Beautiful Food Around The World That Made Me Grab My Camera • Trimm Travels

One of my favorite things about traveling is discovering beautiful food around the world and, of course, reaching for my camera before taking that first bite. Camera and phone ALWAYS eat first, right? From beautifully plated restaurant dishes to colorful local specialties, these are some of the meals that were simply too pretty not to photograph.

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Three artistic food and drink photographs featuring a reflective glass of white wine, a bright pink apple-shaped dessert, and an elegant plated dish with golden sauce.

Beautiful Food Around The World

Sometimes, I think the food on your plate deserves to be remembered just as much as the destination you’re visiting. It’s one of my absolute favorite ways to travel. As I love to say, if you aren’t “traveling via the local food”, you’re doing it wrong. Okay, maybe not wrong, but you ARE missing out. You can see what I mean with these beautiful dishes below!

United States

1 | Sunset Dinner

The Club | Birmingham, Alabama

Plate of grilled food and vegetables with a glass of white wine and sunset view from an outdoor dining table.

Alabama, my home state, hosted The World Games in 2022. I was invited to the official reception at The Club in Birmingham. There was a beautiful, multi-table buffet dinner and after getting mine, I headed outside to this gorgeous sunset.

The food was beautiful as was the scenery and I quickly got busy setting up my shot. To this day, it’s still one of my favorite food photos and one of my favorite Alabama sunset photos!

2 | Death By Chocolate

Soda Jerk Co Milkshake Bar | Phoenix, Arizona

Chocolate milkshake topped with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, chocolate chips, and chocolate cookies at Soda Jerks.

My friends and I were in Arizona playing escape rooms in Phoenix. After escaping one set and before heading to another, we grabbed these milkshakes. I’m definitely one to order “for the photo” so I got the Death By Chocolate milkshake – and naturally, it had EVERYTHING chocolate!

I shared it with the group but not before I lined it up for a photo shoot. In addition to its obvious presentation, I loved the interior of the shop with the vintage soda fountain. I used that as the backdrop and was super happy with how the photos turned out. After that, it was on to the next escape!

3 | Peruvian Scallops

Fishing with Dynamite | Manhattan Beach, California

Two scallops served in shells over crushed ice with citrus wedges, herbs, and a silver fork.

These Peruvian scallops were so light and airy in taste and in presentation. The first thing I always do with food photography is look for textures I can put together for the background. That could be etching patterns in the table, a subtle design in a napkin, tufts in a chair or booth, and even colorful tiles on the floor, like this photo.

The white table echoes the suggested geometric pattern of the tiles in the floor. Together they provide a creative background for the silver stand serving dish. The scallops decorate the top nicely!

4 | Miso Banana Cake, Bao Buns & a Blue-eyed Girl

Cir Lounge | Fountain Valley, California

Dessert with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, nuts, and a warm pastry surrounded by blue flames.

Three bao buns filled with crispy golden meat and shredded vegetables, served with a pink cocktail in a dark restaurant.

What do these all have in common? Obviously, they’re from the same restaurant. Yes, they taste sooo good. But also…they are perfect for photography (my favorite kind of food, lol).

At Cir Lounge, the lights over the bar are constantly changing on a fade. So for these shots, I snapped the cocktail and bao buns with a few different colors, chose my favorite, and then waited patiently for that color to come around again.

For the cake, I snapped continuously during the flambé and hoped for the best. It worked!

5 | Scallops & Cotton Candy Crème Brûlée

Lulu California Bistro | Palm Springs, California

Elegant dinner plate with scallops, green beans, vegetables, and rice garnished with an orchid, with cocktails in the background.

Large mound of pink cotton candy dessert served in a white bowl at a restaurant.

I attended a conference in Palm Springs during restaurant week 2025. Lulu California Bistro had a special menu and two of the items were these scallops and a cotton candy crème brûlée. I love special dishes like this, especially when they’re pink! 🩷

The atmosphere and decor of Lulu’s lent itself to very artistic photography and I took full advantage. Pretty dishes (pretty in pink, for one of them) + pretty atmosphere = pretty photos! 😍

6 | Peanut Butter Pie

San Clemente, California

Slice of peanut butter pie topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce on a beachside table with turquoise water and a pier in the background.

Oh my, this peanut butter pie! My friends and I ordered this dessert for the table to share and, due to its size, it was a good thing we did. We all like to take food pics and had to act quickly since most of the pie is comprised of peanut butter ice cream.

This was an easy photo to compose. We were right on the pier at the beach. I used the leading lines of the pier with the water and the sand, and that was a wrap!

