Basque grill restaurant Asador Etxebarri is named the world's best at The 50 Best awards in Lima; Bangkok's Gaggan is No. 2
CNN has the top five and the context; Fine Dining Lovers prints the full 1-50 list and every special award.
Asador Etxebarri, Bittor Arguinzoniz's restaurant in the Basque village of Atxondo, Spain, took No. 1 at The 50 Best Restaurants 2026, announced Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Teatro Municipal de Lima, the first time the global awards were held in Peru. It was No. 2 last year. Arguinzoniz cooks over custom-built grills, from red prawns and beef chops to the milk ice cream that ends the meal.
The rest of the top five, per CNN: Gaggan (Bangkok), Alchemist (Copenhagen), Quintonil (Mexico City) and Wing (Hong Kong). New York's Atomix placed 11th, the top U.S. entry, and its chef Junghyun "JP" Park won the Chefs' Choice Award. Jessica Rosval of Al Gatto Verde in Modena was named the World's Best Female Chef and Naar in Kasauli, India, won the Sustainable Restaurant Award.
The list (formerly The World's 50 Best Restaurants) comes from votes by more than 1,100 industry experts, who must have eaten at the places they nominate within the previous 18 months. Past No. 1s, including last year's winner Maido in Lima, are no longer eligible. The 51-100 list came out Oct. 21.
Signal CheckA voted list with a sponsor in the room
How much is substance, and how much is paid or hype?
The ceremony is sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, and Fine Dining Lovers is S.Pellegrino's own food site, so its coverage is not independent. The ranking is a vote of 1,100+ experts who must have eaten at their picks within 18 months; it rewards destination tasting menus most people will never book. What holds up: Etxebarri has sat near the top for years (No. 2 last year), so this is not a one-season darling.
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Asador Etxebarri
After exploring World’s 50 best restaurants for 2026 revealed, the restaurant's own story is in Asador Etxebarri.
Wikipedia's page on the Atxondo restaurant, its long run near the top of the list and its chef, who cooks everything over a grill, including the dessert.
Wikipedia · Wade · 5 min
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The World's 50 Best Restaurants
After exploring The 50 Best Restaurants 2026: Full List, for where the ranking came from, read The World's 50 Best Restaurants.
How the list began: produced by UK media company William Reed, it first appeared in the British magazine Restaurant in 2002.
Wikipedia · Wade · 5 min
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