Finding the ‘Best of the World’ with National Geographic

What do an Indian-style Sunday roast, street art, a furniture collection, and lucha libre all have in common? They’re part of National Geographic’s Best of the World. 

Inspired by National Geographic’s famed “Best of The World” list, Antoni Porowski (Queer Eye, No Taste Like Home) is looking for the very best in four cities – Paris, New York, Mexico City, and London. This four-part series takes viewers on a tour like no other as Antoni explores hidden gems and local favorites that ask the question: what does it really mean to be the best? 

I sat down with executive producer Nic Patton to ask that same question. 

“Something is the best of the world because it’s not defined by the price point, but by the feeling that the experience creates,” Nic explained, “Normally what you’ll find is that there is a singular element that makes these best of the world experiences sort of stand out. There’s something that is unrepeatable.” 

When planning for Best of the World Nic, Antoni, and their team worked closely with locals to find the hidden experiences that won’t appear on any travel guides. The goal was to get beneath the skin of cities and tell the stories of the people who live there. 

Antoni is a stellar host who connects easily with all of the featured guests. “He’s so good at relating to people from all walks of life,” Nic said. “[When he is] talking to Elsa, the head butler, overlooking the Place de la Concorde, talking about Marie Antoinette, but then actually finding out about their sort of shared love of Celine Dion. I think that’s also what sort of makes the series unique, it all feels very much in Antoni’s voice and through his prism.” 

The natural connections forged between people goes further than Antoni and his guests. Best of the World connects underlying themes of immigration and shared experiences. The first stop in the series is at the Tamal Crown restaurant in London, which serves an Indian-fusion style Sunday roast (which looked so good that I had to walk away from my computer). By opening the series with a traditional experience done untraditionally, Best of the World captures “the true spirit of London” as Nic said, and the rich interwoven lives of people from around the world.  

“How do we bring these cities to life in a way that feels unexpected and feels like you haven’t seen before?” Nic said. “Our way of doing that was by that sort of rich tapestry of iconic landmarks, iconic places and destinations that you would want to see with the sort of hyper local, only locals would know about it hidden gem around the corner. And I think we also wanted it to feel like this was something you could go and do.”  While not everyone can travel around the world, Best of the World is a reminder that sometimes the best things are found in your own city and the people who live there.

Best of the World premieres on National Geographic on June 7th.

Author: Abby Kirby

Abby Kirby is an English teacher and fan studies scholar. She holds an M.A. in Media and Cinema Communications from DePaul University.

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