“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well,” English author Virginia Woolf famously observed.
There is perhaps no better place to test that idea than one of the world’s finest restaurants, where exceptional cooking, remarkable design and unforgettable hospitality often come with an equally remarkable bill.
The world’s 50 best restaurants have been revealed in the prestigious annual ranking, offering a snapshot of the most exciting dining destinations in global gastronomy.
This year’s selection ranges from a Spanish restaurant built around the art of cooking over fire to highly theatrical experiences in Bangkok and Copenhagen. It also includes a Parisian destination with an extraordinary secret cheese cave.
Britain, however, has less to celebrate, with only one restaurant making the top 50 — a London establishment.
Other major food capitals featured in the ranking include Hong Kong, New York, Paris and Bangkok.
Read on for the full list and a closer look at the distinctive experiences offered by each restaurant. Bon appétit!
1. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo
Asador Etxebarri in the Spanish region of Atxondo claims the top spot
Asador Etxebarri in Atxondo has been named the world’s best restaurant for 2026.
Set in the tranquil Basque village of Axpe, the unassuming restaurant is where chef-owner Victor Arguinzoniz and his team share a lifelong devotion to cooking with fire.
Its memorable 14-course tasting menu gives premium ingredients the spotlight, transforming simple produce into refined creations through the precise mastery of the grill.
2. Gaggan, Bangkok
Gaggan in Bangkok takes the silver medal in second place
Gaggan follows Asador Etxebarri in the ranking, reinventing Indian cuisine with the help of modernist techniques.
“Music, colours and creativity combine on the menu, which is anchored in progressive Indian cuisine, with French, Thai and Japanese influences,” says The 50.
The restaurant is famous for its theatrical presentation. Emojis can represent individual courses, encouraging guests to eat with their hands — and, on occasion, even lick the plate.
3. Alchemist, Copenhagen
Alchemist in Copenhagen takes the bronze medal
This experimental Danish restaurant and theatre occupies a drab industrial estate in Refshaleøen, on the edge of Copenhagen. Its plain exterior gives little away.
Inside, diners can expect the unexpected. “There are no courses, only ‘impressions’ — 50 of them, in fact — divided into several ‘acts’ that take guests through different locations, types of art and extraordinary craftsmanship over a multiple-hour, multi-sensory odyssey,” says The 50.
Each dish is intended to provoke thought, even when the experience becomes deeply uncomfortable.
4. Quintonil, Mexico City
Quintonil in Mexico City takes fourth place with its distinctive cuisine
Quintonil in Mexico City ranks fourth and was also named the best restaurant in Latin America in 2026.
Its menu combines traditional Mexican flavours with an inventive approach. Examples include roasted duck with coconut manchamanteles mole, a fruit-and-chilli sauce, and ice cream made with honey from stingless melipona bees.
The restaurant’s bright, airy dining room is decorated with local art.
Wing in Hong Kong is ranked the fifth-best restaurant in the world this year
Wing, a “boundary-less” Chinese fine-dining restaurant, is based in Hong Kong.
“Think dry-aged crispy Cantonese chicken — a recipe that took more than 80 trials to perfect; smoked pigeon with sugarcane; and a slab resembling pork belly of braised sea cucumber enveloped in a puffed spring roll,” says The 50 Best.
The meal ends with an unusual fruit trolley, offering carefully selected mangoes, guavas and other tropical produce.
6. The Chairman, Hong Kong
The Chairman in Hong Kong is next in the ranking
The Chairman is regarded as one of Asia’s leading culinary destinations, pairing classic Chinese cooking with creations such as golden crystal eggs and chilli oyster.
Its Cantonese cuisine is innovative without relying on spectacle. Here, the food remains the central attraction.
The restaurant has collected numerous honours over the years, including the title of best restaurant in Asia.
7. Kjolle, Lima
Kjolle in Lima joins the list after opening eight years ago
Kjolle’s dishes are vivid and colourful, with the kind of presentation that seems made for Instagram.
Highlights from the tasting menu include scallops and sea urchin with Brazil nuts, as well as beef rib served with corn.
The interiors are just as carefully considered, with the layout and decoration reflecting Peruvian craft traditions.
