At the ceremony in Lima on November 4, Asador Etxebarri took the title of The World's Best Restaurant 2026. For decades, chef-owner Victor Arguinzoniz has devoted himself, almost like a monk, to a single craft in the Basque village of Axpe: cooking over wood. His 14-course menu pairs exceptional ingredients with glowing embers, a reminder that restraint can beat spectacle.
The Top 10
1. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo
2. Gaggan, Bangkok
3. Alchemist, Copenhagen
4. Quintonil, Mexico City
5. Wing, Hong Kong
6. The Chairman, Hong Kong
7. Kjolle, Lima
8. Kadeau, Copenhagen
9. Diverxo, Madrid
10. Plénitude, Paris
Three of the top six spots go to Bangkok and Hong Kong, and Copenhagen remains a place of pilgrimage for diners, with two restaurants in the top ten.
Italy matches Thailand with five entries in the top 50: Piazza Duomo (No.20), new entry Al Gatto Verde (No.24), Reale (No.27), Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler (No.38) and Le Calandre (No.43).
One of Italy's proudest moments came courtesy of Montreal-born Jessica Rosval. The head chef of Al Gatto Verde in Modena received the Best Female Chef Award, honouring both her cooking over fire and her work as co-founder of Roots, a social enterprise that trains migrant women for careers in the kitchen.
This year's list celebrates cooking at its most elemental, from the fire of Axpe to the mountain seasons of Kasauli. And for anyone living in Milano, the best news is that world-class dining is only a short train ride away.