Most travelers plan their trips around dinner reservations and lunch spots. But according to Bon Appétit editor in chief Jamila Robinson, they're missing the best meal of the day - and the most honest window into a place's culture.
In a personal essay for the magazine, Robinson reflects on how travel transformed her relationship with breakfast. It's a relatable starting point: plenty of us grew up treating the morning meal as something functional rather than something worth savoring. Coffee and out the door. Maybe a granola bar if you were feeling ambitious.
A different kind of food tourism
But there's something about being in an unfamiliar city that resets your habits. You wake up curious. You don't have a routine to fall back on. And suddenly, breakfast - really sitting down for it, exploring what the locals eat at 8am - becomes one of the most quietly thrilling parts of the trip.
Think about it: a city's breakfast culture tells you a lot about its pace and personality. The espresso-and-cornetto rhythm of Italy. The leisurely dim sum mornings in Hong Kong. A full English spread that doubles as a social event. These aren't just meals - they're a kind of cultural orientation before the day even begins.
The case for slowing down in the morning
There's also something low-stakes and accessible about breakfast that makes it a great entry point for food exploration. The prices are usually gentler. The atmosphere tends to be more local and less curated for tourists. You're more likely to end up somewhere that actually reflects daily life than the dinner hotspot that made every travel listicle this year.
Robinson's reflection is a good reminder that immersive travel doesn't always mean the biggest experiences. Sometimes it means ordering something you'd never think to try at home, sitting with a coffee somewhere unfamiliar, and watching a new place slowly come to life around you.
Taking the habit home
The best travel experiences tend to sneak into your regular life - a recipe you picked up, a habit you formed, a small ritual that stuck. Becoming a breakfast person might be one of the more delicious souvenirs you can bring back. Even if you're just exploring your own city on a slow Saturday morning, that mindset shift - treating breakfast as something worth showing up for - is a genuinely nice way to live.
Read Robinson's full essay over at Bon Appétit.
