This Florida City Is America's Best For Foodies In 2025, According To A Study

People venture to far-off lands for many reasons, but an increasingly popular one is the destination's food. Travelers want to seek out local flavors, unusual delicacies, rare ingredients, and bustling cafés and markets. Sometimes, though, a foodie city is defined not just by its most iconic dishes, but the diversity of cuisines on offer, the abundance of Michelin stars, the quality of the food in every price bracket, and the availability of good, fresh produce. According to research by WalletHub, there's no city in the U.S. that marries all those factors better than Miami, Florida. 

The vibrant coastal city is known for its Latin American and Caribbean culinary influences — think Cubanos and jerk chicken — but to see it in such terms is to barely scratch the surface. Miami has 13 Michelin-starred restaurants, one of which, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon Miami, a modern take on classic French dining, has two stars. The other starred restaurants are representative of Miami's cultural melting pot: exquisite Japanese sushi at Hiden, flavorful Korean barbecue at Cote Miami, innovative Mexican cuisine at Los Félix, and dramatic Columbian-inspired degustation at Elcielo Miami. 

Famous chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Nobu Matsuhisa, and Thomas Keller also have Miami restaurants under their stewardship. And the popular Stubborn Seed in Miami Beach is helmed by Jeremy Ford, winner of "Top Chef" Season 13. Never mind that some of the city's best restaurants, like Rusty Pelican and Amara at Paraiso, pair their delicious food with stunning Atlantic Ocean views.

Gastronauts, or "foodies," may be lured abroad by world-famous culinary destinations like Tsukiji in Tokyo, Japan's "Food Town" and home of the legendary Tsukiji fish market. Or perhaps they want to explore the world's best street food scenes, be it in Bangkok or Mumbai or Mexico City. But WalletHub was a little more forensic in its analysis of what defines a foodie destination. 

It evaluated more than 180 U.S. cities across nearly 30 categories, including cost of meals, online rankings of restaurants, and diversity and quality of eateries and produce stores. Miami had the highest number of affordable restaurants with a ranking of 4.5 stars or more, and came second only to San Francisco in the Diversity, Accessibility & Quality rank. This is evidenced not just by top-tier restaurants, but also a booming food truck scene, dishing out everything from tacos and burgers to grilled cheese sandwiches and Puerto Rican carne frita. Alternatively, you can dine in one of Miami's best steakhouses or sample local dishes without breaking the bank, like arepas in Doggi's Arepa Bar on Biscayne Boulevard. There's no shortage of highly-rated bakeries and coffee roasters either, and the bustling La Boulangerie Boul'Mich café with its French-Latin creations and 4.7 stars on Google is well worth a visit.

It's said that more than 100 languages are spoken in Miami, which is reflected in the food landscape. Little Havana is famously the home of Cuban cuisine, Española Way (pictured here) is Mediterranean in both aesthetic and flavor, while Coconut Grove, a neighborhood on the cutting edge of Miami's culinary innovation, hosts Los Félix and many other restaurants showcasing the punchy flavors of the Americas.