La Bamby bakery sits on a strategic corner in downtown Oaxaca, between two tourist magnets, the Zócalo and the Santo Domingo church. The street corner lacks many of the vibrant elements that make this colorful colonial city a dreamy backdrop for Instagram posts; a bank stands across from it and an Oxxo, a national convenience store chain that plagues most Mexican cities, sits next to it. Like its neighbors, La Bamby is highly functional, serving one very practical purpose: supplying the city with fresh, affordable bread. With over 50 years of history, the bakery is an institution in Oaxaca.

The eyes of Tacacá do Norte’s harried staff widen as yet another customer arrives during the lunchtime rush. The bedroom-sized snack bar can barely hold one line of chairs around its bar but they have somehow managed to squeeze in two. Impatient regulars shake hands and whistle “psst” to the young men staffing the establishment, who gingerly hand steaming pots of shrimp soup and freshly puréed juices over the packed bar.

Editor’s Note: In the latest installment of our recurring First Stop feature, we asked documentary photographer and art director Mónica Rodríguez to share some of her favorite bites and sips in Guadalajara. Mónica is the photographer for the Guía Domingo book series, a taco photobook and guide whose third edition, Tacos Guadalajara, is available now. You can follow Mónica on Instagram @monicardz___ Guadalajara is one of the best food cities in all of Mexico. If you were to tell me that I’m going to Guadalajara right now, the first thing I’d do is go for breakfast at a taquería that I discovered when I went to shoot the photos for the book Guía Domingo. It’s a street cart called Tacos al Vapor Don Fede. I love the vibe of this place. You can tell that it has its lifelong customers – some go there for breakfast before work; there is nothing more Mexican than eating a taco while standing in the middle of the street. When I visited it was springtime and there were many jacaranda trees painting the street purple.

Located in Seoul’s upscale Gangnam district, Hansung Kalguksu has offered the exact same menu for the last 42 years. But there’s nothing stale about this unsuspecting second-story restaurant. In fact, its consistency makes it stand out in Seoul’s burgeoning food scene, continuing to attract crowds of customers, even on weekdays. Known for its kalguksu – a humble yet beloved noodle dish – the restaurant also serves a wide variety of festive dishes, staying true to its roots in traditional Korean cuisine.

Among the many legends about pizza in Naples, the most famous and widespread – even though widely confirmed as inaccurate – is the one about the birth of the margherita pizza. Time and time again the story has been repeated, according to which this most beloved pizza was born in the summer of 1889, baked at the Capodimonte royal palace. Made by the cook and pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito of Brandi Pizzeria, the pizza was intended as an homage to Queen Margherita di Savoia, wife of the first king of Italy (as a united nation) Umberto I, and to the country's three-colored flag.

“This restaurant is different,” says Belmiro de Jesus. He’s describing his own establishment, Belmiro, which he opened in 2020. And, we have to admit, it’s true. From the menu, with its emphasis on game dishes, to the unique wines – quirky labels that won’t break the bank – the chef has created a restaurant that stands out. If there’s anything we’d add to his descriptor, it would be that Belmiro is also very delicious and very Portuguese.

Rio bars aren’t simply a place to grab a quick drink – though that’s how they can appear to many walking past. The bar is the cornerstone of carioca life, easily earning the nickname of modern-day watering hole. And, more often than not, they’ve got some damn good food. Now, the Rio bars landscape is overstuffed with gin joints and cachaça canteens. So, when we round up our "best" spots in a city, it’s never about Instagramable trends, Michelin stars, or rooftop views. We share the places we genuinely love to go – spots with soul, history, and that indescribable atmosphere that keeps you lingering. Some of these places may have become well-known institutions over the years, but others remain tucked-away neighborhood joys.

“Think of O Fernando as your home.” This was one of the first things the owner of O Fernando, Ricardo Monteiro, ever said to us when we first met him a few years ago.

In the 13th century, San Sebastian was a walled fishing village. While it may no longer look like one, Kofradia – a restaurant and maritime education center that opened in 2020 – is working to preserve fragments of that history. Located near La Kontxa beach, between where San Sebastian’s fishing port and a seaside entrance to the old walled town used to be, the project got its start as an initiative of several local guilds and organizations that work with small fishing boats in the Bay of Biscay. This is where the fish on Kofradia’s menu comes from, reflecting the quality of the catch, the commitment to responsible fishing, and the maintenance of the balance of local biodiversity.

