One of the best things about traveling is the food. You land in a new place and suddenly every breakfast, lunch, and dinner feels exciting. Sometimes it is a bowl of noodles eaten on a busy corner, other times it is bread so fresh you swear you will never settle for supermarket loaves again. A recent online discussion revealed the countries where the food was significantly better than people expected, as well as those that did not live up to the hype.
The story
A poster shared their experience on Reddit, “I didn't like the food I had in Paris as much as I expected, but loved the food I had in Rome and Naples. I also didn't care much for the food I had in Israel but loved the food I had in Jordan.” Then posted the question: “What country had food better than you expected and which had food worse than you expected?”
People shared their surprisingly great food experiences in countries they didn’t expect, and also shared which countries disappointed them most in terms of food.
The positive reactions
If you’ve been to Malaysia, you know about the variety of food it offers, which is not only delicious but also affordable compared to other countries. As one user said, “Malaysia had way better food than expected!!!!” Someone replied: “Same, I just did minimal research on food, turns out Malaysia has a huge variety of food.”
And another added how cheap the food in Malaysia is, and the variety is amazing: “Amazing food, tons of variety, and so cheap! I loved it.”
I wasn’t surprised reading those. I still think about street satay dripping with peanut sauce, or iced cendol, which is one of the best desserts I've had. Some places offer them in a tall glass, but you may also find them served in a bowl. It’s basically a Malaysian version of shaved ice, but that comes with other ingredients such as beans, jelly, and coconut milk. The food markets in Malaysia are also worth visiting. These night markets are held in many cities and offer local delicacies for as low as $1.
Like Malaysian food, Turkish food is also flavorful. One person commented, “Turkish food was amazing.” Another user praised Turkish breakfast, saying, “I despise breakfast, except for Turkish breakfast!”
That one made me laugh, because it’s so true. Breakfast in Turkey is a whole table of food: tea, bread, cheeses, olives, jams, honey, eggs cooked into menemen. I still make menemen sometimes when I want comfort food. Other than a hearty breakfast of Turkey, you’ll find delicious döner wraps everywhere, pottery kebab from Cappadocia is also a must-try. Then you’ll taste different kinds of sweets, baklava, künefe, and kumpir (overloaded baked potatoes). You basically never run out of things to eat in Turkey!
People know about Ireland for the famous Cliffs of Moher, but it’s also widely famous for its food. One traveler wrote, “Ireland. Had some wonderful seafood dishes and just phenomenally delicious brown bread everywhere.”
Another shared their pleasant experience, “The food scene in Ireland blew me away. There are many excellent cuisines to choose from. Americans stereotype Irish food as meat and potatoes more often than not, and I had excellent Irish food that was not that, as well as bomb ass international dishes.”
Ireland is not typically regarded as a food destination, which is why it consistently surprises people. The seafood is excellent thanks to the coastline, and the famous brown bread has a reputation of its own.
The thread was filled with praises about Icelandic food. One said, “Iceland. Everyone says how expensive and bland it is but I found the food to be high quality and reasonable given the country’s geography.”
People remember Iceland for its nature and how expensive the food is. But, not many know that their lamb, lobster soup, and even pastries are some of the best you’ll ever taste! Next time you plan to visit Iceland, don’t let the price tag deter you from trying some of its amazing food.
Australia is another country that surprised many people with its food culture, as one traveler shared, “Australia had better than expected food. I would say Melbourne is in the same tier as Manhattan. Apparently, it has that reputation, but I didn’t know before I went.”
Melbourne, in particular, has a reputation for its food and coffee. I still remember the Spanish latte and the affogato I had there, both of which spoiled me for coffee anywhere else. The restaurants reflect the city's diversity, offering Greek, Italian, Thai, and Lebanese cuisine all prepared exceptionally well. It feels like you can travel the world through food without leaving Melbourne or even Sydney.
Now onto the disappointments
“Czech Republic. I was just begging for some vegetables after two days.” And another person added: “I had some great food in the Czech Republic, but man, it's heavy on meat.”
Czech food is heavier on dumplings, pork, and stews, which undoubtedly taste great when it’s freezing, but after a couple of days, many people start wishing for something lighter. When you do get vegetables, it’s usually just pickled cabbage or a bland cucumber salad, which is fine as a side but not when you’re really craving something light and fresh. Next time you visit the Czech Republic, you know what to expect!
This one may shock many people, especially those planning their visit: “Netherlands has worst food than what I expected.” Someone replied: “I mean, what did you even expect from Dutch food? They have cheese, pancakes, stroopwafels, and bitter balls, but aside from that, they’re not known as a big cuisine country.”
The snacks are great in the Netherlands, no doubt, and have a lot of variety, stroopwafels, fries, bitterballen, Dutch cheese, and more. But if you’re expecting a big food culture like Belgium or Ireland, it just isn’t there.
Like the Netherlands, many people had higher expectations from France, but it failed to attract them, as one Redditor said, “France in general was underwhelming. The food isn't bad, but I had fairly high expectations. You can 100% find delicious food in France, but the average meal there is nothing to write home about, and the prices are eyewatering.”
Some people insisted they had incredible meals in France, while others agreed and said most of what they ate felt overpriced and forgettable. So, unless you know the right spots to eat, you’re paying a lot for meals that don’t live up to the hype. If you are visiting France, the best way to enjoy the food is by looking up the reviews from people who have been there. This will save you a lot of money and also from disappointment.
Some travelers had a disappointing food experience in Costa Rica. A traveler shared, “Costa Rica. I figured that with oceans on both sides, a tropical climate, etc., it would be better. Coffee was amazing, chocolate was great, but the cuisine didn't amaze me.”
Costa Rica is packed with fresh seafood and tropical fruit, so people assume the food scene here to be outstanding. But in reality, what they experience is bland and repetitive food despite the fresh produce. On the other hand, people found that their coffee and chocolate lived up to the reputation.
Like the poster, this traveler had a lot to say about Italian food, “Italy. Not that it was bad by any means, but I was probably too hyped.”
And then another person added their experience: “Italy. The quality of ingredients is good, and the pizzas were okay, but the food is just incredibly bland. I preferred the food in Nordic countries, where the quality of produce is just as good (and often better) but is more flavourful.”
Some people defend Italy as a food heaven, while others agree that the food here is bland and may feel repetitive. If you’ve been told all your life that Italian food is the best in the world, even a perfectly fine plate of pasta might feel like a letdown. But in my experience, if you look beyond the tourist places, you may find many great restaurants and cafes, offering authentic food and desserts.
The takeaway
Sometimes the places you think will blow you away with food end up letting you down, and the ones you hardly even thought about before visiting give you meals you’ll still be talking about years later.
Street food almost always wins over tourist restaurants, and the best thing you eat on a trip probably won’t be the dish you planned for. It could be a cheap nasi lemak in Malaysia, a slice of brown bread in a small café in Ireland, or even a cup of coffee in a small café in Melbourne.
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