With its prodigious array of baked goods, penchant for seasonal seafood, and reputation for excellent meze and olive oil-based dishes, Izmir has much to offer the curious and hungry visitor. Skillfully cooked organ meat and other unusual butcher cuts tempt here more than anywhere else, and true to Turkish mangal (barbecue) culture, charcoal-kissed skewers of kebab and grilled meatballs abound. Proudly secular Izmir is just as proud of the flowing rakı and beer in the city’s innumerable bars and meyhanes.

A deep dive into Izmir’s layered food culture, from boyoz and gevrek to kokoreç and midye, shaped by centuries of migration along Turkey’s Aegean coast.

A look at İzmir köfte, the beloved Turkish casserole of meatballs, potatoes and peppers baked in tomato sauce, plus a home-style recipe from food writer Özlem Warren.

In Turkey’s third-largest city, food is a fierce marker of identity, one where calling a gevrek a "simit" is a minor social offense and keeping tomatoes out of your kokoreç is a local mandate. While its glam big sister, Istanbul, tends to hog the international spotlight (and the mistakenly placed lion's share of culinary acclaim), Izmir is home to its own Sephardic legacies, Balkan influences, and a certain coastal defiance.

To say that the Izmir neighborhood of Basmane is rough around the edges would be an understatement, but there are more diamonds in the rough here than we can count. Next to the central train station, Basmane is just to the east of the vast and vibrant 17th-century Kemeraltı Bazaar and the Hellenistic-era Agora of Smyrna. Yet the neighborhood has a storied history in its own right, one that is as labyrinthine as its cluttered, hazy maze of streets.

In West Hollywood, Otus Thai Kitchen offers a rare taste of Thai breakfast in Los Angeles, serving kai kata, rice porridge, fried roti and street-food favorites alongside coffee and noodles.

Founded in 1970, Fuyoungak is one of Seoul’s enduring Korean-Chinese restaurants, where handmade dumplings, fiery seafood jjamppong, and comforting bowls of jajangmyeon have been served for generations.

A beloved local tavern near Bilbao’s City Hall, Bikandi Etxea serves classic Basque stews, sauces, and a menú del día to fiercely loyal regulars.

Once a century-old institution and later a tourist misfire, Tarihi Degustasyon Ocakbaşı has been reborn under chef Mehmet Tanrıkulu as one of Beyoğlu’s most compelling spots for Adana kebab and meze.

At Esquina Común in Mexico City’s Condesa neighborhood, chef Ana Dolores González serves an inventive, ever-changing menu of creative dishes in a relaxed terrace setting.

A deep dive into Portugal’s nostalgic bolo de bolacha: the coffee-soaked Maria biscuit cake found in Lisbon tascas and birthday parties, plus a chef’s elevated version to make at home.

A cyberpunk-inspired vegan restaurant in Shinjuku, NEO Shinjuku Atsushi pairs neon interiors with plant-based Japanese comfort food and infused shochu.

From Welsh cake to Franui, Rapanui grew from Bariloche roots into an Argentine dessert empire shaped by Patagonia, tradition, and chocolate.

At Fritai in Tremé, chef Charly Pierre gives long-overdue visibility to the deep culinary ties between Haiti and New Orleans. Through plantains, griyo, epis, and mirliton, the restaurant tells a story of shared history, migration, and flavor — and makes the case for why Haitian food belongs at the center of the city’s table.

At Sal, Kris & Charlie’s Deli in Astoria, oversized sandwiches, fair prices, and no-nonsense service have kept locals lining up for decades.