This year’s World’s Best Restaurant is Asador Echebarri, a restaurant in Achondo, Spain, located in the Basque Country and known for its revelatory grilling techniques.
This is according to The 50, which announced its list of the world’s 50 best restaurants for 2026 at an awards ceremony held in Lima, Peru, on Wednesday night.
In a speech in Spanish after receiving the award, chef Vitor Arguinzonis said the award was “a real honor” and cited “our mothers and grandmothers” as sources of inspiration, saying they were skilled cooks.
According to The 50, second place went to Gaggan in Bangkok.
The company, formerly known as 50 Best, awards awards to the best restaurants around the world. The list is compiled based on votes from the 50 Best Restaurant Academy, a panel of more than 1,100 international restaurant industry experts representing 28 regions around the world. The expert panel includes food writers and chefs.
In addition to restaurants, The 50 also ranks the world’s top bars, hotels, and vineyards.
The third best restaurant in the world in 2026 was The Alchemist in Copenhagen, Denmark, which was named for its “excellent craftsmanship” and “unique meal preparation.”
Rounding out the top five were Mexico City’s Quintonil, Mexico, which took fourth place, and Hong Kong’s Wings, which took fifth place because it takes pride in its Chinese heritage and offers customers “untold stories of the history of Chinese cuisine.”
Quintonil was also named Latin America’s Best Restaurant.
For those interested in fine dining, the awards are similar to the film industry’s Academy Awards (and come with almost as much fanfare).
Restaurants are eligible to win the top award from The 50 only once. Winners will then participate in another “Best of the Best” program.
The top American company on the 2026 list was New York City’s Atomics, ranked 11th. The Korean restaurant was named North America’s Best Restaurant, and chef Jonghyun Park won the Chef’s Choice Award and was praised for providing a “window on culture.”
Last year, the award ceremony was held in Turin, Italy, and Lima’s Maido won the top prize.
The 50 is one of several organizations that ranks fine dining restaurants. Other groups include Michelin and Laliste.
The academy says it aims to spotlight truly innovative cuisine, not just haute cuisine. For example, last year’s winner “Maido” was a Peruvian restaurant run by Mitsuharu Tsumura “Micha”, a descendant of Japanese immigrants to Peru who uses Japanese cooking techniques.
Four of last year’s top five restaurants were in Spanish-speaking countries, with other winners including Piazza del Duomo in Alba, Italy, and Steyreck in Vienna, Austria.
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This year’s top five included restaurants from Asia, North America, and Europe.
“For the past 25 years, we have celebrated the people and places that shape hospitality,” said Ricky Tidball, head of awards programs at The 50, in his opening remarks at the gala event.
1. Asador Echebarri (Spain, Achondo)
2. Gaggan (Bangkok)
3. The Alchemist (Copenhagen, Denmark)
4. Quintonil (Mexico City, Mexico)
5. Wing (Hong Kong)
6. Chairman (Hong Kong)
7. Kyole (Lima, Peru)
8. Caddo (Copenhagen, Denmark)
9. Divercuso (Madrid, Spain)
10. Plénitude (Paris, France)
11. Atomics (New York, USA)
12. Son (Bangkok, Thailand)
13. Melito (Lima, Peru)
14. Surin (Bangkok, Thailand)
15. Odette (Singapore)
16. Tuju (São Paulo, Brazil)
17. Mingles (Seoul, South Korea)
18. Nusara (Bangkok, Thailand)
January 19th (Munich, Germany)
20. Piazza del Duomo (Alba, Italy)
21. Meet the Band (Shanghai, China)
22. Borago (Santiago, Chile)
23. Vin (Skillinge, Sweden)
24. Al Gatto Verde (Modena, Italy)
25. Lasai (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
26. Mask (Mumbai, India)
27. Reale (Castel di Sangro, Italy)
28. Trecindo Studio (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
29. Enigma (Barcelona, Spain)
30. Steyreck (Vienna, Austria)
31. Celere (Cartagena, Colombia)
32. Potong (Bangkok)
33. Elcano (Getaria, Spain)
34. Le Coquiage (Saint-Meroire-des-Hondes, France)
35. La Colombe (Cape Town, South Africa)
36. Lu Yuan (Hangzhou, China)
37. Nuema (Quito, Ecuador)
38. Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkoffler (Brunico, Italy)
39. Schauenstein Castle (Furstenau, Switzerland)
40. Jordonal (Copenhagen, Denmark)
41. Ondium (Seoul, South Korea)
42. Beaux-Arts (Brussels, Belgium)
43. Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)
44. Don Julio (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
45. Maita (Lima, Peru)
46. El Chato (Bogota, Colombia)
47. Louis XV – Alain Ducasse (Monte Carlo)
48. Ikoyi (London, UK)
49. Nar (Kasauli, India)
50. St. Peter (Sydney, Australia)
