A new ranking of world cuisines by TasteAtlas has seen Switzerland improve its standing compared to last year. However, the land of chocolate, cheese and capuns has a long way to go before beating the kings of haut cuisine.

World Cuisine Ranking by TasteAtlas

Using 352.682 public reviews of dishes and food products from around the world, TasteAtlas compiled its ranking of the world’s best cuisines. The average rating of each country’s 50 highest-rated dishes was used to place nations on the ranking. In cases where two countries had the same average score, the one with the highest-rated individual dish was ranked higher.

In what may not prove a surprise, and in what is quite a safe choice, global foodies around the world rated Italian as the best cuisine in the world with an average rating of 4,65 out of five. With pasta, parmesan, mozzarella, burrata and pizza all at the country’s culinary disposal, it’s easy to see why.

Peru beats India to rank among the world's best cuisines

Japanese cuisine took second place, helped by its signature dishes of bluefin tuna, Wagyu meat, ramen and Kobe beef. The sun-soaked nations of Greece and Portugal rounded out the top four, with Chinese food taking fifth. A surprise inclusion in the top 10 this year was Peru, with the nation’s hot chillies and fresh produce helping cement its place in the higher echelons.

What was perhaps the biggest surprise for 2024 was the omission of India from the top 10, with the land of delicious spice and sensational curry taking 11th. “It's hard to believe that India isn't in the top 5”, one netizen told 20 Minuten, “Any country that can provide a litany of tasty vegetarian dishes should be given a sort of Nobel Prize.”

Swiss food ranks mid-table in TasteAtlas study

For 2024, Switzerland improved in the cuisine ranking, going from a measly 87th in 2023 to ranking 37th with a score of 4,33 out of five. Swiss cheeses helped the country rise through the ranks, with Gruyère, Tête de Moine, Sbrinz and Appenzeller all rated as some of the nation’s best-rated foods. Fondue, cordon bleu and raclette were also highly rated by foodies around the world.

Alongside the top foods, TasteAtlas also revealed its “best places” to try Swiss cuisine. These included Brasserie Obstberg in Bern, Casa Casutt in Ilanz, Zum alten Stephan in Solothurn and the Landgasthof Adler in Ried.

10 highest-rated cuisines in the world

In all, here are the 10 best-rated cuisines in the world.

1. Italian
2. Japanese
3. Greek
4. Portugese
5. Chinese
6. Indonesia
7. Mexican
8. French
9. Spanish 
10. Peruvian

To see how other cuisines faired in the ranking, check out the official website.