The world’s best foodie destination proves carbs are a love language

Where long lunches turn every meal into an act of love.

If carbs are your love language, congratulations. You and International Traveller readers agree, and you’ve just found your soulmate destination.

Italy has officially been crowned the world’s best foodie destination in the 2025 International Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards, and honestly, was there ever any doubt? From bowls of pasta that change lives to pizza so good it ruins you for life, readers voted overwhelmingly for a country where food is not just eaten, but worshipped.

This is the land where lunch can stretch into dinner, where nonnas guard family recipes like national secrets, and where a simple plate of pasta can spark a full-blown emotional response. Italy doesn’t do rushed meals or sad desk lunches. It does long tables, loud conversations, extra parmesan and the absolute belief that food should make you feel something.

In Italy, food is not just eaten, but worshipped. (Image: Eilis Garvey)

Readers praised Italy for its everyday excellence. Not just Michelin stars or once-in-a-lifetime meals, but the fact that you can wander into a tiny local trattoria, order something you can’t pronounce and leave convinced it’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten. Rome’s cacio e pepe. Naples’ blistered pizza. Bologna’s silky ragù. Florence’s ribollita. Sicily’s cannoli. Every region feels like its own edible love letter.

What really sets Italy apart is how deeply food is woven into daily life. Markets are social hubs. Aperitivo is sacred. Bread is never optional. And carbs are not feared, restricted or replaced with lettuce. They are embraced, celebrated and generously served.

Readers also loved how food in Italy connects you instantly to place. A dish tells you exactly where you are. Pasta shapes change from town to town. Sauces follow seasons. Wine tastes different even a few kilometres down the road. Eating well here feels less like indulgence and more like participation in a centuries-old tradition.

Italian food differs by region. (Image: Getty Images / Gregory Lee)

Italy wasn’t the only destination to earn foodie praise. Japan followed closely behind, with readers raving about everything from precision-made sushi to comfort bowls of ramen and late-night convenience store snacks that somehow slap harder than full restaurant meals. France also ranked highly, because obviously, baguettes, butter and cheese will never not win hearts. Vietnam and Singapore rounded out the list, proving that travellers are just as obsessed with street food as they are with fine dining. Pho breakfasts, hawker centre feasts and chilli-heavy curries all earned passionate votes.

But in the end, Italy took the crown because it offers something rare. Food that feels joyful, generous and deeply human. Meals that turn strangers into friends. Dishes that linger in your memory long after the trip ends. The verdict from readers is clear. When it comes to travel, culture and cuisine, carbs are a love language. And Italy speaks it fluently.