On Wednesday night in Peru, the who’s who of the global restaurant industry swapped their chef’s whites for black tie and gathered at the Teatro Municipal de Lima, the city’s restored historic theatre, for The 50 Best Restaurants 2026, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna ― a worthy stage for a city that has produced two No 1s in the past four years.
The culmination of a multi-day gastronomic exploration of Lima, from multicourse meals at some of the world’s best restaurants to ceviche in Miraflores, pisco sours in Barranco and the Signature Sessions pairing visiting chefs with local kitchens, was, of course, the awards themselves. This year’s edition was the first held in South America in the list’s 24-year history.
Inside the theatre, packed with a host of the food world’s most notable figures, the list was revealed, with Asador Etxebarri in Atxondo, Spain, helmed by chef-owner Victor Arguinzoniz, taking the top spot for 2026 after placing second last year. Gaggan in Bangkok followed at No 2, with Alchemist in Copenhagen at No 3. Last year’s winner, Maido, moved into the Best of the Best hall of fame on home soil, retiring it from future votes alongside previous winners.
At Asador Etxebarri, Arguinzoniz cooks almost everything over grills of his own design, fuelled by charcoal he makes himself, serving a 14-course tasting menu built on ingredients of the finest quality in a stone farmhouse in the Basque village of Axpe.
For South Africa, the biggest moment came at No 35, when La Colombe was announced as the highest-ranked restaurant on the continent, earning the title of The Best Restaurant in Africa.
It’s a significant return. Last year the Constantia restaurant placed 55th on the extended 51–100 list, and South Africa missed out on a place in the top 50 for the third time in a decade. This year’s re-entry marks a climb of 20 places.
Helmed by executive chef James Gaag, La Colombe sits on the Silvermist Wine Estate on Constantia Nek, its glass-fronted dining room set amongst the trees, with a menu that blends modern French technique with South African ingredients and occasional Asian accents.
James Gaag
“An award like this gives you a moment to stop and appreciate just how much goes into making a restaurant what it is,” says Gaag. “There are so many people who give a little bit of themselves to La Colombe every day, and it’s their energy, ideas and commitment that make it all possible. We’re always looking at what we can do better, so to have that work recognised on a stage like this is incredibly rewarding. And to do it while representing Cape Town and South Africa makes it all the more special. We’re very proud and very grateful.”
La Colombe wasn’t the only Cape Town restaurant on the up. On the extended 51–100 list, released on 21 October, FYN and Salsify at the Roundhouse each climbed 17 places, to No 65 and No 71, respectively.
At FYN, chefs Peter Tempelhoff and Ashley Moss celebrate South African ingredients through Japanese technique from the fifth floor of Speakers’ Corner in the city centre, while at Salsify, chefs Ryan Cole and Nina du Toit cook in the historic Roundhouse on the slopes above Camps Bay.
Since opening seven years ago, FYN has earned international acclaim for its innovative use of local ingredients and Japanese-inspired techniques.
Chefs James Gaag, Peter Tempelhoff, Ryan Cole and Nina du Toit were in attendance to represent South Africa and cheer on their peers while partaking in the festivities.
Other notable winners on the evening included Ferran Adrià, who received the SevenRooms Icon Award ― an honour for the chef whose El Bulli in Roses topped the list five times and rewrote the rules of modern cooking, and whose El Bulli Foundation continues to document and teach creativity in the kitchen.
Jessica Rosval, head chef of Al Gatto Verde (No. 24) at Massimo Bottura’s Casa Maria Luigia in Modena, took home the title of Best Female Chef 2026, recognised for her refined wood-fired cooking, which explores Italian folklore and fairytales through her menu, and for Roots, the social enterprise restaurant she co-founded to train migrant women for careers in professional kitchens.
Copenhagen’s Kadeau was the Highest Climber, jumping 33 places from No 41 to No 8, and Tuju in São Paulo was the Highest New Entry at No. 16, adding to the Art of Hospitality Award announced ahead of the ceremony.
Kadeau Copenhagen holds two Michelin stars and ranked No. 41 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2025.
Bangkok’s Dej Kewkacha, a self-taught pâtissier known for turning local flavours into omakase-style dessert courses, was named Best Pastry Chef, sponsored by Sosa, and Lesley Liu, head sommelier at Odette (No 15) in Singapore, was recognised with the Best Sommelier Award, sponsored by Vik.
Junghyun “JP” Park, the driving force behind New York’s Atomix (No 11), which was also named The Best Restaurant in North America, picked up the Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award 2026 ― a peer-voted honour for a chef who, with his wife Ellia, has made Atomix a global flagbearer for modern Korean cooking.
Naar (No 49) in Kasauli, India, where chef Prateek Sadhu changes the menu to follow the six seasons of the Himalayas, won the Sustainable Restaurant Award.
The 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship, in association with Parmigiano Reggiano, went to Doris Lam, a former food journalist who left her career to train as a chef. Her prize brings another Cape Town connection, with paid stages at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Bray, England, and at Salsify at the Roundhouse. Cole and Du Toit were on hand to present the award.
Salsify at the Roundhouse exterior.
Several awards had been announced in the run-up to the ceremony. Accra’s Ghana Food Movement, a youth-led organisation working to reshape the country’s food system, received the Champions of Change Award, sponsored by illycaffè, giving the continent a second reason to celebrate, while Melbourne’s Yiaga, opened by chef Hugh Allen in Fitzroy Gardens in 2025, received the Visa One To Watch Award.
Eleven restaurants made their debut on this year’s 1–50 list, including Meet the Bund (No 21) in Shanghai, Masque (No 26) in Mumbai, Nuema (No 37) in Quito, Onjium (No 41) in Seoul and Saint Peter (No 50) in Sydney, which was also named The Best Restaurant in Oceania.
La Colombe was one of five re-entries, alongside Schloss Schauenstein (No 39) in Fürstenau, Switzerland, Jordnær (No 40) in Copenhagen, El Chato (No 46) in Bogotá and Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse (No 47) in Monte Carlo.
The home crowd had plenty to cheer about too, with Lima’s Kjolle at No 7, Mérito at No 13 and Mayta at No 45 — an impressive feat alongside the city’s two Best of the Best title holders, Central and Maido.
By the numbers, the ranking spans 28 territories across six continents, with 14 cities appearing for the first time.
Italy and Thailand tied for the most places with five restaurants each. Europe took 21 spots, Asia 15, South America 10, North America two and Africa and Oceania one apiece.
Once the ceremony was complete, the restaurant teams and culinary guests came together for the afterparty at Astrid & Gastón, the flagship restaurant of Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio, where Veuve Clicquot flowed alongside a seemingly endless array of classic Peruvian small plates, before the music was turned up and the industry danced the night away.
Wanted
Dining and Cooking