This European City Was Named the Most ‘Authentic’ Food Destination on the Continent

If you need just one reason to travel, let it be for a great meal. There are destinations all over the globe that offer an unforgettable meal, giving a sense of place with each bite through regional ingredients, preparation, and plenty of local heart. But if you need your next trip to be centered around the best meal on an entire continent, then Saga Holidays says it knows where you should go. 

In September, the company shared the findings of its study, which aimed to identify Europe’s “most authentic” food destinations. The team started by first defining what “authentic” means, noting its definition was through “how diners described food as rooted in tradition – from long-standing local recipes and regional ingredients, to dishes that reflect a city’s culinary heritage rather than tourist-driven menus.” 

Next, it analyzed 5,000 restaurants across 125 European cities using Google review data for each restaurant to see how often diners included words like “authentic” and “traditional” in their reviews. This data was then combined with a sentiment score (the higher the score, the more positive the sentiment) to identify the most authentic food cities. Once this work was done, Budapest, Hungary, earned the top spot for an authentic meal. 

“Budapest tops the ranking with a score of 98/100,” the findings noted. “Paprika is a staple of Hungarian food, so their most iconic dishes include Goulash (Gulyás), a rich beef stew, and Chicken Paprikash (Csirkepaprikás), a creamy paprika-infused chicken stew.” 

The team added that Budapest has a “thriving street food scene,” making it easy to pick up a must-try dish in Budapest like Lángos, a “deep-fried flatbread often served with toppings like sour cream, garlic, and cheese. For those with a sweeter tooth, you can find traditional Hungarian chimney cakes (Kürtőskalács), which are cylindrical, sugary pastries with a crispy outside.”

Next on the list is Piraeus, Greece, which nabbed a score of 97/100. “Piraeus is home to Greece’s largest harbor, meaning there’s plenty of fresh seafood on offer, from muscles to bakaliaros (golden, crispy fried cod).” It added that another local staple is Horta, which is “typically made from steamed greens and weeds such as dandelion, nettles and wild spinach – as well as the classic Greek salad (Horiatiki salata).”

Rounding out the top three spots was one more Greek location, Athens. 

“Considered to be the heart of Greece, Athens ranks third with a score of 96/100 and the highest review sentiment in the top 10,” the findings stated. “With travelers around the world craving popular Greek dishes like Gyros and Souvlaki, it’s no surprise that Athens’ authentic restaurants receive such rave reviews.”

Other top spots included Vienna, Austria, at No. 4, followed by Prague, Czech Republic; Valletta, Malta; Warsaw, Poland; Munich, Germany; and Milan, Italy, rounding out the top 10. See all the places that made the list and what to order in each at holiday.saga.co.uk.