The world's best food cities were ranked and Montreal beat out some heavy hitters

As Montrealers, you don't have to tell us that our city is one of the world's best for food. From fine French dining to bagels, smoked meat and poutine, our taste buds remind us of how spoiled we are on a daily basis. Plus, our very own Vin Mon Lapin just topped the charts as the best restaurant in Canada for the second year in a row.

But now, our status as a world-class food city has officially been made... errm, well, official. Montreal has been named one of "the world's 20 best cities for food right now" by Time Out Magazine.

Time Out Magazine writer Grace Beard says the ranking was compiled through quizzing thousands of locals on their city's "must-visit restaurants, must-eat dishes and best-value bites" as well as by asking people to rate their city’s food scene in terms of quality and affordability. Time Out then narrowed the list down to the highest-scoring cities.

This was followed by consultations with a global network of Time Out editors and writers, specializing in food and travel, who provided "the lowdown on what makes their city an exciting dining destination in 2024," highlighting their fave spots to eat. Time Out Market chefs were also asked to nominate culinary capitals.

Montreal came in at number 18 out of 20, beating out Osaka, Japan (#19) and Copenhagen, Denmark (#20) — both of which are extremely highly regarded for their cuisine. Osaka is known as "the kitchen of Japan" while Copenhagen is home to the three-Michelin-starred Noma, which has been deemed the world's best restaurant on numerous occasions.

"When the only Canadian restaurant to make the World’s 50 Best hottest global restaurant openings list for 2024 is in Montreal, and the city’s classic eateries are elevating their culinary game in the face of staffing shortages and rising costs, you know you’re in the right place to eat your heart out," Time Out Canada editor Laura Osborne is quoted as saying by Time Out.

"And with forward-thinking chefs like Derek Dammann and Liam Hopkins involved in one of the most high-profile restaurant openings Montreal has ever seen (hello, Île de France) now is the time to dig in."

While Time Out declares poutine as our city's "must-eat dish," a blurb about Montreal also clarifies that it's not just our most-famous foods that make us a top-tier foodie destination.

"As one of the most restaurant-dense cities in North America, Montreal has cuisine from almost every continent. One in four Montrealers come from outside the country, and this convergence of cultures has made an indelible mark on the city’s food scene," it says.

So, which food cities were highlighted by Time Out as being even better than Montreal? The top three were Naples (Italy), Johannesburg (South Africa) and Lima (Peru).

Here's the full list:

1. Naples (Italy)
2. Johannesburg (South Africa)
3. Lima (Peru)
4. Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)
5. Beijing (China)
6. Bangkok (Thailand)
7. Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
8. Mumbai (India)
9. Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
10. Portland, Oregan (United States of America)
11. Liverpool (England)
12. Medellín (Colombia)
13. Seville (Spain)
14. Porto (Portugal)
15. Marrakech (Morocco)
16. Lyon (France)
17. Sydney (Australia)
18. Montreal, Quebec (Canada)
19. Osaka (Japan)
20. Copenhagen (Denmark)

1. Los Angeles, California (U.S.)
2. Seoul (South Korea)
3. Madrid (Spain)

You can find more details on why each of these cities made the cut, as well as each place's "must-eat dish" on the Time Out Magazine website.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.