Asador Etxebarri tops the 50 Best Restaurants list. Crippa comes 2nd, whilst Jessica Rosval makes her debut in 24th place
The awards for the prestigious ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026’ have been announced in Lima. There are five Italian restaurants on the list, compared with six last year
Asador Etxebarri is the new best restaurant in the world according to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026. Also on the podium are Gaggan in Bangkok and l’Alchemist in Copenhagen.
Run by Bittor Arguinzoniz in a small village in the Basque Country, Asador Etxebarri takes over from Maido in Lima. In 2025 (when the awards ceremony was held in Italia for the first time) it came second and, from next year, will enter the ‘Best of the Best Hall of Fame’ alongside all previous winners of the ranking: a system that ensures the top of the rankings is constantly refreshed, making the award a benchmark for haute cuisine worldwide.
Asador Extebarri owes its success to the finest Basque tradition of charcoal grilling: ‘Situated in the peaceful village of Axpe, this restaurant, with its simple and authentic atmosphere, is where the chef and his team welcome guests to share his lifelong passion for signature grilled cuisine. Through an unforgettable 14-course tasting menu, the kitchen offers elegant dishes that showcase ingredients of the very highest quality, transforming simple raw materials into extraordinary creations thanks to the masterful use of the charcoal grill’, reads the award citation.
Eleven new restaurants have been added to the list this year, with Al Gatto Verde in Modena, led by Jessica Rosval, standing out in 24th place for Italia (was ranked 92nd in 2025), who also wins the Best Female Chef Award: “At the helm of Massimo Bottura’s restaurant, Casa Maria Luigia in Modena, Rosval is recognised for her unmistakable charcoal-grilling technique and for her commitment to sustainability and social inclusion through Roots, a socially-minded restaurant of which she is co-founder – explain the 50Best judges – founded to offer migrant women new opportunities for empowerment through professional training in the culinary field”.
The other debuts are Tuju (16th) from São Paulo; Meet the Bund (21st) from Shanghai; Masque (26th) from Mumbai; Le Coquillage (34th) in Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes, France; Ru Yuan (36th) in Hangzhou, mainland China; Nuema (37th) in Quito; Onjium (41st) in Seoul; Bozar (42nd) in Brussels; Naar (49th) in Kasauli, India; and Saint Peter (50th) in Sydney.