7 | Bao Bun Trio

Linger | Denver, Colorado

Close-up of steamed bao buns filled with glazed meat, green peppers, herbs, and vegetables.

If you’re ever in Denver, brunch at Linger is a MUST. There are many things I could recommend on the menu but this bao bun trio is at the top of the list. Duck, pork belly, and chicken all made with a colorful, pretty presentation. Yum!

The lighting where we were sitting cast the perfect hue and I’m fairly sure I was reaching for the camera before they even finished placing the dish on the table.

8 | Chardonnay

Chicago Magic Lounge | Chicago, Illinois

Glass of white wine on a dark bar counter reflecting colorful bottles and lights from the shelves behind it.

This is probably my all-time favorite drink photo. I love, love, love color and bars usually provide a lot of color in a backdrop. Also, I love the reflection of the bar bottles in the chardonnay. As in…couldn’t put the camera down.

My favorite part of this shot? The reflection looks like a city skyline and as someone who loves all things travel, this is a perfect souvenir to take home. This one may or may not be a canvas on my wall!

9 | Vegan Ramen Bowl

The Fieldhouse | Billings, Montana

Bowl of noodles with chopsticks lifting a portion above the bowl, served with vegetables and a piece of seared tofu.

I was in Billings, Montana for a conference (yes, I have done a lot of travel conferences). Having only been to Glacier National Park prior, I was surprised to find out that Billings is a foodie town. It definitely flies under the radar and I highly recommend visiting.

I checked out The Fieldhouse and ordered this vegan ramen bowl. No, I’m not vegan but I didn’t care, it looked fantastic (and it was). More importantly? It photographed really well. It didn’t need much help but the texture of the wooden table didn’t hurt.

10 | Sweet ‘N Salty Milkshake

Black Tap Burgers & Beer | Las Vegas, Nevada

Oversized chocolate milkshake topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, Reese's cups, and colorful candy-coated chocolates.

Okay, I’m going to be honest up front. This wasn’t my milkshake. The Sweet ‘N Salty in Las Vegas was my friend’s choice and this is my favorite way to photograph sweets. Someone else orders and eats it and I get to photograph it! 🥳

Thankfully, she wanted (and asked) me to photograph it so it truly was an easy win-win partnership here.

Half the battle of food photography is making sure you sit in a beneficial spot. Sometimes, that happens naturally, and other times I ask to sit in a certain place (either on arrival or when making an online reservation).

This seating happened organically and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Use the background. I repeat. Use the background. The craziness of the milkshake against it was superb, don’t you think?

11 | Bento Box

Wild Ink | New York, New York

Japanese-style bento box with salmon tartare topped with a raw egg yolk, noodles, edamame, and vegetables.

A few years ago, during one of my many annual NYC trips, I was at Hudson Yards and ordered a bento box. I had no idea it was going to be a stunning bento box. I feel like this bento box was saying, “I went shopping at Christian Louboutin today. How do I look?”

That’s all there is to say, here. Simply the prettiest bento box I’ve ever seen. Sadly, Wild Ink closed but supposedly, their bento box was an intentional design. I’m on board.

12 | Mimosa Flight + Crazy Shakes

The Sugar Factory | San Antonio, Texas

Three colorful cocktails in blue, green, and pink, garnished with fruit and flowers beside a yellow rubber duck.

Oh, The Sugar Factory…yes, it’s a chain and I’ve been to the ones in New York and Las Vegas, too. The funny thing is I’m not a big dessert person. Two bites and I’m typically over it. BUT….the things you do for the photos…at least, in my case.

We actually went twice to this location – once for brunch and once for dessert. I wanted to try the mimosa flight and it was fantastic. The rainbow colors of the three flavors plus the rubber ducky really pop against the different textures of the background furniture, white marble table, and lighting of the “All You Need is Love” sign on the back wall.

Two elaborate restaurant milkshakes, including a tall chocolate s'mores milkshake and a bright blue decorated milkshake topped with whipped cream and fruit.

On our dessert run, we shared these “Insane Shakes” – the S’mores Brownie and the Glitter Under the Sea. I absolutely love s’mores and chocolate, but the richer things are, the more I am unable to tolerate it. Plus, it wasn’t nearly as pretty as the Glitter Under the Sea. Perfect camera food, lol!

13 | Crème Brûlée

Hotel Club Francés | Buenos Aires, Argentina

Golden custard dessert topped with blueberries, sauce, crushed nuts, and a small edible flower in a white bowl inside a pink wide-rimmed plate.

