and excellent food.
Silesian, Galician (including Podhalan) and Eastern Poland. It’s hard to say what region, because each region has a little bit different cuisine.
Amsterdam has a the highest concentration of fancy resteaurants, but the food is not better than in Utrecht.
The Hague has the largest asian communities, and therefore has the best asian food, but not per se the the best food overall.
There is not a single culaniary captical.
Our what?
We have cities known for a specific produce but no standout capital.
Ireland isn’t really centralised, outside of Dublin where there’s everything (for a steep price). If I had to take a punt, maybe Wexford.
You won’t find a town that doesn’t think that they have at least one typical dish that’s as good as the “famous” ones.
Birmingham has the finest British Indian cuisine in all of the UK
Think in Norway food is too much seen as nutrition rather than food/enjoyment.. Think we more have parts of country that are known for certain food.. than areas/places with highly regarded micheling restaurants.. Despite having some of them..
I cannot really reply without offending the rest of the country, so I will pass…
^(It’s Burgundy and by far.)
Niš, hands down, and it’s not even close. There is not a single part of Serbia that is a culinary lightweight, each region really does have something special to offer, but traditional restaurants in and around Niš are, quite simply, legendary.
The Basque Country, there is even a uni called the Basque Culinary Centre.
Antwerp has 15 restaurants with Michelin stars. 1 more than Brussels despite having only half the population.
Don’t think Finland has one because each region has their own specialties when it comes to food.. They might even differ within the region itself too.
Spain is a bit complicated, cause I think every region is going to claim that they are the culinary capital. The food scene is really diverse throughout the country. But I would say the most renowned both in Spain and internationally is the Basque Country
Ireland doesn’t really have a traditional culinary capital but Cork is definitely pushing to be that(officially) and the food there is great but not a huge tradition so I’d say Cork is on its way to being the culinary capital of Ireland.
Thessaloniki for Greece, I believe UNESCO has named us as such officially. And as a local, I concur.
Eh Hungary isn’t really big or refined enough for that. Rather, authentic cuisine can be found in local taverns (tavern=csárda).
Of course, if you go to Budapest you can find good spots and even Michelin star restaurants, but it won’t be an authentic folksy vibe, because it’s a cosmopolitan city. Szeged is good if you like fish soup.
Germany is very regional. Every Region will claim they have the best food. Bavaria has all the stuff Americans would know from tv but in my opinion it’s average at best, if anything just a downgraded version of Austrian cuisine.
My personal favorites are palatine with their amazing Saumagen and hessian food like Rips, potatoes with green sauce or handcheese with music but I won’t say no to a Ruhrpott Currywurst, a Swabian dumpling in clear soup or a Fish breadroll in Hamburg.
I don’t think I have a region where I don’t like the food, personally not a fan of any of the GDR stuff but all those regions have so many other great things to eat.
If you don’t want to eat German food while here, definitely go to Berlin because they have the best international selection with Frankfurt as a close second (but that also has the hessian stuff like green sauce, Handcheese and whatnot)
Depends on what you’re after.
The Southwest probably wins on highest quality fresh produce (seafood, meat, cheese, fruit, etc) with regards to more traditional food.
Most of the pubs I’ve been to which are really really good at unsophisticated ‘proper’ pub food without being too restaurant-adjacent have been in the rural North (Yorkshire, Cumbria, etc).
London is in its own league for globalisation and sheer array of choices as well as more premium fine dining options.
Birmingham is the capital of Anglo-Indian or British Indian Restaurant cooking and has innovations like desi pubs (it’s a pub, but they do Indian grills etc, absolutely elite) as well as being the home of the balti.
I would say the southern part of the country. Although we dont have an extensive cuisine, the southern part value food more. Or as we say a bourgondian lifestyle. The southern part is catholic instead of protestant and therefore have more common with southern cultures like Belgium and France. I would guess Maastricht is a good contender, but Limburg and Noord-Brabant region in general.
Literally none. Maybe it’s because the size, but whole country is the region lol. Literally can’t think of a single culinary siginificant region. Maybe [Liptov](https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liptov_%28regi%C3%B3n%29#/media/S%C3%BAbor:Slovakia_Liptov.gif), which is considered to be home of bryndza, but that’s all I get. Of course, most “better” restaurants are in capital.
I don’t think there is one in Sweden, and I’ve never really heard discussion about “overall” food capital.
The thing people discuss the most is honestly where the best kebab is, and I can confidently say it ain’t in Stockholm.
This post enforced the view of a european divide; Northern Europe doesn’t really care, and Mediterranean Europe has so much pride in food.
I’d say the north Minho/Trás-os-montes region, being the oldest part of Portugal it has a long culinary tradition with most of the staple portuguese dishes coming from there. Its also the major wine producing region, and has a long tradition of food fairs dedicated to various regional dishes that attract people from all over the country and even internationally.
26 comments
That’s a really really weird question.
We have none.
And the other European countries that I know fairly well no obvious answer pop into my mind except maybe for France.
Maybe ask for something more specific like wine
Italy has a lot, but I’d say probably Emilia-Romagna is considered the ‘food capital ‘… the area around Bologna in particular.
It has lots of specialities that are well known both abroad and in Italy.
The food is pretty good in most parts of the country though… personally I prefer the local food in Sicily,Campania and Puglia.
