Cities Where Street Food is Better Than Any Michelin Restaurant

36. Baku, Azerbaijan: Caspian Coastline, Charcoal, and Carbs

Baku’s street food isn’t flashy—it’s fire-kissed, buttery, and built for sharing. The city’s Persian, Turkish, and Soviet roots converge in open-air griddles and smoky roadside grills. Grab a skewer of lyulya kebab—juicy minced lamb, marinated in onion and spices, wrapped in lavash. Then there’s kutab, a thin stuffed flatbread filled with herbs, pumpkin, or meat, seared till crisp and brushed with butter. Dushbara, tiny lamb dumplings in golden broth, are sometimes served at makeshift soup carts. For dessert? Shekerbura, almond-filled pastries shaped like crescent moons. In Baku, every bite is seasoned with centuries of trade, migration, and mastery.