The 50 Best Restaurants 2026 Announced in Lima

On Wednesday night in Lima, Peru, Asador Etxebarri from Spain’s Basque Country was named the world’s best restaurant at the annual ceremony of The 50 Best Restaurants, now known simply as The 50. According to Yahoo, the event took place at Teatro Municipal in Lima.

Asador Etxebarri, set in Axpe between Bilbao and San Sebastián, is led by chef Bittor Arginzoniz. Known for his mastery of wood-fired grilling, Arginzoniz is admired by chefs worldwide for his approach to matching wood types with the proteins and plants he cooks. In 2025, Asador Etxebarri was ranked as the second best restaurant worldwide and holds one Michelin star. Tasting menus are around $337. After securing the top position, Asador Etxebarri joins the organization’s “Best of the Best” list, a hall of fame reserved for former winners who are no longer eligible for the main ranking.

The list’s upper ranks this year reflect a global spread. Gaggan in Bangkok, under chef Gaggan Anand, claimed second place and the title of Asia’s Best Restaurant. Copenhagen’s Alchemist, known for its theatrical, multi-sensory meals of up to 50 ‘impressions’ under chef Rasmus Munk, placed third. Quintonil in Mexico City, led by Jorge Vallejo and Alejandra Flores, landed fourth and was named Best in Latin America, with a November menu priced around $327 and dishes such as lobster in pipián verde and heirloom corn tamal. Wing in Hong Kong rounded out the top five.

Cityscape of buildings on cliffs in Lima, Peru — Photo: Tremoro0 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)

Atomix in New York was the only U.S. restaurant to make the top 50, ranking eleventh and earning the title of Best Restaurant in North America. Chef Junghyun Park of Atomix also received the Chef’s Choice Award, the only peer-voted honor of the evening. Among other regional winners, Trèsind Studio in Dubai was recognized as Best in the Middle East, La Colombe in Cape Town as Best in Africa, and Saint Peter in Sydney as Best in Oceania.

The 50’s voting process involves over 1,100 anonymous voters from 28 regions, including chefs, restaurateurs, food writers, and what the organization calls “well-travelled gourmets.” A quarter of the panel changes each year. The organization doesn’t set a single definition for what qualifies as the best, and restaurants of any style are eligible, though the ranking is dominated by high-end tasting menus. The organization has faced questions about transparency and methodology, particularly regarding whether voters pay for their own meals and how visibility within the system affects results.

Ana Roš, chef of Hiša Franko in Slovenia, chose not to attend the ceremony, citing concerns about the importance of visibility and promotion in the ranking process. “When visibility becomes the currency, the ability to promote a restaurant in this system risks becoming as important as the work happening inside it,” Roš said. Hiša Franko appears on the extended 51-100 list this year.

Other specialty awards included the Sustainable Restaurant Award for Naar in India, Best Sommelier to Lesley Liu of Singapore, the One to Watch Award for Yiaga in Melbourne, the Best Female Chef Award to Jessica Rosval of Al Gatto Verde in Italy, and the Icon Award to Ferran Adrià. The full list spans six continents and 28 territories, with new entries such as Meet the Bund in Shanghai and La Coquillage in France joining the established names.

The magazine has also looked at the rise of essi from pop-up to destination.

Tasting menus at Asador Etxebarri are around $337.