The Queer Eye food expert isn't interested in Instagram perfection. What he wants from travel is raw, messy, human—and absolutely unplanned.

When I sat down to discuss Antoni Porowski's latest venture, Best of the World with Antoni Porowski on Disney+ and Hulu (now streaming since June 7), I expected the typical "celebrity travel tips" interview. Instead, I got something far more honest: a masterclass in abandoning plans entirely.

"All my best memories were unplanned things," Porowski tells us flatly. No hedging. No corporate softening. Just the truth from someone who's spent the last decade on Queer Eye's 10th and final season, hosting No Taste Like Home, and now exploring the hidden corners of London, New York City, Paris, and Mexico City.

The Road Trip That Started It All

Before Antoni became the food and wine authority audiences recognize today, he was a kid in a fishing village on stilts, watching his father windsurf.

His first real adventure? A road trip to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina—specifically to a spot called Canadian Hole where his dad would join fellow Canadian windsurfers. The family rented houses built on hurricane-resistant stilts or crashed in retro motels where fishermen gutted their catch outside the rooms.

"It was super retro," he recalls. Not Instagram-worthy. Not carefully curated. Just real.

That formative experience planted the seed: travel isn't about ticking boxes or capturing the perfect shot. It's about being present in the grit, the mundane beauty, the human element that makes a place alive.

The Woman in Zakopane Who Changed Everything

Fast-forward to his father's retirement. Porowski and his dad took a father-son pilgrimage to Poland—their ancestral homeland—landing in Zakopane, nestled in the Tatras Mountains.

There, they met an old woman selling oscypek, a pungent smoked cheese that's practically a religious experience if you're Polish.

"She was this sweet, smiling grandma who was also very direct and told us what to do," Porowski remembers. She bargained with his father so aggressively—so genuinely—that he ended up buying five times the cheese he'd intended.

"She really left a mark on us."

This is what the new Best of the World series captures: not landmarks, but the people who keep cities breathing.

Unpacking Best of the World: Four Cities, One Philosophy

Filming across Paris, London, Mexico City, and New York, the series leans into a radically simple premise: cities are made by their people, not their postcards.

Whether meeting a volunteer at the NYC Marathon or chef Elena Reygadas in Mexico City, Porowski discovered the same truth repeated across four continents. "It was always about the human stories," he explains. "It's about the people who keep these cities living and breathing."

This isn't just another travel show. In an era of global uncertainty, it's a gift for both the armchair traveler and the planner seeking authentic inspiration.

Reddit: "Travel shows that focus on people instead of landmarks actually make me want to visit. This sounds different." — r/travel

London: Where Wellness Interrupts the Rush

London nearly overwhelmed him. The energy is relentless, the itinerary endless—a recipe for burnout.

So he did something counterintuitive: he went to touch grass. Literally.

Kew Gardens, one of the world's most biodiverse botanical sanctuaries, became his reset button. He tended lily pads, practiced yoga in the Temperate House conservatory, and remembered why travel isn't about doing more—it's about being present.

"There are so many things to do you can get overwhelmed," he admits. "That's when I have this instinct to touch grass."

The wellness pivot is telling. Even a professional traveler needs permission to slow down.

Paris: The One Place Worth Returning To Endlessly

When asked which destination he'd revisit over and over, Porowski's answer was immediate: Paris.

"The whole notion of Paris always being a good idea really does hold true."

But here's the twist: as a speed-walking New Yorker, it took him years to understand why. The French attitude isn't rushed; it's contemplative. Markets aren't transactions; they're rituals. Even a simple dinner—cheese, baguettes, jam, and French TV in a hotel bed—becomes transcendent.

"We felt slightly ill the next day, but I haven't had gruyère that good since."

This is food tourism distilled to its essence. Not chef-led experiences or Michelin stars. Just good cheese and the freedom to enjoy it without agenda.

Cusco's Altitude Lesson: When Plans Get Humbled

Not every travel story ends in blissful cheese consumption.

Landing in Cusco, Peru, Porowski was hit with an unexpected challenge: the altitude. Oxygen levels were so depleted that hotel staff had to advise him not to leave the property for 12 hours. He ignored them, stepped outside, and was winded within seconds.

"They were right," he admits.

It's a humbling reminder that even seasoned travelers can't script everything. The best-laid plans collide with geography, physiology, and the simple fact that the world is bigger than our expectations.

The Antoni Travel Manifesto

So how does a professional traveler actually travel? With a recipe-first philosophy.

"I take in all the information before I go, then, when I arrive, I push all that to the side and just get lost," Porowski explains. "Make the plan but give yourself the freedom to walk down that street that feels interesting to you. And don't worry about the perfect Instagram carousel."

This is radical in 2026. We're conditioned to document, curate, and perform our travels for an invisible audience. Porowski is saying the opposite: your best moments won't be shareable. They'll be messy, accidental, and utterly yours.

Home: Stash Café in Montreal

When he returns to Montreal, Porowski doesn't hunt for new restaurants. He goes back to Stash Café, a Polish establishment where he, his father, and his aunt have all worked.

The café is a time capsule: Tamara de Lempicka art deco posters, salvaged church pews, hanging red pendants. It's nostalgic not because it's designed to be, but because it's honest.

Their cabbage rolls and meat pierogi—dishes that took hours to prepare—shaped his palate as a kid. Now, he brings his Polish partner there to show him where he comes from.

This is what Antoni means by travel: not conquest or collection, but connection. Returning home with new eyes, bringing new people into your history, and letting food do the translating.

Why Now?

With Queer Eye wrapped and a new decade ahead, Porowski's timing feels deliberate. The world is fractured, anxious, tired of performance.

"Given the state of the world, this series is a wonderful thing," he says, "whether you're planning a trip for a bit of escapism or you just want to dream a little."

Best of the World with Antoni Porowski isn't a how-to guide. It's a permission slip to travel the way humans are supposed to: by getting lost, by talking to strangers, by eating shocking amounts of cheese in bed, and by understanding that the best plans are the ones you abandon.

Forget the itinerary. Pack your curiosity instead.

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Disclaimer: Best of the World with Antoni Porowski is available on Disney+ and Hulu in select regions. Travel recommendations are subject to local regulations, seasonal availability, and visa requirements. Always verify current travel advisories before booking international trips.