Soup season · November 2026
The best soup in 50 cities
Five bowls in each city, led by the one it's known for: the place that makes it best, what to say when you order, and our own full recipe so you can make it at home. Pho in Hanoi, caldo verde in Porto, borscht on Second Avenue, harira at dusk in Marrakech.
New: the 25 best soup recipes from the food creators we follow, counted down
Europe
A photo like it
Pea soup
Moeders · Rozengracht 251, Jordaan
“Een snert, alstublieft, met roggebrood en spek.”
+ 4 more: saoto soup, pho, tonkotsu ramen, wonton noodle soup
Tripe soup
Epirus · Varvakios Central Market, Athinas 42
“Éna patsá anamikto, parakaló, me skordostoúbi.”
+ 4 more: kakavia (fisherman's soup), chickpea soup, egg-lemon chicken soup, white bean soup
Escudella i carn d'olla
Can Culleretes · Carrer d'en Quintana 5, Gothic Quarter
“Una escudella i carn d'olla, si us plau.”
+ 4 more: fish soup, brothy lobster rice, ramen, galician broth
Soljanka
Zur Letzten Instanz · Waisenstrasse 14-16, Nikolaiviertel
“Eine Soljanka, bitte, und ein Bier.”
Tortellini in brodo
Trattoria Anna Maria · Via Belle Arti 17/A, near the university
“Tortellini in brodo, per favore.”
+ 4 more: passatelli in broth, imperial soup, pasta and bean soup, cappelletti in broth
Ribollita
Trattoria Cammillo · Borgo San Jacopo 57, Oltrarno
“Una ribollita, per favore, con un filo d'olio.”
+ 4 more: tomato bread soup, acquacotta, farro soup, lampredotto in its broth
Red lentil soup
Kanaat Lokantası · Selmanipak Caddesi, Üsküdar (Asian side)
“Bir mercimek çorbası, lütfen. Limonlu.”
+ 4 more: lamb trotter soup, tripe soup, bulgur and meatball soup, red lentil and bulgur soup
A photo like it
Shellfish bread soup
Pap'Açorda · Mercado da Ribeira (first floor), Cais do Sodré
“Uma açorda de marisco, por favor.”
+ 4 more: kale and potato soup, stone soup, chicken soup, garlic and coriander bread soup
Hot udon in dashi
Koya · Bloomberg Arcade, the City
“Atsu-atsu udon, please, with the onsen egg.”
Black truffle soup V.G.E.
Paul Bocuse (L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges) · Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, 15 minutes north of Lyon
“La soupe aux truffes V.G.E., s'il vous plaît.”
+ 4 more: onion soup, ramen, pho, pumpkin soup with hazelnuts
Cocido madrileño
La Bola · Calle de la Bola 5, near the Royal Palace
“Un cocido, por favor, con los dos vuelcos.”
+ 4 more: castilian garlic soup, consommé from the samovar, madrid-style tripe, asturian bean stew
Minestrone alla milanese
Trattoria Milanese · Via Santa Marta 11, near the Duomo
“Un minestrone, per favore.”
+ 4 more: tripe and bean soup, ramen, pavia soup, dumplings in broth
French onion soup
Au Pied de Cochon · 6 Rue Coquillière, Les Halles
“Une soupe à l'oignon gratinée, s'il vous plaît.”
Caldo verde
Casa Expresso · Praça de Carlos Alberto 73, across from the Museu da Cidade
“Um caldo verde, por favor.”
+ 4 more: tripe with beans, porto style, fish stew, pork and bread porridge, chicken soup
A photo like it
Broccoli and skate soup
Checco er Carettiere · Via Benedetta 10, Trastevere
“Una minestra di broccoli e arzilla, per favore.”
+ 4 more: pasta and chickpea soup, roman egg-drop soup, pasta and beans, sicilian fish soup
Yellow pea soup with pancakes
Pelikan · Blekingegatan 40, Södermalm
“Ärtsoppa och pannkakor, tack. Och en punsch.”