I wouldn’t say a region but Lyon is generally regarded as the culinary capital of France. Every region has diverse and excellent food.
Silesian, Galician (including Podhalan) and Eastern Poland. It’s hard to say what region, because each region has a little bit different cuisine.
Amsterdam has a the highest concentration of fancy resteaurants, but the food is not better than in Utrecht.
The Hague has the largest asian communities, and therefore has the best asian food, but not per se the the best food overall.
There is not a single culaniary captical.
Our what?
We have cities known for a specific produce but no standout capital.
Ireland isn’t really centralised, outside of Dublin where there’s everything (for a steep price). If I had to take a punt, maybe Wexford.
You won’t find a town that doesn’t think that they have at least one typical dish that’s as good as the “famous” ones.
Birmingham has the finest British Indian cuisine in all of the UK
Think in Norway food is too much seen as nutrition rather than food/enjoyment.. Think we more have parts of country that are known for certain food.. than areas/places with highly regarded micheling restaurants.. Despite having some of them..
Hardanger – Fruits
Toten – Potatoes
Lofoten – Fish
Rogaland – Vegetables
etc..
So it’s pretty much spread around the country..
I cannot really reply without offending the rest of the country, so I will pass…
^(It’s Burgundy and by far.)
Niš, hands down, and it’s not even close. There is not a single part of Serbia that is a culinary lightweight, each region really does have something special to offer, but traditional restaurants in and around Niš are, quite simply, legendary.
The Basque Country, there is even a uni called the Basque Culinary Centre.
Antwerp has 15 restaurants with Michelin stars. 1 more than Brussels despite having only half the population.
Don’t think Finland has one because each region has their own specialties when it comes to food.. They might even differ within the region itself too.
Spain is a bit complicated, cause I think every region is going to claim that they are the culinary capital. The food scene is really diverse throughout the country. But I would say the most renowned both in Spain and internationally is the Basque Country
Ireland doesn’t really have a traditional culinary capital but Cork is definitely pushing to be that(officially) and the food there is great but not a huge tradition so I’d say Cork is on its way to being the culinary capital of Ireland.
Thessaloniki for Greece, I believe UNESCO has named us as such officially. And as a local, I concur.
Eh Hungary isn’t really big or refined enough for that. Rather, authentic cuisine can be found in local taverns (tavern=csárda).
[https://magyarkonyhaonline.hu/toplistak/top-10-legjobb-csarda](https://magyarkonyhaonline.hu/toplistak/top-10-legjobb-csarda)
Of course, if you go to Budapest you can find good spots and even Michelin star restaurants, but it won’t be an authentic folksy vibe, because it’s a cosmopolitan city. Szeged is good if you like fish soup.
Germany is very regional. Every Region will claim they have the best food. Bavaria has all the stuff Americans would know from tv but in my opinion it’s average at best, if anything just a downgraded version of Austrian cuisine.
My personal favorites are palatine with their amazing Saumagen and hessian food like Rips, potatoes with green sauce or handcheese with music but I won’t say no to a Ruhrpott Currywurst, a Swabian dumpling in clear soup or a Fish breadroll in Hamburg.
I don’t think I have a region where I don’t like the food, personally not a fan of any of the GDR stuff but all those regions have so many other great things to eat.
If you don’t want to eat German food while here, definitely go to Berlin because they have the best international selection with Frankfurt as a close second (but that also has the hessian stuff like green sauce, Handcheese and whatnot)
Depends on what you’re after.
The Southwest probably wins on highest quality fresh produce (seafood, meat, cheese, fruit, etc) with regards to more traditional food.
Most of the pubs I’ve been to which are really really good at unsophisticated ‘proper’ pub food without being too restaurant-adjacent have been in the rural North (Yorkshire, Cumbria, etc).
London is in its own league for globalisation and sheer array of choices as well as more premium fine dining options.
Birmingham is the capital of Anglo-Indian or British Indian Restaurant cooking and has innovations like desi pubs (it’s a pub, but they do Indian grills etc, absolutely elite) as well as being the home of the balti.
I would say the southern part of the country. Although we dont have an extensive cuisine, the southern part value food more. Or as we say a bourgondian lifestyle. The southern part is catholic instead of protestant and therefore have more common with southern cultures like Belgium and France. I would guess Maastricht is a good contender, but Limburg and Noord-Brabant region in general.
Literally none. Maybe it’s because the size, but whole country is the region lol. Literally can’t think of a single culinary siginificant region. Maybe [Liptov](https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liptov_%28regi%C3%B3n%29#/media/S%C3%BAbor:Slovakia_Liptov.gif), which is considered to be home of bryndza, but that’s all I get. Of course, most “better” restaurants are in capital.
I don’t think there is one in Sweden, and I’ve never really heard discussion about “overall” food capital.
The thing people discuss the most is honestly where the best kebab is, and I can confidently say it ain’t in Stockholm.
This post enforced the view of a european divide; Northern Europe doesn’t really care, and Mediterranean Europe has so much pride in food.
I’d say the north Minho/Trás-os-montes region, being the oldest part of Portugal it has a long culinary tradition with most of the staple portuguese dishes coming from there. Its also the major wine producing region, and has a long tradition of food fairs dedicated to various regional dishes that attract people from all over the country and even internationally.