Dubai ranked among the world’s top foodie destinations

Coming in fourth place, Dubai was listed just behind Melbourne and ahead of Sydney, with more than 2.1 million Instagram posts and 127,900 TikTok videos tagged with the city’s location by food-focused users.

The ranking considered not only social media buzz, but also the variety of cuisines, the number of food-related experiences available, and the average cost of a meal. Dubai scored high across all categories – with foodies enjoying over 60 different cuisines and more than 100 types of dining experiences, from casual bites to immersive cooking classes.

According to the study, the average cost of a meal for two at a mid-range restaurant in Dubai is around Dhs285, placing the city below Toronto in terms of cost, but still firmly in the premium dining bracket. Travelbag pointed to Dubai’s luxury dining scene and extravagant food trends as standout features. Restaurants like Nusr-Et, famous for its 24K gold steaks, and Pierchic, known for its overwater dining experience in Madinat Jumeirah, continue to draw attention from international visitors.

The report also acknowledged Dubai’s growing reputation for award-winning restaurants, such as FZN by Björn Frantzén, which was recently named Time Out Dubai’s Restaurant of the Year. The full top 10 foodie cities included London, Toronto, Melbourne, Dubai, Sydney, Chicago, Houston, Singapore, Miami and Paris – with Dubai remaining the highest-ranked city in the Middle East.