+ 4 more: fish soup, vegan ramen, shio ramen, chanterelle soup
Beef broth with pancake strips
Plachutta · Wollzeile 38, Innere Stadt
“Einmal Tafelspitz, bitte, mit Frittatensuppe.”
+ 4 more: goulash soup, liver dumpling soup, semolina dumpling soup, ramen
The Americas
Ajiaco
La Puerta Falsa · La Candelaria
“Un ajiaco completo, por favor, con todo aparte.”
+ 4 more: milk and egg breakfast soup, hen sancocho, seafood casserole, beef rib broth
New England clam chowder
Union Oyster House · Faneuil Hall
“A bowl of the chowder, and a half dozen at the bar.”
+ 4 more: lobster bisque, pho, miso ramen, portuguese kale soup
Locro
El Sanjuanino · Recoleta
“Un locro, por favor, con bastante salsita picante.”
+ 4 more: puchero, squash stew in a pumpkin, tripe stew, ramen
Matzo ball soup
Manny's Cafeteria and Delicatessen · South Loop
“Matzo ball soup, a corned beef and a latke.”
+ 4 more: miso ramen, pho, goat birria and consomé, egg-lemon chicken soup
Hen soup
Siete Sopas · Surquillo
“Un caldo de gallina, por favor, con huevo y bastante limón.”
+ 4 more: sopa criolla, prawn chowder, seafood soup, crab soup
Soft tofu stew
Surawon Tofu House · Koreatown
“해물 순두부 하나, 보통 맵게 주세요.”
+ 4 more: pho, tonkotsu ramen, goat birria and consomé, matzo ball soup
Red pozole
La Casa de Toño · Zona Rosa
“Un pozole rojo grande de maciza, por favor.”
+ 4 more: tortilla soup, lamb barbacoa consomé, yucatán lime soup, chicken and chipotle soup
Haitian squash soup
L'Auberge · North Miami
“Bonjou, ban m yon gwo soup joumou, souple.”
+ 4 more: black bean soup, pho, cuban chicken soup, shoyu ramen
French onion soup
Au Pied de Cochon · Plateau
“Une soupe à l'oignon gratinée, s'il vous plaît.”
Gumbo
Mr. B's Bistro · French Quarter
“A bowl of the gumbo ya-ya, and the barbecue shrimp.”
+ 4 more: turtle soup, yaka mein, oyster and artichoke soup, pho
Borscht
Veselka · East Village
“A bowl of borscht with challah, and pierogi half boiled, half fried.”
+ 4 more: matzo ball soup, shio ramen, wonton noodle soup, ox bone soup
A photo like it
Snapper soup
Oyster House · Rittenhouse
“A snapper soup, with the sherry, please.”
+ 4 more: matzo ball soup, pho, brisket ramen with a matzo ball, chicken corn soup
Cioppino
Sotto Mare · North Beach
“One crab cioppino for two, and the garlic bread.”
+ 4 more: hakata tonkotsu ramen, clam chowder, chicken pho, egg noodle soup with roast duck
Conger eel soup
Donde Augusto · Mercado Central
“Un caldillo de congrio, por favor.”
+ 4 more: chilean cazuela, shellfish soup, bean and noodle stew, miso ramen
Split pea soup
United Bakers Dairy Restaurant · Lawrence Plaza
“A pea soup, a cheese blintz and a slice of challah, please.”
Shio ramen
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka · Robson Street, West End
“塩らーめん、ひとつお願いします。(Shio ramen, hitotsu onegaishimasu.)”
+ 4 more: spicy huế beef noodle soup, pho, clam chowder, cantonese congee
Asia
Tom yum goong
P'Aor · Phaya Thai
“ขอบะหมี่ต้มยำกุ้งแม่น้ำ น้ำข้น ค่ะ/ครับ”
+ 4 more: rolled noodle soup, boat noodles, stewed beef noodle soup, tom yum instant noodles
Phnom Penh noodle soup
Hồng Phát · District 3
“Cho tôi một tô hủ tiếu Nam Vang đặc biệt.”
