Asador Etxebarri Takes No. 1 on World's 50 Best Restaurants 2026

Asador Etxebarri, the wood-fired restaurant in Atxondo, Spain, took first place at The 50 Best Restaurants awards in Lima on Wednesday, 5 November 2026. It climbed from the number two position held in 2025. Chef-owner Víctor Arguinzoniz charges €300 (about £250) for a tasting menu in which every course touches the wood and charcoal grills — from Palamós red prawns to smoked milk ice cream.

The restaurant sits in the mountain village of Axpe, roughly 45 minutes by car from Bilbao. Arguinzoniz, also spelled Bittor Arginzoniz, is considered a pioneer of grilling and live-fire cooking and opened the doors in 1990. The ranking caps an 18-year run on the list: Asador Etxebarri first appeared in 2008 at number 44.

What happens to a former winner?

A number one restaurant becomes ineligible for future rankings and moves into a companion list, the Best of the Best. That roster includes Thomas Keller's The French Laundry in Yountville, California, and Disfrutar in Barcelona. Maido in Lima, the 2025 winner, is the most recent inductee.

How are the rankings decided?

The 50 Best is not a panel of judges eating everywhere, which would be a logistical impossibility. It is an international media company that polls more than 1,100 hospitality experts — chefs, restaurateurs, food journalists and well-travelled gourmets — who anonymously nominate restaurants they have dined at within the last 18 months. Members cannot vote for restaurants in which they hold a financial interest. Deloitte, the professional services consultancy, has access to the voting data to verify fairness.

Rikki Tidball, managing director of awards and rankings for The 50, said: "Every year The 50 Best Restaurants list gives us a snapshot of where more than 1,100 individuals who live and breathe this industry have had their most memorable restaurant experiences over the previous 18 months." Tidball added: "Each Academy member votes independently, so nobody at The 50 or any of our partners has a say in who makes the list and restaurants can't nominate themselves."

The voting format explains the churn. Restaurants can drop off and return. London's The Ledbury, where chef Brett Graham pairs British produce with Japanese flavours and French technique, re-entered at number 83. Mosu in Seoul, chef Sung Anh's elevated Korean cooking, returned at number 78.

Which restaurants won continental honours?

• Europe: Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo (No. 1)
• Asia: Gaggan, Bangkok (No. 2), a repeat winner
• Latin America: Quintonil, Mexico City (No. 4), also a repeat
• North America: Atomix, New York (No. 11)
• Middle East: Trèsind Studio, Dubai (No. 28), another holdover
• Africa: La Colombe, Cape Town (No. 35)
• Oceania: Saint Peter, Sydney (No. 50)

Who won the individual awards?

• Best Female Chef: Jessica Rosval, head chef of Al Gatto Verde in Modena (No. 24 on the list)
• Best Pastry Chef: Dej Kewkacha, Bangkok
• Best Sommelier: Lesley Liu, Odette, Singapore
• Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice: Junghyun 'JP' Park, Atomix, New York
• The 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship: Doris Lam
• SevenRooms Icon Award: Ferran Adrià of El Bulli
• Highest New Entry: Tuju, São Paulo (No. 16)
• Highest Climber: Kadeau, Copenhagen (No. 8), up 33 places
• Sustainable Restaurant Award: Naar, Kasauli, India (No. 49)

How did London fare?

London placed only one restaurant in the top 50. Ikoyi, in Temple, fell 38 places, from 15th in 2025 to 48th. Kol, in Marylebone, dropped out of the top 50 entirely, moving from 49th to 70th. The Ledbury, at 83rd, is the capital's third entry in the extended ranking.

What does the rest of the top 10 look like?

Gaggan in Bangkok holds second. Alchemist in Copenhagen is third, Quintonil fourth, and Hong Kong's Wing fifth. The Chairman, also Hong Kong, sits sixth; Kjolle of Lima seventh; Kadeau eighth; Diverxo, Madrid, ninth; and Plénitude, Paris, tenth.

Notable names further down include Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse in Monte Carlo (47th), Don Julio in Buenos Aires (44th) and Sühring in Bangkok (14th). The 51-100 list, released before the ceremony, features newcomers such as Khufu's in Giza, where executive chef Mostafa Seif serves modern and classic Egyptian dishes with views of the Great Pyramid, and Lamdre in Beijing, where chef Dai Jun builds plant-based dishes around native Chinese ingredients.

With Maido now retired to the Best of the Best and Etxebarri following it there next year, the 2027 race at the top opens to a field led by Gaggan and Quintonil.