8. Kadeau, Copenhagen
Kadeau in Copenhagen ranks eighth
Kadeau in Copenhagen seeks a close connection with the surrounding landscape through fermentation and foraging.
“The team has a deep respect for nature and for craft, and it shows in every detail. It’s the kind of place where you feel the rhythm of the seasons, not just taste it,” Bas van Kranen, a leading chef at Restaurant Flore in Amsterdam, said previously.
The dining room is intimate, combining Scandinavian design with soothing Japanese influences.
9. DiverXO, Madrid
DiverXO in Madrid, run by Dabiz Muñoz, takes ninth place
DiverXO in Madrid is among the most inventive restaurants in the top 50. Its menu is described as “a journey through the hedonistic, greedy and creative world of Dabiz Muñoz, avant-garde cuisine in which everything is possible”.
The Spanish celebrity chef holds three Michelin stars and, according to the Michelin Guide, has developed a “groundbreaking approach to cooking”.
The restaurant made headlines in 2023 when Muñoz said he was considering adding a dish based on fish semen to the menu.
10. Plénitude, Paris
Plénitude in Paris completes the top 10
Plénitude, housed in the LVMH-owned luxury hotel Cheval Blanc Paris, offers an elegant interpretation of Parisian dining.
“The choreography of the meal, orchestrated by restaurant director Alexandre Larvoir and his young team, is dynamic,” says The 50.
Guests begin with a visit to the cellar before enjoying one course in the kitchen and another in a hidden “secret” cheese cave.
It is a combination of culinary precision and theatrical flair.
11. Atomix, New York
Atomix in New York ranks 11th
Atomix is the only New York restaurant to appear on the list, with its exceptional Korean cuisine helping explain the recognition.
Chef Junghyun Park also received the Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award.
Voted for by fellow chefs, the honour recognises Park’s work modernising Korean fine dining and influencing the international gastronomy scene.
12. Sorn, Bangkok
Sorn in Bangkok is one of the ranking’s most vibrant restaurants
A new generation of Thai fine dining is reworking the city’s famous street-food traditions, while emerging neighbourhoods are bringing new energy to Bangkok through ambitious restaurants, bars and cafés.
Sorn is a standout and became the first restaurant in Thailand to receive three Michelin stars.
Tables are difficult to secure, while the service is widely praised as impeccable.
13. Mérito, Lima
Mérito in Lima takes 13th place
Mérito brings together Peruvian and Venezuelan flavours at an intimate restaurant in Lima’s stylish Barranco neighbourhood.
The food is paired with bespoke cocktails, including a Cinnamon Spice creation and a Coconut Anise drink.
A Peruvian chocolate rock, the restaurant’s signature dessert, provides a striking finale.
14. Sühring, Bangkok
Sühring in Bangkok occupies 14th place
Sühring, run by German twins in Bangkok, combines a distinctly German identity with flavours drawn from around the world.
Guests pass through a lush garden to reach a 1970s villa, where warm wood, white tablecloths and framed artwork create a welcoming atmosphere.
Away from Bangkok’s bustle, tables overlook either the kitchen or the glass-roofed Wintergarten atrium.
15. Odette, Singapore
Odette in Singapore takes 15th place in an elegant setting
Odette in Singapore showcases modern French cuisine and has been led by chef Julien Royer since 2015.
“The menu changes with the seasons, with previous dishes including Japanese tilefish served with a saffron-infused sand carrot purée and sweet Bouchot mussels from Mont-Saint-Michel, cooked in the classic marinière style,” says The 50.
The extensive wine list includes well-known favourites alongside lesser-known discoveries.
16. Tuju, São Paulo
Tuju in São Paulo ranks 16th among the world’s best restaurants
Tuju, the São Paulo restaurant led by executive chef Ivan Ralston, received the Highest New Entry Award as well as 16th place.
Its airy building features a vertical garden, while nature and thoughtful hospitality shape the experience.
The 12-course menu changes with the seasons, with courses named after Brazilian weather periods: Humidity, Rain, Wind and Drought.
17. Mingles, Seoul
Mingles in Seoul pairs Korean cuisine with clean, modern interiors
Since opening in 2014, Mingles has established itself as a leading destination for Korean cuisine, emphasising local ingredients and contemporary flavours.
The connection to local produce begins before the meal, when diners are shown a display illustrating the origins of the ingredients they are about to eat.