+ 4 more: spicy huế beef noodle soup, pho, crab and tomato noodle soup, thick crab noodle soup
Wonton noodle soup
Mak's Noodle · Central
“一碗雲吞麵，唔該。(Yat wun wan tan min, m goi.)”
+ 4 more: beef brisket noodles, snake soup, congee, macaroni soup with ham
Shoyu ramen
Honke Daiichi-Asahi · Kyoto Station
“特製ラーメン、ネギ多めでお願いします。(Tokusei ramen, negi oome de onegaishimasu.)”
Kitsune udon
Usami-tei Matsubaya · Senba, Chuo-ku
“きつねうどん、ひとつお願いします。(Kitsune udon, hitotsu onegaishimasu.)”
+ 4 more: shoyu ramen, oden, beef broth with egg, udon hot pot
Ox bone soup
Imun Seolnongtang · Jongno
“설렁탕 하나 주세요. (Seolleongtang hana juseyo.)”
+ 4 more: ginseng chicken soup, knife-cut noodle soup, pork bone soup, hangover soup
Pork rib soup
Song Fa Bak Kut Teh · Clarke Quay
“One premium loin rib soup, rice and a youtiao, please.”
+ 4 more: laksa, sliced fish soup, prawn noodle soup, beef kway teow soup
Beef noodle soup
Lin Dong Fang · Bade Road, Zhongshan
“半筋半肉麵，一碗，謝謝。(Ban jin ban rou mian, yi wan, xiexie.)”
+ 4 more: oyster vermicelli, herbal pork rib soup, sesame oil chicken soup, danzai noodles
Chicken paitan ramen
Ginza Kagari · Ginza
“鶏白湯SOBA、ひとつお願いします。(Tori paitan soba, hitotsu onegaishimasu.)”
Australia and New Zealand
Seafood chowder
The Blacksmith Eatery and Bar · Takanini
“A seafood chowder and the garlic bread, thanks.”
+ 4 more: pho, laksa, lao rice noodle soup, dan dan noodle soup
Curry laksa
Laksa King · Flemington
“One curry laksa with chicken, extra sambal.”
+ 4 more: pho, lanzhou beef noodle soup, tonkotsu ramen, french onion soup
Pho
Pho Tau Bay · Cabramatta
“Cho tôi một tô phở đặc biệt.”
+ 4 more: laksa, tonkotsu ramen, boat noodles, hand-pulled beef noodle soup
Africa
Molokhia
Abou El Sid · Zamalek
“ملوخية بالأرانب لو سمحت (molokhia bil araneb, law samaht).”
+ 4 more: red lentil soup, rice, bread and broth with meat, cow's trotter soup, seafood soup
Harira
The harira stalls of Jemaa el-Fnaa
“عافاك، واحد الحريرة. (Afak, wahed l-harira.)”
+ 4 more: fava bean soup, snail broth, chicken and vermicelli soup, barley soup
How Chef picked
First, the bowl each city is known for, or the one locals line up for when it gets cold, and the place that makes it best right now. Each of those 50 places was looked up on the web on October 28, 2026: still open, still making that soup. Then four more bowls per city, each a different soup, picked from local food guides, critics' lists and the places' own menus; check a page's notes before you go, because menus and hours change. Some are seasonal (Rome's arzilla and Lyon's truffle soup are winter only, Stockholm's pea soup is a Thursday thing, Miami's soup joumou sells out on Sunday mornings) and each page says so. The recipes are Chef's own, written for a home kitchen with real quantities; where two cities share a soup, they share the recipe.
More to eat
Dish photos from Wikimedia Commons and The Best 100, credited on each page; "a photo like it" is not of that bowl. Chef Amazing is not paid by any place on this list.
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