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"The Food Game Is Seriously Off Here": People Are Sharing The Travel Destinations Worth Visiting For The Food Alone (And Others Where The Cuisine Seriously Disappointed)

Food and travel are intricately connected. Personally, I travel to eat. I love nothing more than visiting new places to try the unique flavors and dishes. But, of course, not every meal can be a standout. So redditor u/BornThought4074 asked, "What country had food better than you expected, and which had food worse than you expected?" Here's what people said.

1."Turkish food was amazing, particularly Turkish breakfasts. They were always these huge feasts of many small plates including fresh bread, pastries, cheese, cold cuts, fruits, olives, hummus, and the best fresh honeycomb I've ever tasted."

Assorted breakfast items including eggs, bread, cheese, and tea on a table
Alexander Spatari / Getty Images

2."Amalfi, Italy. When I went to the Amalfi Coast I expected that the food would just be OK given how touristy the area is. In reality, it blew my mind. Everything we ate was super fresh, and consistently just delicious."

A plate of spaghetti with clams on a patterned plate, set on a wooden table
Ps3000 / Getty Images/iStockphoto

3."The food in Switzerland was not good at all. We really tried to find the best spots and did our research before each meal. Even so, all the food we ate was just okay at best. The views don’t disappoint, though!"

A person dipping a potato onto a fork into a pot of fondue with plates of food surrounding it
Lingxiao Xie / Getty Images

4."Cambodia is, unfortunately, on my bad food list. I was expecting bright, fresh flavors like Vietnamese food, but most things tasted bland."

A plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce, topped with herbs and nuts, served with side dishes in the background

5."Sri Lanka! The food blew me away. I never had a bad dish while traveling there. It's been six years since I visited this country, and years later, I still dream about some of the things I ate. The curries were so flavourful."

Indian thali with rice, various curries, and a papadum on a metal tray, hands serving food in background
Malcolm P Chapman / Getty Images

6."The food in Iceland was better than expected. From fish stew and hot dogs to lamb chops, fresh rye bread, and skyr, I ate many delicious things there."

Close-up of a hand holding a hot dog with condiments. No individuals identified
Pete Ark / Getty Images

7."Indonesia has great food. Where I'm from, Indonesian cuisine is unknown, and it's hard to find an Indonesian restaurant. The food was a pleasant surprise."

Plate of noodles with vegetables and skewered meat, with sauce on the side, hand visible
Pamelajoemcfarlane / Getty Images

8."Puerto Rico. It's a tropical island, but ironically, fresh fish was hard to find. We ate lots of pork and fried food. I love visiting Puerto Rico. I've been a few times and have only had good trips. But the food game is off."

A plate with shrimp, a mound of seasoned rice, and slices of tomato and lettuce
Jennifer Blount / Getty Images/iStockphoto

9."The food in The Netherlands was subpar. I like some Dutch snacks and desserts, such as stroopwafels, poffertjes, and frikandel, but otherwise, Dutch cuisine is among my least favorites. Whenever I go to The Netherlands, my favorite thing to eat is Indonesian food."

A slice of apple pie topped with whipped cream on a plate with a fork
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10."Bologna, Italy. This is the place to go for better-than-expected food. It should be the real food capital of Italy. Think: tagliatelle al ragù, tortellini, lasagna, and more."

Two individuals dining, sharing a charcuterie board with a variety of meats and cheeses
Elena Noviello / Getty Images

11."If Colombia had some of the world's best food, it would just be unfair. The country has beautiful people and a diverse, stunning country. If Colombia had food as good as Mexico's, it would need to be broken up with an antitrust lawsuit. That being said, I didn't find the food to be awful, just very mediocre."

A plate of empanadas with one cut open, alongside a bowl of salsa and fresh tomatoes
Shariffmardini / Getty Images/iStockphoto

12."Georgia had incredible food. From the khachapuri to the wine, everything was amazing. I went in not knowing much about the cuisine, but after taking a cooking class in a local home and eating our way through the country, I left so impressed that I started cooking Georgian food back home."

Assorted traditional dishes with soup, bread, cheese, and a beverage on a wooden table
Santiago Urquijo / Getty Images

13."Lima, Peru has the best food. The city has many great restaurants, from some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world to lots of small and casual gems. There's particularly great Chinese and Japanese food, too."

Grilled octopus served with vegetables on a blue plate
Terenceleezy / Getty Images

14."Poland. I was expecting the cuisine to be more like German food (which I enjoy, but find it can be quite repetitive and unimaginative often), but was very pleasantly surprised by Polish food."

Person serving sour cream onto fried dumplings with a spoon and fork
Alexander Spatari / Getty Images

15."The food in Dubai was better than expected. Dubai gets a lot of hate, but you'll find great food if you get away from the malls and fancy restaurants and go to where the local working-class people and immigrants live and eat. It's hard to find another city with so many diverse, unique, and authentic options."

People serving themselves a variety of dishes at a buffet table, including rice and round fried snacks
Pamelajoemcfarlane / Getty Images/iStockphoto

16."The food scene in Ireland blew me away. Americans tend to think of Irish food as meat and potatoes, but I had excellent Irish food that was far beyond the stereotypical dishes, and I ate some bomb international food as well."

Shrimp and vegetables on toasted bread, served on a floral pattern plate
Brandon Rosenblum / Getty Images

17."I was a bit disappointed by the food in Morocco. I enjoyed tagine and couscous, but it seemed like every restaurant had little more than these two options, and they got boring."

Traditional Moroccan tagine with vegetables and garnish on a table
Lingxiao Xie / Getty Images

18."Belgium was a surprising gem for me. I had almost no expectations going into this trip. I went for the beer but ended up loving the homey and flavorful comfort food."

Hand holding a waffle against a backdrop of the Grand Place in Brussels
M Fatih Beser / Getty Images

19.And finally, "Honestly, my partner and I were a bit let down by the food in France. We tried a huge variety, from street food to some fine-dining restaurants, and overall, it was pretty... meh. To be fair, we had also just been in Italy less than a week before, so maybe that had to do with our disappointment."

Person holding a crepe with Sacré-Cœur Basilica in the distant background
Gabriel Mello / Getty Images

Do you have something to add? What destinations exceeded your expectations when it came to the food? And which places left your taste buds feeling disappointed? Tell us in the comments or drop it into this Google form.