"Of all the travel recommendations out there, the most convincing ones read more like personal stories than notches on a checklist. When a friend nostalgically raves about the guava dishes in their Mexican hometown, waxes poetic about late-night trays of masala aloo buns at an Indian bakery, or emphatically declares their lakeside Michigan community to be a new dining powerhouse, you can trust the rec."
"When picking the best travel destinations for dining this year, we looked for outstanding restaurants, and also to people who ardently endorse them. Our contributors filled this list with destinations they know intimately (many have called these places home), and chefs and restaurateurs offered meals around the world that inspire them, too. Between the crowded Taiwanese food courts, high-altitude Bolivian fine dining, neo-nomadic Kazakh feasts, and eye-opening South African tasting menus, these destinations leave little doubt that there's great eating ahead this year."
Personal, story-like recommendations often prove more persuasive than checklist-style guides when selecting dining destinations. The 2026 dining destinations list features Aguascalientes, Almaty, Bengaluru, Birmingham (Alabama), Cape Town, the Dominican Republic, Gaziantep, the Isle of Skye, Kelowna, La Paz, Mauritius, Milan, Okinawa, Route 66, and Traverse City. Criteria emphasized outstanding restaurants paired with ardent local endorsements and chef recommendations. Culinary highlights span crowded Taiwanese food courts, high-altitude Bolivian fine dining, neo-nomadic Kazakh feasts, and revealing South African tasting menus. Aguascalientes pairs the massive Feria Nacional de San Marcos and street foods with classic restaurants and new Nikkei influences.
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