The 50 Best Restaurants 2026: Singapore’s Odette is No 15; its head sommelier Lesley Liu wins Best Sommelier

Experiences

Asia clinches 14 spots with restaurants from cities like Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul, Kasauli, and Hangzhou.

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05 Nov 2026 03:49PM

Basque grill restaurant Asador Etxebarri was crowned No 1 at The 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony held in Lima on the evening of Nov 4 (Nov 5, 9am SGT). Tucked away in Atxondo, a small town in Vizcaya, Basque Country, the restaurant is run by chef-owner Vîctor Arguinzoniz.

Bangkok’s Gaggan is the Best Restaurant in Asia at No 2 followed by Copenhagen’s Alchemist at No 3.

Singapore’s Odette, which has been the Republic’s sole restaurant on the list since 2018, climbs 10 places from last year’s rankings to No 15. Its head sommelier Lesley Liu, who was named Asia’s Best Sommelier earlier this year, is named Best Sommelier. Three Singapore restaurants also make it to the extended 51-100 list: Seroja debuts at No 64, followed by Burnt Ends (No 89) and Restaurant Labyrinth (No 98).

The 50 Best Restaurants 2026 list had restaurants from 28 territories across six continents, including debuts from 11 restaurants such as Seoul’s Onjium (No 41), Hangzhou’s Ru Yuan (No 36) and Mumbai’s Masque (No 26). In total, there are 14 establishments from Asia.

Dej Kewkacha, executive pastry chef at Louis Vuitton’s restaurant in Bangkok, wins Best Pastry Chef. He was also named Asia’s Best Pastry Chef in March 2026. Junghyun Park, owner of New York’s Atomix (No 11) receives the peer-voted Chefs’ Choice Award, while head chef Jessica Rosval from Modena’s Al Gatto Verde (No 24) is named Best Female Chef.

Famous chef-restaurateur of the legendary El Bulli, Ferran Adria, is presented with the Icon Award for his commitment to culinary research and education through the non-profit El Bulli Foundation.

Youth-led Ghana Food Movement received the Champions of Change award for making a positive impact on Ghana’s food system through education, indigenous ingredients and community.

Sao Paulo’s Tuju wins double accolades for the Art of Hospitality and Highest New Entry as it rises from No 70 last year to reach No 16.

Copenhagen’s Kadeau (No 8) climbs 33 places to win the Highest Climber award. Meanwhile, Yiaga in Melbourne is named the One to Watch, awarded to the restaurant deemed most likely to break into the list in the following year.

Naar (No 49) in Kasauli is recognised with the Sustainable Restaurant Award for its use of foraged ingredients from the Himalayan region, innovative approaches to using kitchen scraps and efforts to preserve perishable foods.

Formerly known as The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, The 50 Best Restaurants is an annual list of the world's most prestigious restaurants with regional editions in Asia, Latin America, as well as the Middle East and North Africa. It is under The 50 Group owned by international media company William Reed.

The list is created from the votes of The 50 Best Restaurants Academy, comprising more than 1,100 international restaurant industry experts, with a 50-50 gender balance, of which at least 25 per cent are refreshed annually. The results are adjudicated by professional services consultancy Deloitte.

The 50 Best Restaurants 2026 list in full:

*New entry
**Re-entry

1. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo
2. Gaggan, Bangkok
3. Alchemist, Copenhagen
4. Quintonil, Mexico City
5. Wing, Hong Kong
6. The Chairman, Hong Kong
7. Kjolle, Lima
8. Kadeau, Copenhagen
9. Diverxo, Madrid
10. Plenitude, Paris
11. Atomix, New York
12. Sorn, Bangkok
13. Merito, Lima
14. Suhring, Bangkok
15. Odette, Singapore
16. Tuju, Sao Paolo
17. Mingles, Seoul
18. Nusara, Bangkok
19. Jan, Munich
20. Piazza Duomo, Alba
21. Meet The Bund, Shanghai*
22. Borago, Santiago
23. Vyn, Skillinge
24. Al Gatto Verde, Modena*
25. Lasai, Rio de Janeiro
26. Masque, Mumbai*
27. Reale, Castel di Sangro
28. Tresind Studio, Dubai
29. Enigma, Barcelona
30. Steirereck, Vienna
31. Celele, Cartagena
32. Potong, Bangkok
33. Elkano, Getaria
34. Le Coquillage, Saint-Meloir-des-Ondes*
35. La Colombe, Cape Town**
36. Ru Yuan, Hangzhou*
37. Nuema, Quito*
38. Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler, Brunico
39. Schloss Schauenstein, Furstenau**
40. Jordnaer, Copenhagen**
41. Onjium, Seoul*
42. Bozar, Brussels*
43. Le Calandre, Rubano
44. Don Julio, Buenos Aires
45. Mayta, Lima
46. El Chato, Bogota**
47. Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse, Monte Carlo**
48. Ikoyi, London
49. Naar, Kasauli*
50. Saint Peter, Sydney*

Source: CNA/sn