By Jamie Edwards, award-winning travel writer who’s visited 70+ countries on all 7 continents
A few years ago, my husband and I were binge-watching Chef’s Table, one of our guilty pleasures. Chef’s Table prides itself on dramatic close-ups of fresh produce, moody interviews with chefs, and perfectly-plated dishes set in exotic destinations like the base of the Andes, rice paddy fields in Vietnam, and terraced vineyards in California. That the show appeals to foodies is a given, but foodies who love to travel for food, even more so. In fact, foodies who love to travel for food in far-flung places on the planet are their sweet spot.
Destination diners. My people.
The episode we watched that night featured chef Enrique Olvera, from Pujol in Mexico City. My husband’s eyes lit up as the chef discussed the details of his famous 1000-day-old mole. When the show ended, Daniel sighed. “Wow, now that would be a restaurant worth traveling for.”
Within 24 hours, I’d planned a surprise getaway to Mexico City for the following month, which serendipitously coincided with his birthday. I had the flight locked in and the hotel booked. I just needed to get that coveted reservation.
Why Destination Dining Is Having a Moment
Destination dining isn’t just for food critics and influencers. It’s for anyone who finds joy in food. Those who believe that a great meal tells a story, especially when that story is rooted in a specific place or culture. From chefs who forage for truffles at dawn to restaurants nestled in remote alpine villages, these meals become more than food—they become experiences that define our vacations.
Traveling for food is about making memories. Remember that clay oven bread you ripped apart in that tiny restaurant in Mendoza? Still dreaming about the seafood risotto you devoured in Dubrovnik while looking out over the Adriatic? Food anchors us. It teaches us about history, community, craft, and sometimes, ourselves. Food is communal, and best of all, fun.
5 Tables Worth Traveling For
Whether you’re a curious eater, a devoted gastronome, or a Michelin-star follower, here are five restaurants that turn a good meal into a reason to pack and go.
Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico
We arrive at Pujol with the imagery from Chef’s Table still swirling in our minds. Pujol is consistently ranked among the world’s best restaurants for a reason, and we are giddy at the thought of seeing him in action. Nestled in the heart of Mexico City’s Polanco neighborhood, the restaurant reimagines traditional Mexican cuisine with modern techniques and deep respect for heritage.
Our favorite dish is the one we’d traveled for, ‘mole madre.’ This mother of all moles has been continuously aged and refreshed since 2013, and is much like a sourdough starter. Each week, new seasonal ingredients are folded into the original batch, evolving a flavor that grows more complex over time. It’s served on its own, with handmade tortillas on the side.
Pujol is elegant but grounded. Refined but soulful. A destination dining experience deeply rooted in Mexico’s best ingredients by one of its most coveted chefs.
While you’re there: Mexico City is a place to indulge in Mexican culinary heritage, admire architecture, and walk around trendy neighborhoods. Roma, Polanco, Juárez, and Condesa are a few worth exploring. Visit Palacio Nacional, eat a churro, or dance in an open plaza. Mexico City is a lively, buzzy, and cosmopolitan city destination that excites all the senses.
Hiša Franko, Kobarid, Slovenia
Set in Slovenia’s remote Soča Valley, Hiša Franko feels like dining at the edge of the world. Helmed by chef Ana Roš, who was named World’s Best Female Chef in 2017, the restaurant draws inspiration from the surrounding wild and untamed nature.
Roš isn’t just cooking—she’s capturing the Slovenian landscape one dish at a time. Her ingredients are foraged from forests, fished from the Soča River, and cultivated by nearby farmers. Expect courses like alpine trout with fermented apple, or lamb with herbs collected from the valley floor. 
Each of Roš’s dishes is accompanied by natural Slovenian wines that even oenophiles might be tasting for the first time. This unique pairing makes Hiša Franko’s destination dining experience even more spectacular.
While you’re there: Packed with natural beauty and fairytale towns, the capital, Ljubljana, is known for baroque architecture and hilltop castles.Visit Lake Bled—an emerald lake crowned by a tiny island church. Take a pletna boat ride to the island or enjoy a slice of the famous Bled cream cake while soaking up the sun.
Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
Japanese cuisine is all about balance, seasonality, and deep-rooted tradition. The two-starred Michelin restaurant Narisawa elevates all of it into pure art. Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa focuses on innovative Satoyama cuisine using ingredients from forests, fields, and coastal waters across Japan. His ultimate goal is sustainability and reverence for nature.
Every course tells a seasonal story. One dish might be bread that literally rises tableside using a heated stone. Another could be soil soup made with burdock root and presented to mimic the forest floor. The aesthetic is clean, with stark white walls and tablecloths, which allows his art to truly shine.
The flavors are complex, and the care behind each creation is palpable. Tokyo may be a foodie’s paradise, but with dozens of Michelin-starred restaurants worth traveling for in Japan, Narisawa stands out among them.
While you’re there: The ways to spend the rest of your days in Tokyo are endless. Visit Senso-ji Shrine and Meiji Temple, walk Takeshita Street in funky Harajuku, soak in a hot spring (onsen), or eat your way through a department store basement food hall. Have more time? Venture to the temple-filled city of Kyoto, take wellness to the next level in Hakone, or grab your skis and head to the slopes of Niseko.
Don Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Not all destination dining requires molecular gastronomy or a remote setting. Located in the vibrant Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Don Julio is proof that sometimes, simplicity done exceptionally well, is all that matters. This rustic Argentine steakhouse delivers some of the best beef on the planet.
