Asador Etxebarri Takes No. 1 as World's 50 Best Restaurants 2026 Names Winners

Asador Etxebarri, the Basque Country grill house in Axpe, Spain, took the No. 1 spot at the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards, announced November 4, 2026, in Lima, Peru. New York's Atomix, ranked No. 11, was the only U.S. restaurant on the list.

The top five shuffled almost completely from last year. Bangkok tasting counter Gaggan landed at No. 2, Copenhagen's 50-course Alchemist at No. 3, Mexico City's Quintonil at No. 4 — also named Best in Latin America — and Hong Kong's Wing at No. 5.

Who won the specialty awards?

The organization distributed its sponsored individual prizes across four continents:

• Best Sommelier: Lesley Liu, Singapore (sponsored by Vik)
• Champions of Change: Ghana Food Movement (sponsored by illycaffè)
• One to Watch: Yiaga, Melbourne
• Scholarship Award: Doris Lam
• Best Female Chef: Jessica Rosval, Al Gatto Verde, Modena (sponsored by Lexus)
• Best Pastry Chef: Dej Kewkacha, Thailand (sponsored by Sosa)
• Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice: Junghyun Park, Atomix
• SevenRooms Icon Award: Ferran Adrià

The Best Female Chef category has itself drawn criticism in past years — an irony the organization absorbs annually with sponsor attached.

How does the voting work?

The ranking is a pure tabulation of anonymous ballots from more than 1,100 voters — industry professionals, food writers, and "well-traveled gourmets" — with at least 25 percent of the panel turning over each year. Each voter nominates 10 restaurants in order of preference, up to six in their home region and at least four outside it.

U.K. media company William Reed launched the list in Restaurant magazine in 2002. It rose to prominence in the 2010s, when Noma, El Celler de Can Roca, and Osteria Francescana held the crown. In 2019 the organization moved past winners to a separate "Best of the Best" hall of fame, freeing the top slot for new names. Geranium (Copenhagen, 2022), Central (Lima, 2023), Disfrutar (Spain, 2024), and Maido (Lima, 2025) have since taken No. 1. Noma requalified in 2021 on the technicality that it had "closed and reopened."

Criticism persists over methodology and alleged pay-to-play influence. Chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko in Slovenia announced earlier this year she would skip the ceremony, a move Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio publicly praised. The organization has published FAQ pages stating that any restaurant can qualify and that "best" is defined by each voter.

What about North America?

The continent remains thinly represented. SingleThread in Healdsburg, California, was the only U.S. restaurant on the 51-100 back half, announced last week, at No. 93. Atomix placed No. 12 in 2025.

The organization — now branded simply "the 50" — launched North America's 50 Best Restaurants in fall 2025, apparently to address the gap. Atomix topped that regional list, followed by Mon Lapin (Montreal) and Restaurant Pearl Morissette (Lincoln, Ontario).

The parent brand now spans regional restaurant lists for Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia, plus 50 Best Bars with its own regional offshoots, 50 Best Hotels, and 50 Best Wineries — a portfolio that rivals the Michelin Guide in global reach, and one William Reed shows no sign of trimming.

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
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, Monte Carlo, Monaco
48. Ikoyi, London, United Kingdom
49. Naar, Kasauli, India
50. Saint Peter, Sydney, Australia (new entry)

With nine new entries and a first-time No. 1, the 2026 list signals another rotation of the fine-dining hierarchy — and another year of booked-out reservation lines for Axpe.