World's Best Restaurant 2026: Spain's Asador Etxebarri Crowned in Lima
Written by AI from finedininglovers.com's report. Not checked by a person.
Spanish fire-cooking restaurant Asador Etxebarri claimed the top spot at the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2026 ceremony held in Lima, Peru. Chef Bittor Arguinzoniz's Basque grill in Atxondo beat out rivals from Thailand, Denmark, Mexico and Hong Kong.
The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2026 ceremony took place on 4 November at the Teatro Municipal de Lima, Peru — the first time the prestigious awards were hosted in that country. Asador Etxebarri, a flame-cooking restaurant in the tiny Basque village of Atxondo, Spain, was named the world's best, with chef Bittor Arguinzoniz receiving the award. He cooks over custom-built grills, applying his mastery of fire to ingredients ranging from red prawns to beef chops. The runners-up were Gaggan in Bangkok (No. 2), Alchemist in Copenhagen (No. 3), Quintonil in Mexico City (No. 4) and Wing in Hong Kong (No. 5). Two Lima restaurants — last year's winner Maido and 2023 champion Central — were elevated to the Best of the Best group, making them ineligible for future ranking. New York's Atomix placed 11th, with its chef Junghyun Park also taking the Chefs' Choice Award. The ranking is determined by more than 1,100 international restaurant experts who must have dined at nominated restaurants within the previous 18 months. The ceremony's location in Lima underscored the Peruvian capital's emergence as a world-class culinary hub.
