Lisbon voted as Europe’s ‘Best Culinary City Destination’

Lisbon has beaten London, Paris, Florence and others to become the best culinary destination of 2024.

It has taken the top spot after winning ‘Europe’s Best Culinary City Destination’ at the World Culinary Awards which was held in Dubai on October 2.

The voting behind the award ceremony is cast by travel industry professionals and the public, with the winner being decided by being the nominee with the most votes in its category.

It was there that Lisbon beat competitors Paris, London, Florence, Barcelona, Copenhagen, and Vienna. 

Once announced, Lisbon’s mayor Carlos Moedas shared in a Visit Lisboa press release that it was a “source of great pride to see Lisbon’s identity and traditions honoured for the first time in this sector and how innovation combines with these gastronomic traditions.”

The most popular dishes in this region include the ‘Pastel de Nata,’ ‘Alheira,’ ‘Bacalhau,’ and the ‘Polvo à lagareiro.’ The area also has a mix of offerings, with local restaurants with traditional food to signature restaurants and Michelin-starred chefs who reinterpret the classic flavors of the region.

The mayor said: “It’s recognition of the quality of the gastronomy for which Lisbon is so well known and an award that encourages all the professionals who keep it alive. The local economy is increasingly a distinctive factor for the city of Lisbon and gastronomy contributes greatly to the quality of Lisbon’s tourism.”

Italy, Porto, and Lisbon see great success at World Culinary Awards

While Lisbon won ‘Europe’s Best Culinary City Destination 2024,’ Italy won ‘Europe’s Best Culinary Destination 2024.

Porto in Portugal also came up trumps winning ‘Europe’s Best Emerging Culinary City Destination 2024.’

The awards actually spanned numerous countries, with the voters pinpointing some of the very best restaurants in the world.

For those who enjoy a good food festival, the Smaka Good Food Festival in Stockholm, Sweden, was voted number one. And the big category, ‘Europe’s Best Restaurant 2024’ was taken by Alléno Paris in France.

Image: Photo by Julian Dik on Unsplash