Where to eat the best falafel in the world

10Bis did a survey of falafel in cities around the world and compile a top-10 list.

Three falafel and salad-filled pitas. (photo credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)
Three falafel and salad-filled pitas.
(photo credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)

The best falafel in the world can be found in Haifa according to a study conducted by 10Bis to discover which city had the best version of the traditional Middle Eastern food.

The researchers used parameters such as the number of falafel eateries in the city and the reported quality of the food by customers to create a scoreboard that rated cities on a score of 1/10.

Here is where to get the best falafel in the world:

According to the findings, the first two cities on the list were in Israel.

In the first place, Haifa was rated 9.07. While only four percent of Haifa's eateries serve falafel, their falafel was rated the yummiest.

Falafel. (credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)
Falafel. (credit: PASCALE PEREZ-RUBIN)

Second place went to Tel Aviv with a score of 8.7. Tel Aviv has 13 falafel places for every 100,000 people, more than Haifa which only had nine for the same population.

Moving along in the Middle East, third place was awarded to Beirut with a score of 7.92. The percentage of falafel eateries in Beirut exceeds both Haifa's (3.95%) and Tel Aviv's (2.56%) with 9.36% of Beirut's restaurants serving falafel.

Fifth place departs from the region and can be found in Europe, specifically in Amsterdam with a score of 7.62. Amsterdam has 12 falafel eateries for every 100,000 people, less than half than in the next city on the list.

With 33 falafel places for every 100,000 people and a score of 7.55, Brussels is in sixth place.

Next in the list was Athens at seventh place with a score of 7.51. Athens' falafel was rated Europe's yummiest with a taste score of 4.6 out of 5.

Known as the world's most vegan-friendly city, Berlin came in at eighth place with a score of 7.48.

While ranking higher than Berlin on the taste scale, Lisbon ranks one under them in overall score and is in ninth place.

And in tenth place, with a score of 7.24, is Copenhagen where falafel is served in 43% of all their restaurants.