El Asador Etxebarri, led by the Basque chef Bittor Arginzoniz and located in Atxondo, has been proclaimed “The World’s Best Restaurant 2026” during the ceremony held in Lima (Peru), becoming the fourth Spanish establishment to achieve this prestigious international recognition.
This grill, located in the small settlement of Axpe and with a Michelin star, is famous for its absolute mastery of the embers. After finishing second in the world last year, it now climbs to number one and takes over from Maido, in Lima, which won the title in 2025 and goes on to be included in the “Best of the Best” hall of fame.
The podium for this edition is completed by Gaggan (Bangkok), which holds the second position, and Alchemist (Copenhagen), which occupies third place on the list.
“It is a real honor to receive this award, which would not have been possible without all the people who have helped me to keep working on the technique of fire, an ancestral technique. This is unthinkable; I’m super happy, but I still believe that I’m not the best,” Bittor Arginzoniz said upon receiving the award that consecrates his grill as the best restaurant on the planet.
With this triumph, high Spanish cuisine is once again positioned at the world summit. Etxebarri becomes the fourth Spanish restaurant to reach number one and joins the elite in which appear El Bulli (2002, 2006-2009), El Celler de Can Roca (2013 and 2015) and Disfrutar (2024).
Among the 50 best restaurants in the world, other Spanish gastronomic temples also appear: DiverXo, by Dabiz Muñoz, which drops from fourth to ninth place; Enigma (Barcelona), by Albert Adrià, which is placed at number 29; and Elkano (Getaria), which figures in position 33 in the ranking.
At the same ceremony, the chef Ferran Adrià, soul behind the legendary ElBulli, has been honored with the SevenRooms Icon Award, an award that recognizes his work in culinary research and education through the El Bulli Foundation, a pioneering nonprofit entity that continues to influence the future of gastronomy and inspires new generations of cooks.
Within the list of the 100 best in the world, Spanish representation remains solid. Cocina Hermanos Torres (Barcelona), by brothers Javier and Sergio Torres, rises from position 78 to 69, while Txispa (Atxondo), by the Japanese chef Tetsuro Maeda, advances five positions to reach number 80.
Also, Aponiente (El Puerto de Santa María), by chef Ángel León, which last year occupied place 84, closes this time the ranking in position 100.
The classification, with global reach, brings together in this edition restaurants from 28 countries and reflects the growing diversity of fine dining. Eleven venues are debuting in the “top-50”: Tuju (16), in São Paulo; Meet the Bund (21), in Shanghái; Al Gatto Verde (24), in Módena; Masque (26), in Mumbai; Le Coquillage (34), in Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes, France; Ru Yuan (36), in Hangzhou, mainland China; Nuema (37), in Quito; Onjium (41), in Seúl; Bozar (42), in Bruselas; Naar (49), in Kasauli, India; and Saint Peter (50), in Sídney, consolidating the international character of the list and its role as a showcase for the world’s great gastronomic destinations.
Dining and Cooking