Fancy fine dining is all well and good, but there's nothing like indulging in a plateful of cosy comfort food to give your heart, soul and stomach a boost. From carb-loaded creations to meals packed with cheesy goodness, we’ve put together the ultimate collection of comforting dishes from around the globe.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the world’s best comfort food dishes, counting down to the most delicious of all.

We've based our ranking on the comfort food element of each dish, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. This list is unavoidably subjective.

The very best comfort food dishes, ranked