What made me want to pick up the camera for this créme brûlée dish is the pink wide-rimmed, scalloped plate. The added bonus was the black, gray, and cream checked pattern in the placemat. Whoever the designer is for this hotel in Buenos Aires is doing their job very well!

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14 | Oriechetti & Harry Bouy

The Boathouse | Shelly Beach, Sydney, Australia

Bowl of gnocchi in tomato sauce topped with shredded cheese and fresh basil, served with colorful drinks outdoors.

Don’t ask me how to pronounce oriechetti, I won’t get it right. What I do know is that Down Under, this pasta dish looked great with a Harry Bouy (a strawberry-watermelon vodka cocktail) and the colorful items on the table and in the background.

15 | Tipsy Texan & Gelato Taco

Burger 320 | Calgary, Canada

Large sandwich filled with sliced pink meat and colorful cabbage slaw on a soft bun.

How about this Tipsy Texan…in…wait for it…wait for it….Canada. Bet you weren’t expecting that one? I know I wasn’t. Although I’m not a big fan of BBQ, this sandwich a friend ordered was a scene worth pulling the camera out for.

My favorite part of this shot are the lights looking like they’re dancing above the mile-high sandwich. Hmm…maybe this restaurant should consider a location in Denver…🤔

Hand holding an oversized dessert taco covered with whipped cream, chocolate, colorful sprinkles, candy, and caramel popcorn.

Located in Calgary, Canada, Burger 320 closed, moved locations, and then reopened. When it reopened, it didn’t bring back this cool dessert which is a gelato taco. It was a super fun shoot though since they set up this background for us to take photos after we customized our tacos!

16 | Salmon with Passionfruit Reduction & Pura Vida

Restaurante Fortuneño | La Fortuna, Costa Rica

Seared salmon served over vegetables and greens with colorful lighting creating a vibrant restaurant atmosphere.

First off, Restaurante Fortuneño is so colorful and looks just like the jungle, which is exactly what it’s trying to convey. The dishes are equally colorful, so this was just another example of me pairing the natural presentation of my salmon with the colorful aesthetic of the restaurant.

Bright orange cocktail with a red layer at the bottom, garnished with an orange slice and fresh mint in a restaurant.

Pura Vida! If you go to Costa Rica, you will hear this everywhere. It’s like an unofficial slogan. It’s also the name of a popular tourist drink and well, when in Costa Rica, right?

The vibrancy of the cocktail against the blue lights from across the street just made it an easy-peasy shot!

17 | Breakfast in Santorini

Andronis Luxury Suites | Santorini, Greece

Breakfast table with pastries, eggs, fruit, coffee, and juice overlooking the whitewashed cliffside buildings of Santorini through a large arched opening.

I had the amazing opportunity to spend 16 days on a media trip in Greece back in 2016, the year I launched Trimm Travels. Santorini has stunning views and is particularly great to visit during October which is shoulder season. One morning, we had breakfast out on the balcony of our suite.

I can’t take any credit for the styling. Andronis Luxury Suites set it up just like this and we just photographed it. Doesn’t it look like a scene straight out of a movie?

18 | Sushi & Pad Thai

Charoen P | Nuuk, Greenland

Assortment of sushi and sashimi on a rectangular plate, including rolls, salmon, and sliced fish with vegetables.

Next to Japanese food, my second favorite is probably Thai. So combine them and I’m a very happy girl. Now, did I expect to find an incredibly great Thai restaurant in Nuuk, Greenland? Um, nope. Not on my bingo card for my Greenland trip.

We found this restaurant and I did abbreviate the second word. When you look it up (go ahead, I’ll wait), you’ll understand why. Anyway, the swordfish sushi assortment was literal heaven and made for great photography as well.

19 | Icelandic Lunch

Gísli Eiríkur Helgi | Dalvík, Iceland

Cozy breakfast or light meal arranged on a wooden table with soup, toast, salad, coffee, and an open menu beside a textured throw.

Icelandic food is quite good and also quite interesting. For instance, fermented shark is a delicacy in Iceland (you can see me try it here – reaction and all – scroll down). One day, we lunched at this restaurant with a history of a blood brotherhood pact gone wrong from the 13th century.

It was so charming inside and I took my food straight to this table, unloaded it off the tray, used the items on the table as props to set up this shot. It still brings me back to the warmth and beauty of Iceland, which is in my top three favorite countries.

20 | Pear Compote & Caramel Pancakes

Shonan Pancake | Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan

Round golden dessert dusted with powdered sugar, served with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, fruit, and caramel sauce.

