Fine dining is one of the primary reasons for travel, especially international travel, in the world. After all, what better way to experience a different culture than sampling the dishes they have to offer? If food, especially fine dining, is your primary reason of travel, then picking a country to visit is no easy task, due to the varied distribution of cuisines (and culinary talent!) across the world. Perhaps comparing the international accolades and awards each country has received will narrow down the list...

The Michelin guide originated as a European travel guide in the early 1900s, but has since expanded globally. The guide includes the must-visit food destinations in every country, with two distinct categories for awards. The first are the famous Michelin stars, which can be award as one, two, or three stars. It is considered the most prestigious of all culinary awards, with three stars handed out rarely by the anonymous reviewers. These stars are awarded typically to fine dining establishments. The second category is the Bib Gourmand award, which Michelin included later to recognize the culinary talent of moderately priced restaurants. Since we are focusing on fine dining, we will examine Michelin stars.

"Three stars: The restaurant has exceptional cuisine and is worth a special trip just to visit. Rather than being a stop on the way to a destination, this restaurant is the destination. This restaurant serves distinct dishes that are executed to perfection." —International Culinary Center

"Two stars: The restaurant has excellent cuisine delivered in a unique way. This restaurant has something exceptional to offer and is worth a detour to visit while traveling." —International Culinary Center

"One star: The restaurant is considered very good in its category but is limited in some way. This restaurant has a quality menu and prepares cuisine to a consistently high standard, but it may lack a unique element that would bring people back over and over again." —International Culinary Center

According to the data, it seems that Europe and America consistently come out on top, with the exception of Japan and China. However, when we examine one or two Michelin stars (which are still incredibly difficult awards to achieve), some countries outside Europe do appear. Brazil and Thailand for example have several award-winning restaurants in their borders. Perhaps this will tempt some travelers whose sights are set on Europe to try something new... While the Michelin stars are world-renown, there is a another kind of award we can use for our ranking criteria.

The World's 50 best restaurants (and top 51-120) has been a prestigious international restaurants competition since 2002. It is funded by San Pellegrino and independently adjudicated by Deloitte. Over 1,000 culinary experts participate in the decision process this competition, presenting the award at different cities across the world each year. And, facing diversity criticism a few years ago, they've restructured the voting process for a 50/50 gender parity panel split up into 26 different regions around the world. Each region has its own voting panel of 40 members. There are no specific criteria a restaurant must meet, simply overall quality is judged. Previous first place restaurants cannot win again ensuing years. While top 50 garner the most attention, the rankings for 51-120 also merit attention, considering it is 120 out of the thousands and thousands of restaurants across the world.

Many of the countries that did well in the Michelin rankings do well here. However, it seems that more non-European countries place in this competition than in the Michelin stars. Perhaps this is because of the recent changes to the judging process for Top 50 Restaurants, to be more culturally inclusive and gender diverse. With this information places like Argentina, South Africa, and Peru appear as potential candidates for a fine dining trip.

For total ranking, we weighted the Top 50 restaurant scores by 4 and Top 51-120 by 3, considering it is much more difficult to place in this competition than to receive at least one Michelin star (there are hundreds and hundreds of Michelin stars awarded but only 120 spots per year in the Top Restaurant competition) A Top 50 ranking must be worth 4 Michelin stars, and Top 51-120 must be worth 3.

It comes at no surprise that France comes out on top. Known as the culinary destination of the world, France has more international accolades within its borders than any other country in the world. Although many award winning restaurants here don't style after French cuisine per se, they all benefit from the technical prowess the chefs of this country possess. While here you'll find no shortage of delicious food, from fresh baked goods like croissants to delectable meals like coq a vin.

Although some may assume Europe to completely top this list, Japan slides in at number two for culinary accolades. Though, those more familiar with the cuisine will not be surprised. The emphasis on attention to detail and fresh ingredients in the culinary culture of this nation make it easily one of the fine dining capitals of the world. Tokyo garners the most awards and attention in this nation, but smaller cities like Osaka are still worthy culinary destinations. While here, of course you must indulge in the popular local cuisine, such as sushi (made with the freshest of seafood) and ramen.

Italy comes in at number three for rankings based on food. Italy is known for fresh food with as much emphasis placed on flavor as precision. It is also one of the most popular cuisines anywhere in the world! The amazing, fresh flavors of this cuisine is the reason behind its international appeal. This country has much to offer in terms of fine dining, and not just for for its famous fresh pasta. Gelato, specialty cheese and meats, tiramisu, and more are examples of amazing traditional Italian fare one must try when visiting this country. Maybe if you come to visit, you can also hop over to France to sample its cuisine as well!

This map is intended for an interesting point of view alone. There are many subjective factors that go towards judging the quality of food culture in a country, and it will vary from person to person. Flavor palate, ingredients available, casual vs. expensive restaurants, food related festivals and holidays, all factor into the culinary cultures around the world. These maps indicate fine dining quality as ranked by International award bodies. Unfortunately, for historical reasons these bodies also have European bias, though some like the Top 50 Restaurants have taken steps in recent years to amend this history of bias. These maps can only indicate possible great locations for high-class dining, and do not take into account the rich flavors of India, delicious street food of Thailand, or amazing ingredients in Mexico, for example.

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