Tonight, the 50 Best Restaurants 2026 were announced at a ceremony in Lima, Peru, with Basque Country restaurant Asador Etxebarri crowned the new top slot on the list. Bangkok tasting counter Gaggan was ranked No. 2, Copenhagen’s immersive, 50-course experience Alchemist was No. 3, Mexico City’s Quintonil No. 4, and Hong Kong’s Wing No. 5, shuffling most of the top rankings from last year. New York City’s Atomix was the only U.S. restaurant to make the 50 Best Restaurants.
Of the specialty awards, Singapore’s Lesley Liu received the Best Sommelier Award (sponsored by Vik), Ghana Food Movement was given the Champions of Change (sponsored by illycaffe), Yiaga in Melbourne was named the One to Watch, Doris Lam received the 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship Award, Jessica Rosval of Al Gatto Verde was named Best Female Chef (sponsored by Lexus), Thailand-based Dej Kewkacha was Best Pastry Chef (sponsored by Sosa), Atomix’s Junghyun Park was given the Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award, and Ferran Adrià was given the SevenRooms Icon Award.
Just as a review, U.K.-based media company William Reed launched the 50 Best Restaurants lists in the early 2000s, publishing the first World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in Restaurant magazine in 2002. The 50 Best gained greater fame in the 2010s, with the top spot going to the likes of Noma (Copenhagen, Norway), El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain), and Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy). The organization made the wise decision in 2019 to move each year’s winner to a separate “Best of the Best” list — a sort of hall of fame for takers of the top spot — giving new restaurants the opportunity to take the crown. Since then, Geranium in Copenhagen (2022), Disfrutar in Spain (2024), Central (2023), and Maido (2025) in Lima have earned the No. 1 ranking. Noma qualified as a winner again in 2021 because it had “closed and reopened.”
The 50 has also expanded its reach with multiple regional lists, such as the Latin America’s 50 Best, Middle East and North Africa’s 50 Best, Asia’s 50 Best, the 50 Best Bars (which also has its own regional lists), 50 Best Hotels, and even 50 Best Wineries. The entire brand has reached a level of global reputation and fungibility that rivals something like the Michelin Guide ( which has itself ventured into hotels and wineries). But the 50 Best Restaurants is the granddaddy of all listicles, and the one that draws the most attention and criticism regarding its methodology and alleged pay to play. One vocal critic, chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko in Slovenia, announced earlier this year that she would not attend the ceremony, a move commenters like Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio lauded.
The polling is conducted anonymously among more than 1,100 voters, a mix of industry professionals, food writers, and “well-traveled gourmets,” with at least 25 percent turning over annually. Each voter nominates 10 restaurants in order of preference, up to six in their home region and at least four outside it. The rankings are just a pure tabulation of those votes.
The organization has made efforts to clarify its voting and ranking policies, stating that any restaurant can qualify and that what constitutes “best” depends on each voter. The 50 has also expanded its awards to consider diversity and inclusion, recognizing female chefs (which itself has raised eyebrows), sustainability, sommeliers, pastry chefs, hospitality, and Champions of Change, an award that “celebrates and recognizes unsung heroes” who are “driving positive change in their communities.”
Last week, the “back half” of the list, also known as 51-100, was announced, with the only U.S. restaurant, SingleThread (Healdsburg, California), ranked at No. 93. On the 2025 50 Best Restaurant list, New York’s Atomix was the only U.S. restaurant to make the top 50, ranked at 12. Perhaps in order to remedy the dearth of U.S. and Canadian restaurants on the World’s list, the 50 (the organization previously known as 50 Best), commenced North America’s 50 Best Restaurants in the fall of 2025. Atomix topped that list, followed by Mon Lapin (Montreal), Restaurant Pearl Morissette (Lincoln, Ontario), and other U.S.- and Canada-based restaurants.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026:
1. Asador Etxebarri, Axpe, Spain
2. Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand
3. Alchemist, Copenhagen, Denmark
4. Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico (Best in Latin America)
5. Wing, Hong Kong, China
6. The Chairman, Hong Kong, China
7. Kjolle, Lima, Peru
8. Kadeau, Copenhagen, Denmark
9. DiverXO, Madrid, Spain
10. Plénitude, Paris, France É
11. Atomix, New York, USA
12. Sorn, Bangkok, Thailand
13. Mérito, Lima, Peru
14. Sühring, Bangkok, Thailand
15. Odette, Singapore
16. Tuju, São Paulo, Brazil (Highest new entry)
17. Mingles, Seoul, South Korea
18. Nusara, Bangkok, Thailand
19. Jan, Munich, Germany
20. Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy
21. Meet the Bund, Shanghai, China (New entry)
22. Boragó, Santiago, Chile
23. Vyn, Simrishamn, Sweden
24. Al Gatto Verde, Modena, Italy (New entry)
25. Lasai, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
26. Masque, Mumbai, India (New entry)
27. Reale, Castel di Sangro, Italy
28. Trèsind Studio, Dubai, U.A.E.
29. Enigma, Barcelona, Spain
30. Steirereck, Vienna, Austria
31. Celele, Cartagena, Colombia
32. Potong, Bangkok, Thailand
33. Elkano, Getaria, Spain
34. La Coquillage, Saint-Méloir-Des-Ondes, France (New entry)
35. La Colombe, Cape Town, South Africa (Re-entry)
36. Ru Yuan, Hangzhou, China (New entry)
37. Nuema, Quito, Ecuador (New entry)
38. Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler, Brunico, Italy
39. Schloss Schauenstein, Fürstenau, Germany
40. Jordnær, Copenhagen, Denmark (New entry)
41. Onjium, Seoul, South Korea (New entry)
42. Bozar, Brussels, Belgium (New entry)
43. Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy
44. Don Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
45. Mayta, Lima, Peru
46. El Chato, Bogotá, Colombia
47. Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse à l’Hôtel de Paris, Monte Carlo, Monaco
48. Ikoyi, London, United Kingdom
49. Naar, Kasauli, India
50. Saint Peter, Sydney, Australia (New entry)
