The UK’s culinary capitals

Food tourism is an increasing trend, with searches rising 75% over the last year. ¹ Social media platforms have been inundated with a new wave of food critiques and an overwhelming number of recommendations, with the hashtag #foodreview amassing a staggering 31.4 billion views on TikTok. 

UK cities are brimming with choices, so where should Brits go to satisfy their appetites? We’ve curated a list of the best locations to indulge your taste buds and identified the best spots for different cuisines. We’ve separated our analysis between London and the rest of the UK, compiling a list of the top 15 London boroughs and a list of the top 15 cities outside of London, scoring each one out of 100. The locations were evaluated based on Google reviews, Michelin guide ratings, social data and sentiment.

Our data crowns Sheffield as the foodie capital of the UK after achieving a weighted score of 99. This city distinguishes itself as a hub for food festivals and markets. Following a thorough evaluation of Google reviews and social media engagement, Sheffield garnered an impressive score of 99 for its food festivals and a solid 71 for its food markets. Additionally, securing a place among the top three sought-after destinations for food tourism, this city, boasting a foodies population score of 54, can rightfully be dubbed a paradise for food lovers.

Second place is Scotland’s highest-rated foodie city, Edinburgh, with an overall score of 86. Emerging as the leading city in the coveted Michelin Guide listings with 26 restaurants, it’s no surprise that this city ranks so highly. Coupled with its beautiful, cobbled streets and ancient landmarks, the historic Scottish city isn’t one to be missed.

In third place is Newcastle with an overall score of 77. This thriving capital emerges as a foodie haven, securing the top spot with an exceptional foodie population score of 99. Furthermore, the city boasts a significant number of top-rated restaurants, having attained a Michelin Guide score of 12. 

Securing fourth position is Manchester. With an overall score of 73, this bustling capital follows Newcastle in top tier dining experiences after scoring 11 in Michelin Guide listings. Manchester also sees the highest score of popular food markets at 75, pipping all other cities to the post.

In the fifth position, we find Birmingham, with an overall score of 60. Renowned as one of the most culturally diverse cities, it’s no wonder it scores highly as a foodie destination. This city is a must-visit for food enthusiasts, with 15 restaurants ranked in the Michelin Guide.

Ranked at number six with an overall score of 56, Belfast boasts a vibrant food scene, spanning from elegant dining options to authentic local flavours and rooftop cocktail bars. Sharing a noteworthy Michelin Guide listing score of 15 with Birmingham, this Irish city stands out as an exceptional destination for top-notch dining experiences.

In seventh place is Cardiff with a commendable score of 53. The Welsh capital proudly clinches the second-highest rating for food festivals, scoring 53. This accomplishment comes after hosting a series of prestigious food festivals within the city, such as Cardiff Food and Drink Festival and Cardiff Foodies Festival.

Moving further South, you’ll find Brighton securing position number eight. The seaside city is home to a thriving independent food scene with many quirky spots tucked away in the lanes, and it’s exceptional dining is further proven by the city’s impressive 17 Michelin Guide listings, ranked second best overall.

In ninth place is Bristol, achieving a respectable score of 48. The city is equally renowned for its inventive street food cuisine as it is for its upscale dining scene, after ranking highly in both with an impressive score of 16 for Michelin Guide listings and 53 for popular food markets.

Concluding our top ten cities is Liverpool. The birthplace of the Beatles and bubble and squeak solidifies its status as a foodie hotspot by placing among the top 3 for its food festivals with a score of 37.

Mayfair is named the top London borough for its culinary experiences after achieving a flawless score of 100. Frequented by jet-set celebrities, Mayfair boasts 19 Michelin stars among its gourmet dining establishments and 25 restaurants receiving top ratings. Coupled with a restaurant atmosphere score of 79%, it’s no wonder this exclusive location is renowned as a playground for the rich and famous.

Nestled in the heart of London, Kensington takes second place with a weighted score of 51. After being home to renowned establishments like Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens, it’s no surprise this borough receives the most tourists after attracting the highest percentage of reviewers from outside London (30%). Kensington also claims the title of best value for money, boasting the highest count of best-value restaurants in the dataset, totalling 11.

Famed for its vibrant street markets, Camden Town ranks third with a total score of 49. This lively borough is a favourite among tourists and leads in top-rated restaurants, with an impressive count of 26.

In fourth place is Soho, with a score of 42. Recognised for its lively nightlife, Soho follows behind Kensington with the second-highest number of value restaurants: 8. Visitors can also expect a high level of customer service throughout the area, as it has achieved an impressive score of 80%. 

Westminster secures fifth place in the rankings. This borough offers a rich slice of West End culture, and when it comes to eateries, it shares the first-place position for top-rated restaurants with Camden Town, each boasting an impressive total of 26. Our data also reveals Westminster to be the most moderately priced among London areas.

Chelsea ties the fifth position with Westminster, both achieving a score of 37. Seven prestigious Michelin stars have been awarded in the borough, promising a gourmet dining experience for food enthusiasts in this affluent area.

Some cities emerged as prime destinations for certain delicacies based on their sentiment score, rendering them the top choice for food enthusiasts.

The student-based city of Nottingham ranks as the best destination for a Chinese, the nation's favourite takeaway, attaining a high sentiment score of 98%. Furthermore, the city leads in affordability with the highest number of reviews praising its moderately priced restaurants at 89%.

Famous for its ancient Roman-built baths, Bath is the top-rated destination for Mexican cuisine enthusiasts. If you love fajitas, tacos and nachos, this city should be at the top of your list of places to visit.

Liverpool has been named the vegetarian capital after receiving a positive score of 92%. With many vegetarian restaurants scattered throughout the city, it's an essential destination for anyone seeking a veggie-friendly culinary experience.

The vibrant seaside city of Brighton received the best ranking for an Indian after totalling a 94% sentiment score for the popular cuisine. Raving reviews for popular spots like The Chilli Pickle and Curry Leaf Café illustrate Brighton's abundance of Indian culinary delights.

If Caribbean food is your go-to, head up to Manchester, which has ranked the best for this cuisine with a sentiment score of 65%. With an array of Caribbean restaurants and street food vendors, the city offers an excellent opportunity to savour the delights of the Caribbean.

Conclusion 

If all this has stirred your appetite for more,  you can discover top-notch culinary destinations across the United Kingdom that suit your taste buds.  If you’re eager to venture into further afield to satisfy your cravings, you can trial the culinary delights of Europe.

¹ Source: Google search data: October 2022-2023

OpenTable collected restaurant reviews and booking data, focusing on 'Foodies' and their locations. Michelin Guide identified cities with top-tier restaurants. Food festival data was compiled from various sources, and food markets were rated using TikTok, Instagram, and Google reviews.

Data Extraction: 

OpenTable data extracted via Python scripts for reviewer location analysis, and desk research was used for Food Market, Food Festival, and Michelin Guide metrics.  

Data Insights from OpenTable: 

OpenTable ranks restaurants based on price and dining quality. Extracted data was used for metrics like 'best value' and 'proportion of top-rated restaurants.' 

Producing Data Metrics: 

Cities scored for Markets and Festivals using normalized weighted ranks from TikTok, Buzzsumo, Instagram, and Google reviews.  

'Foodies Score': 

Weighted normalized score (1-100) based on reviewer location data and the ratio of 'Food Tourists' to the local population. 

Best Cities for Food Type: 

Natural Language Processing Toolkit with keyword algorithms used to analyze sentiment scores per food type per city from thousands of review texts. 

Final Weighted Score

Using a normalised Min/Max weighted score between 1-100.