Everything at Don Julio revolves around meat, in fact. Cuts are locally sourced, grass-fed, and grilled to smoky perfection over a traditional wood-fired parrilla. Pair it with local Malbec and start with grilled provoleta or empanadas to round out the experience.
The atmosphere is warm and lively, with shelves lined with handwritten wine bottles and a team that treats every guest like a member of the family. It’s one of those places where the food is just part of what makes the restaurant so special.
While you’re there: Other than prime cuts of meat, Buenos Aires is known for its eclectic European architecture and culturally rich neighborhoods. Visit Recoleta Cemetery and Plaza de Mayo. Try an empanada (or ten). Walk the art-filled La Boca neighborhood. Learn to tango. Each city street corner has a story to tell and a sight worth seeing. Embrace it!
The French Laundry, Yountville, California
Some restaurants never go out of style. Case in point is The French Laundry, Thomas Keller’s legendary temple of fine dining in Napa Valley, California. The restaurant is located inside a stone building dating back to the early 1900s, with an interior that is understated, serene, and perfectly suited to the culinary masterpieces that have emerged from his kitchen each day since 1994.
The menu changes often, as Mr. Keller whips up new delights like the culinary magician he is. The nine-course tasting menu might include oysters and pearls (a signature dish), butter-poached lobster, or Snake River Farms beef. Each plate is a lesson in precision, grace, and texture. The French Laundry has a warmth and ambience that transcends the white tablecloths and polished service. It’s the feeling that you’re in the presence of greatness, and yet, it feels personal.
While you’re there: Napa is one of the most popular wine destinations in the world, so get a car and driver and taste big cabs and smooth merlots to your heart’s content. Need to relax? Choose one of the area’s first-class spas, book a mud bath, or an herbal massage. Hike, bike, swim, or nap in the glorious California sun. After a full day of wine tasting, you just might need it.
Planning Your Trip Around a Meal
If you’re wondering if you can justify flying around the world just for dinner, the answer is a resounding ‘Yes, you can!’ Think of it this way: destination-worthy restaurants often exist near great places to explore. The most important step is securing the reservation before you do anything else. Popular destination restaurants often book out weeks or even months in advance, and the last thing you want is to have your flights and hotel locked in only to find the restaurant fully booked.
Treat the restaurant reservation like your trip’s anchor. Once you have the date set, build your itinerary around it. CIRE Travel is standing by to help. No doubt the team will be green with envy once they learn which restaurants you’ve reserved. Whether it’s a long weekend in Napa or a two-week culinary journey through Japan, having that coveted table waiting for you sets the tone for the whole experience.
Finding the Restaurants Worth Traveling For
Curious where to find the best restaurants in the world? One of the most useful resources is San Pellegrino’s The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Each year, San Pellegrino ranks restaurants around the world. So once you know what country or city you’d like to visit, check out the list and start booking.
Chef’s Table is clearly another big source of inspiration, both Hiša Franko and Pujol have been highlighted in past seasons. And don’t forget the Michelin Guide for some of the most decadent tables on Earth. Lastly, listen to your friends, your travel advisor, and even eavesdrop at your local coffee shop. Destination dining inspo can come from unusual places.
Tips and Tricks for Destination Dining
Getting a reservation at the best restaurants in the world isn’t rocket science, but there are a few formulas to understand. If you can follow a few simple rules, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to score the table you want, when you want it.
Follow the rules: Look at the restaurant’s website in advance and take note of its unique booking method.
Mark your calendar: Once you have the date in mind, backtrack to the day (and time) you can officially book. Set an alarm (or two) so you don’t forget.
Be flexible: Can you book the restaurant for a variety of dates? Mark your calendar for multiple days in case you aren’t successful the first time. Have those dates ready so you can make a snap decision.
Create accounts in advance: Many restaurants, especially the ones where you pay for the meal in advance, have an online system to join or use a reservation platform. Get your account set up and your credit card in place.
Refresh: Load the website five minutes before the allotted time to book, and refresh the page as needed.
Make a new BFF: Don’t be afraid to ask a hotel concierge for help, especially when dealing with countries that don’t speak your language or are in a different time zone. You can even do this before you book the hotel. In fact, this is the very method I used to book Pujol! Just don’t forget to thank them when they come through for you.
Dial it in: When all else fails, try calling for a reservation. Last-minute cancellations happen. Keep calling, you never know.
Settle for the next best thing: A chef’s expertise goes well beyond dinner. Does the restaurant also serve lunch? There’s something wonderful about devoting an afternoon of vacation to a long boozy lunch.
This is the Best Bite I’ve Ever Had!
Destination dining is about more than eating. It’s about memories, rituals, and surprises. It’s about spending time with our favorite people. It’s about relishing that first sip of local wine, and proclaiming, “this is the best bite I’ve ever had!” after every single bite. What better way to get to know a new country and culture than through its produce, meat, rare delicacies, and wine?
So next time you’re debating where to go, ask your taste buds first. They are guaranteed to take you somewhere amazing.
Jamie Edwards is an avid traveler, travel writer, and photographer. After 25 years of living and traveling around the globe, she launched I am Lost and Found, her adventure/luxury travel website. Jamie’s goal is simple: to inspire travel.
CIRE Travel is a full-service travel agency headquartered in New York, NY. Our expert corporate travel planners, honeymoon travel agents, and luxury travel planners support clients across the country and around the world.
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