Past dishes have included barbecued hanwoo beef with Jerusalem artichoke, along with meat and fish accompanied by traditional fermented sauces and vinegars.
18. Nusara, Bangkok
Nusara in Bangkok ranks 18th
Nusara began as a dining room for just 10 guests but quickly became so popular that demand forced a move to larger premises.
Chef Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn “draws inspiration from his family’s recipes as well as cookbooks from the royal kitchens of King Rama V, who ruled Thailand from 1868 to 1910,” The 50 explains.
Recommended dishes include multicoloured swimming crab curry, Thai wagyu and a Thai tea ice cream sandwich.
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19. Jan, Munich
Jan is the only Munich restaurant to enter the top 50
Jan Hartwig, one of Germany’s most celebrated chefs, created Jan in Munich to present the country’s cuisine in a polished modern setting.
The tasting menus feature dishes such as foie gras mousse tartlets, Sea Urchin Louise and pike dumpling with Frankfurt green sauce.
“Jan Hartwig masterfully combines innovation and creativity with a deep respect for his German roots, resulting in dishes that are both memorable and beautifully executed,” one guest wrote in a review.
20. Piazza Duomo, Alba
Piazza Duomo is an elegant pink palace in Alba
Piazza Duomo, founded in 2005 by chef Enrico Crippa and the Ceretto winemaking family, brings food and wine together in Alba.
Many dishes are rooted in local stories and traditions.
A snail dish, for example, pays tribute to the area’s snail-rearing heritage, while the menu makes extensive use of seasonal ingredients.
21. Meet the Bund, Shanghai
Meet the Bund in Shanghai features striking artistic interiors
Meet the Bund occupies a Shanghai location with views across the waterfront and interiors inspired by timeless Chinese design.
The 50 Best says: “Characterised by pristine seafood dishes and umami-rich soups and stews, Fujianese cooking — one of China’s eight great culinary traditions, dating back 5,000 years — is a delicate balance of elegance and restraint, layered, subtle flavours and exacting knifework.”
The restaurant is located on the 56th floor of Shanghai’s Raffles City tower.
22. Boragó, Santiago
Boragó in Santiago ranks 22nd
Chilean cuisine takes centre stage at Boragó in Santiago, where the kitchen also embraces experimentation.
Sustainability is central to the restaurant’s philosophy. It won the Sustainable Restaurant Award at Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2018 and at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2021.
“Everything about the meal was incredible — from the food, to the wine pairing, to the service, to the full tour of the kitchen and test kitchen,” one guest wrote.
“Boragó is a beautiful collision of art, passion, and culinary excellence. This is the best meal I have ever had!”
23. Vyn, Skillinge
Vyn in Skillinge holds 23rd place
Vyn in Sweden serves seasonal food shaped by Scandinavian traditions and the local flora and fauna.
“Guided by the seasons, the menu reflects the coastal setting, with dishes such as warm king crab, butter-poached langoustine and Swedish favourite Kalix löjrom (vendace roe) among past highlights,” according to 50 Best.
One diner described it as “a true five-star experience” and recommended staying at the hotel, arriving early for a garden cocktail and taking in the restaurant’s carefully designed decor and extraordinary view.
24. Al Gatto Verde, Modena
Al Gatto Verde in Modena is ranked 24th
Jessica Rosval, head chef at Al Gatto Verde, has won the Best Female Chef Award, sponsored by Lexus.
Based at Massimo Bottura’s Casa Maria Luigia in Modena, Rosval is celebrated for her signature wood-fired cooking.
She is also recognised for her work on sustainability and social advocacy through Roots, a social enterprise restaurant she co-founded to provide migrant women with professional culinary training.
25. Lasai, Rio de Janeiro
Lasai in Rio de Janeiro completes the top 25
Lasai in Rio de Janeiro takes 25th place as a vegetable-led restaurant in Brazil.
Rikki Tidball, managing director of events for The 50, said: “The 50 Best Restaurants 2026 celebrates the highest calibre of hospitality on a global scale.
“Celebrating gastronomic excellence and the remarkable talent shaping the global culinary landscape, this year’s ranking welcomes 11 new entries to the 1-50 list, showcasing the breadth of talent, diversity and creativity shaping the global hospitality landscape.”