At lunchtime, a line starts to form in front of Lu’s Garden in San Gabriel. Right in front of the entrance is a narrow walkway and a long counter with a line of buffet trays filled with braised pork, lap cheong (a type of dried, sweetened Chinese sausage) and more. Stacked behind them are bowls filled with more dishes like sautéed string beans and bok choy. The kitchen staff can be seen replenishing the various buffet trays seemingly every five to ten minutes, keeping them full as hungry patrons file through. Both dine-in and takeout customers choose their dishes based on what’s at the counter – there are more than enough options, as Lu’s Garden generally has fifty different dishes at a time.

As the 7 train clanks from the tracks above, the Queens neighborhood of Jackson Heights buzzes, serving as a commercial and cultural center for South Asian immigrants. Mobile stores and gold shops line 74th street amid kiosks that offer up passport photos and paan, an after-dinner betel leaf treat common in Southeast Asia. At the heart of it all, Merit Kabab and Dumpling Palace encapsulates the chaos in delicious culinary form. Employees from Bangladesh and Nepal walk by singing, as customers lean over the counter to snack on fist-sized samosas and sip on sweet chai. Feroz Ahmed, originally from Dhaka, sits in the corner fielding phone calls, armored in a fleece and snug cap. He has managed the restaurant for upwards of ten years. “They say the city of New York never sleeps. That it is open twenty-four hours. Ha!” he said. “But only here [in Jackson Heights] does it never sleep.”

For over fifty years, the historic restaurant Trattoria Il Delfino has been synonymous with tradition and quality in the heart of Sferracavallo, a small fishing village on the outskirts of Palermo. Here, the scent of the sea blends with the aromas of Sicilian cuisine, fresh fish is the undisputed star, and the philosophy of cooking has remained unchanged over time. At the helm of this renowned trattoria is Nino Billeci, who, together with his family, carries on a legacy that began in the 1970s. The restaurant’s story dates back to a time when fish was considered the food of the poor, and meat was preferred by those who could afford it. But over time habits changed, and Il Delfino became a touchstone for those seeking an authentic seafood experience.

In April 1965, Rocky Tommaseo and his brother, Tommy, teamed with Carlo Gioe and his two brothers, Mario and Giuseppe. Together, they opened Rocky & Carlo’s, a restaurant that would become an institution in Chalmette – a town about 10 miles east of New Orleans. But the partnership between these two families was already solidified by the time they arrived in southeastern Louisiana. “Our story began in Sicily,” said a younger Tommy Tommaseo, who everyone calls “Mr. Tommy.” He is the son of Rocky and nephew of the older Tommy. At 75 years old, Mr. Tommy is part of the second generation of Rocky & Carlo’s ownership. Two families merged, he said, in the coastal town of Alcamo.

A grill of sizzling coração de galinha (chicken hearts), linguiça (sausage) and churrasco (steak) exudes a plume of smoke that sets the perfect theatrical stage as a woman in a red apron swings from side to side, dancing to Brazilian funk. The meat smells delicious, too. Maybe just one espetinho (skewer) before we go… Sundays at Feira da Glória market in Rio de Janeiro are an all-out assault on the senses – and on shoppers’ willpower. The sight of fruit stacked high on tables is almost as vibrant as Rio itself.

Athens’s central and largest food market is located off of National Road, between downtown Athens and Piraeus port, in an industrial area called Rendis. It covers about 60 acres of land and was inaugurated back in 1959 when the city realized that the two existing markets of Piraeus and central Athens were not enough to cover the population’s needs. But there was also a vision of developing Rendis (which back then was an agricultural zone, with lots of farmers working the fields in the area) as the main source of food supply for the city of Athens. Moreover, the location that was picked for the market was convenient, as it is easy to access both from the north and south of Attica. For visitors today, it’s best to drive there or take a taxi, and once you approach the market, you’ll notice the huge trucks heading towards it. Larger shops selling vegetables, fruit, seafood, meat and hundreds of other food products line the entrance and wind around the main market gate.