Spain comes top again as rural Basque restaurant is voted Best in the World by prestigious culinary list

Asador Etxebarri has been crowned the world's best restaurant for 2026, beating out culinary establishments across the globe. The prestigious honor was bestowed upon the wood-fired grill house located in Atxondo, a village in Spain's Basque Country. Chef Bittor Arginzoniz led the restaurant to victory at a ceremony held in Lima, Peru, on November 4th.

Spain secured three additional spots in the top 50, delighting food enthusiasts with a plethora of exceptional dining options. Etxebarri is situated in Bizkaia, the Basque province near Bilbao in northern Spain, and specializes in simple yet delectable dishes that highlight wood and embers over elaborate techniques. The restaurant's success has been on the rise, having reached the top 10 in 2016, third place in 2018, second in 2024 and 2025, and finally clinching the top spot this year.

Spain has now produced the world's top restaurant nine times in the history of the awards. Peru's Maido claimed the number one position last year, and Etxebarri now joins the Best of the Best, a permanent group for former winners who no longer compete in the yearly ranking. The 50 Best Restaurants 2026 list reveals that Spain has seven restaurants in the broader top 100, a decrease of two compared to the previous year after Quique Dacosta and Mugaritz withdrew from the list.

Gaggan in Bangkok secured second place and was named the best restaurant in Asia, while Alchemist in Copenhagen and Quintonil in Mexico City claimed third and fourth places, respectively. Wing in Hong Kong and Britain's Ikoyi rounded out the top five. This year, the ranking has undergone a rebrand, being shortened from The World's 50 Best Restaurants to The 50 Best Restaurants.

Notably, Slovenian chef Ana Ros opted not to attend the ceremony, expressing disagreement with the current ranking system, which she believes can be influenced as much by promotion skills as by the quality of the cooking. Regardless of the controversy surrounding the ranking, food lovers can rejoice in the abundance of exceptional dining experiences available in Spain, with options ranging from family-run establishments to Michelin-starred venues.