The hotly anticipated World’s 50 Best Restaurants list was announced at a ceremony in Lima last night, with a Spanish eatery in Atxondo claiming the top spot. But it wasn’t a strong year for British restaurants, with just one making the list: Ikoyi in London, which came in at number 48 (dropping from number 15 last year).
World’s 50 Best Restaurants: Who Made The 2026 List?
Located at 180 The Strand, two Michelin-starred restaurant Ikoyi is led by esteemed chef Jeremy Chan. It focuses on spice-based cuisine based around British micro-seasonality, serving a £395 tasting menu available for dinner from Monday to Friday and lunch Wednesday to Friday (a shorter tasting menu is also on offer for £180). The menu changes often, but it’s based around slow-grown vegetables, sustainably line-caught fish and aged native beef: previous standout dishes have included smoked jollof rice with miso or lobster, guinea fowl suya, and sweetbreads brined in salted milk.
Two other UK restaurants made it into the top 100 list: Kol at number 70 and The Ledbury at number 83 – both of which are also in London. Kol is Santiago Lastra’s Mexican-inspired eatery which was awarded a Michelin star in 2022, while Brett Graham’s The Ledbury in Notting Hill is one of just a handful of three Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK. Meanwhile Soho restaurant Mountain, which was voted number 74 in 2026, and The Clove Club, which came in at number 86, both dropped out of the top 100 list altogether.
The Ledbury
It was a similarly disappointing night for the United States, with just one American restaurant making the top 50: Atomix in New York City – which rose from number 12 to number 11.
Winning restaurant Asador Etxebarri, found in the small Basque village of Axpe, climbed one spot from its number two position in last year’s list. Helmed by chef-owner Víctor Arguinzoniz (also known as Bittor Arginzoniz), the rustic fine dining restaurant is known for its wood-fired cooking. All dishes on the 14-course tasting menu are made using the wood and charcoal grills: think home-cured Cantabrian anchovies on toast, Palamós red prawns and aged Galician beef chop, followed by smoked milk ice cream with red berries.
Arguinzoniz said the prize was ‘a real honour’, paying homage to ‘our mothers and grandmothers’ who inspired him.
Second place went to an Indian fine dining restaurant in Bangkok called Gaggan, followed by Copenhagen’s two Michelin-starred eatery Alchemist in Copenhagen, which was cited for its ‘extraordinary craftsmanship’. A meal at Alchemist comprises a whopping 50 courses (called ‘impressions’ and featuring a mix of edible dishes and sensory of theatrical elements) and tends to last between four to six hours.
First published in 2002, the prestigious list is voted for by over 1,000 chefs, restaurant industry experts and influencers.
World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026: The Full List
Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo
Gaggan, Bangkok
Alchemist, Copenhagen
Quintonil, Mexico City
Wing, Hong Kong
The Chairman, Hong Kong
Kjolle, Lima
Kadeau, Copenhagen
Diverxo, Madrid
Plénitude, Paris
Atomix, New York
Sorn, Bangkok
Mérito, Lima
Sühring, Bangkok
Odette, Singapore
Tuju, São Paulo
Mingles, Seoul
Nusara, Bangkok
Jan, Munich
Piazza Duomo, Alba
Meet the Bund, Shanghai
Boragó, Santiago
Vyn, Skillinge
Al Gatto Verde, Modena
Lasai, Rio de Janeiro
Masque, Mumbai
Reale, Castel di Sangro
Trèsind Studio, Dubai
Enigma, Barcelona
Steirereck, Vienna
Celele, Cartagena
Potong, Bangkok
Elkano, Getaria
Le Coquillage, Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes
La Colombe, Cape Town
Ru Yuan, Hangzhou
Nuema, Quito
Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler, Brunico
Schloss Schauenstein, Fürstenau
Jordnær, Copenhagen
Onjium, Seoul
Bozar, Brussels
Le Calandre, Rubano
Don Julio, Buenos Aires
Mayta, Lima
El Chato, Bogotá
Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse, Monte Carlo
Ikoyi, London
Naar, Kasauli
Saint Peter, Sydney
Find out more at the50.com
Dining and Cooking