CA Restaurant Named Nation's Best In Food & Wine 'Global Tastemakers' Awards

CALIFORNIA — Two of the best cities in the country for food and drink are in California, and so is the best restaurant, according to Food & Wine’s annual Global Tastemakers Awards.

The winners across multiple categories “define American dining in 2025,” Food & Wine said in an announcement Wednesday.

“You can find a great meal in virtually any corner of America, if you know where to look,” Food & Wine said. “In some cities, though, an array of talented and ambitious chefs, cooks, and bartenders converge to create a truly standout food scene.”

Los Angeles was named the third-best city for food and drink, while San Francisco was just behind in eighth place. Similarly, Los Angeles was ranked the third-best city for pastries and San Francisco was fourth. And move over Seattle, because the City of Angeles was named the best city for coffee in all of the nation.

Arguably, the top honor was awarded to a single Oakland restaurant named the best in the nation. Burdell, a cozy American food eatery in Oakland, earned the top honor as the very best place to get a bite to eat, according to Food & Wine.

"Geoff Davis digs into a totally fresh take on California soul food at Burdell, one of 2023’s most highly anticipated openings, and Food & Wine’s 2024 Restaurant of the Year. The restaurant looks like a grandmother’s sitting room from the 1970s, complete with vintage Corelle china and soul playing on the retro stereo system," Food & Wine noted. "The boiled peanuts, barbecue shrimp, and family meals fold local and seasonal produce into dishes with slow-simmered nostalgia. Davis was a 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist, and Burdell made the California Michelin Guide."

In all, Los Angeles, San Francisco were recognized in several categories.

"San Francisco’s proximity to plentiful farms, fresh seafood, and world-class wine regions propels the city to stand among the world’s most celebrated dining scenes," Food & Wine concluded. "Explore the country’s oldest Chinatown for xiao long bao, or seek out iconic local specialties like sourdough at Tartine or Josey Baker Bread, the pick of 2021 F&W Best New Chef Gaby Maeda."

And just 350 miles away, Southlanders, too, have a world-class dining scene.

"LA’s restaurant scene draws on the city’s creative, always-evolving energy. See it at Holy Basil, where 2024 F&W Best New Chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat bridges Thai tradition brilliantly with California ingredients and innovation in dishes like the yellow curry rigatoni and khao soi pasta, or Birdie G’s, where Jeremy Fox makes magic with vegetables," according to Food & Wine. "While you explore the city’s electric food scene, don’t miss tried-and-true classics like Philippe for French dips, Bay Cities for a Godmother Italian sandwich, and Cielito Lindo for taquitos, all of which can steal the show."

The Global Tastemakers Awards are intended as a guide to help tourists find great food and drinks they travel around the United States and internationally. In the United States, the following awards were presented:

Top 10 Cities for Food and Drink

1. New York City
2. Chicago
3. Los Angeles
4. Austin, Texas
5. New Orleans
6. Charleston, South Carolina
7. Miami
8. San Francisco
9. Houston
10. Philadelphia

Top 15 U.S. Restaurants

1. Burdell, Oakland, California
2. Canlis, Seattle
3. The Musket Room, New York City
4. Lowland, Charleston, South Carolina
5. Emeril’s, New Orleans
6. Mr. Tuna, Portland, Maine
7. Yangban, Los Angeles
8. My Loup, Philadelphia
9. Myriel, St. Paul, Minnesota
10. Stissing House, White Plains, New York
11. Nancy’s Hustle, Houston
12. Penny, New York City
13. Sunny’s, Miami
14. Virtue
15. Oyster Oyster, Washington, D.C.

Top 10 Cities for Pastries

1. New York City
2. Chicago
3. Los Angeles
4. San Francisco
5. New Orleans
6. Boston
7. Miami
8. Houston
9. Las Vegas
10. Detroit

Top 10 Cities for Coffee

1. Los Angeles
2. New York City
3. Seattle
4. Portland, Oregon
5. New Orleans
6. San Francisco
7. Boston
8. Miami
9. Honolulu
10. San Juan, Puerto Rico

Top 10 Hotel Bars

1. King Cole Bar, St. Regis, New York City
2. Elysian Bar, Hotel Peter and Paul, New Orleans
3. Evening Bar, Shinola Hotel, Detroit
4. Titsou, Fouquet’s, New York City
5. Allegory, Eaton, Washington D.C.
6. Collins, The Fontainebleau, Las Vegas
7. Four Walls, The Joseph, Nashville
8. Midnight Rambler, The Joule, Dallas
9. SkyHigh, Four Seasons, Philadelphia
10. Z Bar, Peninsula, Chicago

Top10 U.S. Airports for Food and Drink

1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport
2. Chicago O’Hare International Airport
3. John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City
4. LaGuardia Airport, New York City
5. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Austin, Texas
6. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
7. San Francisco International Airport
8. Denver International Airport
9. Miami International Airport
10. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

To develop the list of the best food and drink experiences for travelers, Food & Wine polled more than 400 chefs, travel experts, food and travel writers and wine pros from around the world. The results were ranked by the outlet’s Global Advisory Board, which ranked the top nominees in each category.