When in Japan, one must try…well, one must try a LOT of things. But one must try “fluffy pancakes” or “souffle pancakes”. My first trip to Japan was in the fall and so I ordered this limited edition pear compote and caramel pancakes. They. were. AMAZING.

Even better, they also were very photogenic. We were there later in the day and so it was easy to borrow the table next to us and capture this shot. I blurred out the background to make the pancakes and the whole pear (slow-poached in a homemade white wine syrup) the star of the show!

21 | Portuguese Bliss

The Yeatman Gastronomic Restaurant | Porto, Portugal

Artistic plated dish featuring a rectangular savory entrée and a small sausage or croquette surrounded by a pool of golden sauce on a dramatic black-and-white plate.

While in Porto, Portugal one December, I stayed at The Yeatman Hotel and had dinner at their restaurant, The Yeatman Gastronomic Restaurant. It has two Michelin stars so I knew the food would not only taste fabulous but have gorgeous presentations, too.

I was correct. Since it was the holiday season, it was a prix fixe menu with multiple courses. This particular dish wowed me. The choice of plating enhanced it nicely and I shot from overhead to bring out the contrast and dramatic lines that pull the eye to the middle of the dish.

22 | Sushi & Martini

Denko Asian Eatery | San Juan, Puerto Rico

Martini-style cocktail garnished with dried citrus alongside a sushi roll topped with salmon, shredded coconut, and drizzled sauce.

One of my favorite pairings EVER is sushi and martinis. While I was in Puerto Rico for a conference, a friend and I went to dinner and I ordered this pretty combo. I’ll be honest – I don’t remember the names but I know I liked how the color in the sushi brought out the same color of the decorative liquid garnish in the martini.

Shooting it from the top allowed me to capture the colors plus the shape of the sushi and the dark background for contrast.

23 | Scottish Dinner

The Kitchin | Edinburgh, Scotland

Artistic fine-dining plate featuring several small portions of savory foods, vegetables, herbs, and colorful garnishes arranged around a small ceramic cup.

My parents and I dined at The Kitchin on our trip to the United Kingdom back in 2019. It was our first Michelin-star restaurant experience and it didn’t disappoint.

The idea for this shot came from the background that I could see right from where I was sitting. Thankfully, we had an early reservation, so before people arrived, I lined up this appetizer for a shot. I love that there’s a dramatic, sultry background to feature such a bright, colorful dish.

24 | Sushi and Sakura

KOMA Singapore | Marina Bay Sands – Singapore

Two pieces of salmon-topped sashimi on a patterned plate with a cocktail garnished with flowers in the background.

I think this one just explains itself. The photography opportunities were endless here at KOMA as they are throughout Marina Bay Sands and Singapore really. It was sakura (cherry blossom) season and both my sushi and my sakura cocktail were amazing, both for me and my camera.

25 | Candy Apple

Le Jardin | Geneva, Switzerland

Bright pink/red apple-shaped dessert with a green stem, surrounded by pistachio crumble, white chocolate pieces, and pink edible petals.

This bright candy apple was a dessert from the now-closed Le Jardin restaurant at the now-closed Le Richemond, which was an ultra-luxury 5-star hotel in Geneva, Switzerland, and the place of my very first hosted trip.

We chose to have dinner in our suite. I actually took this stunning dessert to our marble garden tub in our gigantic bathroom because it provided the stunning white background for this beautiful red apple to shine. When I think about food photography, this one pops into mind quite often!

PIN IT!

Pinterest graphic featuring four food photographs with the title “Beautiful Food Around the World” in large white and yellow lettering and TrimmTravels.com at the bottom.

Pinterest graphic featuring photographs of a golden dessert, bao buns, white wine, and a pink apple-shaped dessert with the title “Beautiful Food Around the World” in white and coral lettering and TrimmTravels.com at the bottom.

Pinterest graphic featuring photographs of an elegant plated dish, a white wine glass, salmon sushi, and a pink apple-shaped dessert with the title “Beautiful Food Around the World” in white and turquoise lettering and TrimmTravels.com at the bottom.

I love that food can bring back a travel memory so quickly. While writing this, I looked at each one of these photos (some from years ago) and remembered the city, and sometimes even the moment I saw the plate for the first time.

I may not remember its menu name but the photo still brings back an entire afternoon, evening, or destination. And yes, I will probably always be the person who makes everyone wait while I get the photo!

What is the most beautiful dish you’ve ever photographed while traveling? Tell me what it was and where you had it in the comments below!

‘Til next time…

Trimm Travels,