When travelers think of the best street food, they often think of Bangkok for satay, Mexico City for tacos or Hanoi for bánh mì. However, a new ranking placed a European capital ahead of destinations known for street food.
Paris, France, was actually named the world's best city for street food in a study by luggage storage company Radical Storage. The French capital earned an overall score of 7.2 out of 10.
The study analyzed 6,897 street food eateries in 100 of the world's most-visited cities. Researchers considered vendor density, prices, customer ratings, cuisine variety and the availability of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
Food stalls and trucks were included, along with sit-down restaurants serving classic street food. Europe claimed nine places in the top 10, while Hanoi was the only city outside the continent to make the list.
According to Radical Storage, Paris has 401 street food eateries, with 69.1 percent rated four stars or higher. The city also offers 37 types of cuisine and has approximately 3.82 vendors per square kilometer.
Athens finished second with 6.9 out of 10. The Greek capital offers 29 types of cuisine, and 81.5 percent of its street food options were categorized as budget-friendly.
Thessaloniki took third place with a score of 6.1. More than 77 percent of its street food eateries were considered budget-friendly, helping Greece place three cities in the top 10.
The complete top 10 was Paris (7.2), Athens (6.9), Thessaloniki (6.1), Barcelona (5.9), London (5.4), Rhodes (5.0), Rome (4.9), Hanoi (4.5), Budapest (4.5) and Amsterdam (4.4).
Other cities stood out in individual categories. Rhodes had the largest share of highly rated street food, with 83 percent of its vendors receiving at least four stars, while London offered the greatest variety with 39 types of cuisine.
Edinburgh led for vegetarian and vegan choices, with 52.1 percent of its vendors offering plant-based options. Tokyo had the most street food vendors overall with 414, but it did not earn a spot in the final top 10.
The study was conducted in April 2026 and updated an earlier ranking from 2023. Vendor density accounted for 30 percent of each city's score, while budget-friendly options accounted for 20 percent.
Ultimately, there are places around the world worth checking out for their street food.