The Spanish restaurant Asador Etxebarri has been named the world’s best restaurant for 2026. This year’s The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list was announced on 4 November in Lima, Peru, and brought a number of interesting changes. Bangkok’s Gaggan climbed to second place, while Copenhagen’s Alchemist came third. Hong Kong, India and Brazil also fared particularly well. Among the most notable figures of the year was chef Jessica Rosval, who won the award for the world’s best female chef.
The winner is a restaurant that has built its gastronomy around fire
The new holder of the title “World’s Best Restaurant” is Asador Etxebarri in Atxondo, in the Basque Country, Spain. The restaurant, run by head chef and owner Víctor Arguinzoniz, is exceptional above all for its approach to cooking over an open fire. Wood, heat and smoke are not merely a means of cooking here, but a fundamental part of the chef’s signature style.
The restaurant treats its ingredients with the utmost respect, honouring their natural flavours. The fourteen-course tasting menu demonstrates how a seemingly simple technique can be elevated to a distinctive form of haute cuisine. Asador Etxebarri came second in the previous two editions and has finally climbed to the top this year. It has also been named the best restaurant in Europe.
Second place went to Gaggan in Bangkok, which was also named the best restaurant in Asia. Head chef Gaggan Anand is renowned for his progressive approach to Indian cuisine and his distinctive fusion of gastronomy with emotion, storytelling and experience. Third place went to Copenhagen’s Alchemist, led by Rasmus Munk, whose concept blends gastronomy, art, science and social issues.
The results for Hong Kong’s restaurants are also noteworthy. Wing, run by head chef Vicky Cheng, took fifth place, while The Chairman climbed from nineteenth to sixth. Two Copenhagen restaurants—Alchemist and Kadeau—also made it into the top ten.
TOP 10 best restaurants in the world 2026
- Asador Etxebarri – Atxondo, Spain
- Gaggan – Bangkok, Thailand
- Alchemist – Copenhagen, Denmark
- Quintonil – Mexico City, Mexico
- Wing – Hong Kong
- The Chairman – Hong Kong
- Kjolle – Lima, Peru
- Kadeau – Copenhagen, Denmark
- DiverXO – Madrid, Spain
- Plénitude – Paris, France
Significant shifts, new discoveries and a strong Asian culinary scene
This year’s results confirm the exceptional standing of Asian gastronomy on the world stage. Bangkok boasts several restaurants in the top twenty. Alongside Gaggan in second place, Sorn came twelfth, Suhring finished fourteenth and Nusara took eighteenth place. Hong Kong has two representatives in the top ten, and South Korea has two establishments in the top fifty—Mingles in 17th place and Onjium in 41st place.
Also worthy of note is the Indian restaurant Masque in Mumbai, which has risen from 68th to 26th place. A newcomer to the top fifty is Naar in Kasauli, India, which took 49th place and also won the Sustainable Restaurant Award for its approach to sustainability.
One of the biggest climbers in this year’s rankings is Kadeau in Copenhagen, which rose from 41st to 8th place and won the Highest Climber Award. Conversely, the Brazilian restaurant Tuju in São Paulo achieved extraordinary success. While it was ranked 70th last year, this year it jumped straight to 16th place and won the Highest New Entry Award. It also received the Art of Hospitality Award for its approach to hospitality.
Restaurants from the host country, Peru, also made a strong showing. Kjolle, run by head chef Pía León, took seventh place, while Merito moved up to thirteenth place. Last year’s winner, Maido, did not feature in this year’s rankings. This is because restaurants that have previously taken first place are moved into a special “Best of the Best” category and no longer compete for a place in the rankings in subsequent years.
Jessica Rosval named best female chef; other culinary figures also receive awards
Among the most notable individual awards this year is the title of World’s Best Female Chef 2026, which went to Jessica Rosval, head chef at the Al Gatto Verde restaurant in Modena, Italy. Her restaurant was ranked 24th in this year’s list. Rosval is also active in the culinary scene associated with Massimo Bottura, and her work combines contemporary gastronomy with an emphasis on local ingredients and sustainability.
Another prominent figure is Ferran Adrià, a legend of world gastronomy and former head chef at elBulli, who received the SevenRooms Icon Award. The Chefs’ Choice Award went to Junghyun Park of the New York restaurant Atomix, while the Best Sommelier Award was presented to Lesley Liu, head sommelier at the Singapore restaurant Odette. Dej Kewkacha was named Best Pastry Chef.
This year’s results were compiled based on votes from more than 1,100 gastronomic experts from 28 regions around the world. Voting takes place in accordance with the rules of The 50 Best organisation, and the results are independently audited by Deloitte. Eleven restaurants made their debut in the top 50 this year, while a further five returned to the ranking.
Once again this year, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants demonstrates just how diverse the world of gastronomy is today. Alongside restaurants that are technologically and conceptually sophisticated, the list is topped by an establishment whose philosophy is rooted in one of the oldest culinary principles—cooking over an open fire. Asador Etxebarri’s victory is also a reminder that top-class gastronomy does not always have to mean complexity, but above all the perfect mastery of craft, ingredients and a clear identity.
