The World's Best Cities for Street Food

By Carly Fisher, Food & Wine

With traffic jams of trendy food trucks piling up in American cities, it's easy to overlook the rich global history of street food. Dating back to the food hawkers of ancient Rome (with some centuries-old outdoor markets, like the Djemaa el Fna in Marrakech, still standing today), street food has long played an exciting role in cuisines throughout the world. Here, Food & Wine names World's Best Cities for Street Food.

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50 Best Bars in America

Click here for the rest of the World's Best Cities for Street Food

Click here for the rest of the World's Best Cities for Street Food

 

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Comments

[Craig Dolphin]

01:59 PM on 05/09/2012

Try the "Melt Mobile" in Stamford, CT. Great !!! The cheese, the bread, the YUMmm. Plus the incredible meatballs.Only problem is you can't eat all 6-8 menu choices at once

[mangez merde]

02:41 AM on 05/03/2012

Seoul has soul.

[letsmakeitright]

02:40 AM on 05/03/2012

Had the best ice cream sandwich ever in Singapore. Actual sweet colorful bread with ice cream cut to fit and it was good! My wife had stingray on the street and I had some fish and rice at the same place. Spice but totally delicious! We also got the best fresh squeezed orange juice in Bangkok. Every morning we went back to the same guy. Eat/drink your heart out Florida!

[Praguer]

02:42 PM on 05/02/2012

Wow - what a rather touristy list. How about most of Vietnam? Yangon? Seoul? Yojakarta? I sometimes wonder why I bother to take the bait and click on these links....

[Karl Wilder]

01:44 PM on 05/02/2012

In mentioning Istanbul you neglected the absolute best street food they have. By the docks they have the fresh grilled fish sandwiches sold from the boats. Amazing food.

[marosi]

12:31 PM on 05/02/2012

Not to be the grouch, but "street food" has become this whole fake-adventure american yuppy thing that means something totally different to us than the people eating it on a regular basis. I can only speak to the food in Mexico City, but there people are generally not eating street food because it is some "authentic" expression of their cuisine, but, rather, because they cannot not afford the food offered in more formal establishments (and/or for convenience, as a secondary concern). My wife is from Mexico City, and when she wants what we think of as "street food" she is actually usually going to a small restaurant or from a food stall in a market, which is not the same as true street food. When she eats street food it is only from places that she or her family are familiar with a with respect to the quality of meat (no dog, for example, and yes, you can get tacos de perro (or worse, cat) all over Mexico City from street vendors, often without the meat of the day being advertised) and cleanliness.

What I think is wrongheaded is the idea that the best food is street food - that can be the case, but is certainly not the rule. Small restaurants and market stalls are generally where the good stuff is found (and of course, lots of nice restaurants have great food also, it just costs more) and this is not "street food" in any real sense.

[Karl Wilder]

01:46 PM on 05/02/2012

While that may be true in your limited experience in parts of Asia Street food is THE food, often better known and more desired than restaurant food.

[geddy lee is a god]

11:23 AM on 05/02/2012

There is a place in Victoria BC that makes the best Asian food. Everytime I ferry over to Vancouver Island, I make it my business to stop there. The pork and prawn lettuce cups and fried rice are my favs.Their servings are huge, so you have enough to eat for lunch, and for dinner or snack later on.

This is street food at its best.

[sabelmouse]

12:58 PM on 05/02/2012

that sounds so good!

[geddy lee is a god]

01:55 PM on 05/02/2012

LOL, I know! After making my post, I realized that it's been awhile since I've been over there. Now I want some.

I just checked the Urban Spoon website for the closest Vietnamese restaurant. Lettuce cups and/or beef pho are in our future for tonight.

[jk1865]

06:55 PM on 05/03/2012

What is "Asian Food?"

[48thGuy]

10:34 AM on 05/02/2012

I'm a life long Chicagoan and I must tell you we really don't do street food here. Roach coaches are regulated heavily in this City. The idea of setting up somewhere and preparing food 'ala minute' is unlawful. Yes we do have the absolute finest in regional cuisine, including all the ethnic stuff. Try to beat the Mexican, Polish, Italian, Greek or German stuff in this town, nobody does it better! And without question the pizza, hotdogs, Italian beef and grilled polish sausage are the finest local offerings of any place in the World!

[geddy lee is a god]

11:29 AM on 05/02/2012

Me: U2 concert, Vertigo Tour, Chicago, 2005. I don't know what I enjoyed more, the concert or the Chicago-style food, lol.

I live in Seattle, but I have to give you guys props on the cuisine.

[Hugatreetoday]

08:10 AM on 05/02/2012

Thailand?! That'd be the day I'd ever eat anything on the street there!

[Captai]

12:10 PM on 05/02/2012

Then stay in Cleveland.

[Hugatreetoday]

03:13 PM on 05/02/2012

Okay that was completely random. Sorry but I don't know where you get Cleveland from my post.

[edwoodjr]

07:19 AM on 05/02/2012

Manila, Philippines has some pretty interesting, if not delicious, street food............

[Karama]

07:12 AM on 05/02/2012

For me Singapore and Thailand are the top places for street food, although in Singapore they've moved indoors for airconditioned comfort, because it's hot and sticky outside (currently I like the foodhall downstairs ION building).

[1canview]

07:10 AM on 05/02/2012

The worst is anywhere in France. A baguette with ham and cheese or a salad with lettuce and little else is pretty boring.

[LONDON3]

07:00 AM on 05/02/2012

Indeed NY city alllll day long .......Good eats

[KlipTravel]

06:30 AM on 05/02/2012

you are our KlipTravel Food Inspiration of the day!

We love to travel to vibrant Cities... and those with Street Food always are!... Real Life is happening in the streets and this is also one of the best way to connect with the locals. This list is awesome and many of these Cities are already among our favorites of the world.

[reynoldsdayton]

06:27 AM on 05/02/2012

I would add Buenos Aires and its mobile parrillas.