so you’re wandering around a brand new city and wondering what to try. and, if you’re at all like me, you’re probably wondering where to go to try it. we live in a consumer world so there’s hundreds of options in every city… how does one know where to start?!
in my mind, there’s some good ways to determine what’s good and what’s not. there was a twitter thread a week or so ago that asked how we travelers avoid food poisoning (or at the very least, know what street foods to try) and the overwhelmingly unanimous answer was, follow the crowds. trust me, if you’re walking into a deserted restaurant at the local dinner time and there is no one there, you don’t want to be there either!!
there are some places around the world where you can go to eat a wide selection of local foods all in one place. read on for more details…
bangkok, thailand:
for a more comprehensive list of the street food markets in bangkok, refer back to this post. but i think it goes without saying that bangkok has an enormous street food population and there are pockets of the city where you’ll be able to sample so many delicious flavours that your stomach won’t know what to do. mark recommends sixteen districts worth visiting; some are only open during the day and others are only open at night.
florence, italy:
if you have been to florence, chances are you have stopped into the mercado centrale, hidden behind the medici chapel and amidst tons of souvenir stalls along the road past san lorenzo. literally minutes from the duomo, the market is huge. the lower level is full of vendors selling cheese, oils, meats, fish, produce, homemade vinegars, etc. it’s a food lover paradise. but upstairs is a hidden gem (ok, maybe not anymore.) ten years ago, the market’s upper level was dingy and not worth eating at. now, it’s packed all day with locals grabbing a quick oven-fired pizza, gnocchi, or hand cut prosciutto and cheese platter for lunch (along with a glass of wine, of course.) it does close early, so it’s not a dinner destination, but the food coming out of there now is well worth it. if you go early, say 11:30am, you will beat the crowds and get a table.. otherwise you will be caught waiting.
munich, germany:
situated just beyond the marienplatz, the central square in munich, is the markplatz, where the viktualienmarkt sets up shop six days a week (closed sundays.) part farmers market, part exotic delicacy market, part flower stalls and part wine shops, there is literally something for everyone here. buy the ingredients for a picnic lunch (including wine) and take them out to the englischer garten.
tokyo, japan:
something i did not realise until i started researching this article: tokyo department stores are extremely high end and most of them have extensive food departments in their basements. these depachika sell a wide range of takeaway foods at decent prices. the favourite seems to be the shinjuku takashimaya with isetan a close second. sometimes, they will hold special events or sake and wine tastings as well. this article recommends you ask the concierge (of a department store. uh huh, you read that right.)
london, england:
london surprisingly has a huge street food scene. there are markets scattered all across the city, from the victoria good food market in central london to the kerb at the gherkin and the whitecross street market in the east. there’s also borough market in south london, which might be the most renowned foodie market but has quite a few competitors. many of these appear to be open only during the day for those city workers, but you can find a few that are open later in the evenings. check out ben norum’s article in the standard. admittedly, many of these food stalls won’t be “local” british food but i’d bet a fair number of them do serve locally sourced meats and veg.
toronto, ontario:
new to the street food scene is the outdoor market at union station in toronto. it won’t be open in the winter but it has been packed all summer long, since it opened in july. this is the future of food markets, with already established restaurants opening a pop-up shop in a market. in addition, it has a flower market on tuesdays and a farmer’s market on wednesdays. the team behind this venture already has it lined up for next summer, too, so if you’re heading to toronto next year you should check it out!
i’m sure i missed some things. do you live in a city with a fantastic local/street food scene (not portland) that you think i should write about? comment below!
you might also like:
foodie week: drinking around the world
foodie week: weirdest foods around the world
travel trends: food trucks