Basque Grill Asador Etxebarri Tops 2026 Restaurant Ranking

A Basque restaurant takes the top spot

November 7, 2026 · 1:00 p.m. Central

Asador Etxebarri, a Basque Country restaurant known for cooking over fire, has claimed the top spot on The 50’s 2026 ranking of restaurants around the world.

The restaurant in Atxondo, Spain, rose from No. 2 last year, according to Bon Appétit. The annual results were announced November 4 at a ceremony in Lima, Peru. The list reflects its voters’ preferences; it is not a census or a universal measure of every restaurant.

Who else made the list

Bangkok’s Gaggan placed second, followed by Alchemist in Copenhagen, Quintonil in Mexico City and Wing in Hong Kong, according to the published ranking. New York’s Atomix came in at No. 11 and was the only U.S. restaurant in the top 50, Eater reported.

Etxebarri chef Bittor Arguinzoniz is known for matching woods to ingredients cooked over the grill, Bon Appétit reported. Its setting in the mountains between Bilbao and San Sebastián places it away from the big-city dining rooms often associated with global awards.

How the ranking works

The list is assembled from votes by more than 1,100 people, including chefs, food writers and well-traveled diners. The organizer, William Reed, says each voter decides what makes a restaurant best; past No. 1 winners move into a separate group and are no longer eligible for the annual ranking.

The organizer says commercial partners do not vote and that Deloitte adjudicates the process. Bon Appétit reported that critics have questioned the voting system, including the fact that voters do not have to pay for their own meals. Slovenian chef Ana Roš said visibility within the system had become too important; her restaurant appeared in the separate 51–100 ranking this year.

Those concerns are criticism of the process, not evidence that a particular restaurant bought its place. The list also tends toward expensive, high-end dining, Bon Appétit noted.

The ranking’s timeline

2025: Etxebarri ranked second.
November 4, 2026: The 50 announced this year’s list in Lima.
After a No. 1 finish: Under the organizer’s rules, the restaurant moves to its Best of the Best group and becomes ineligible for future annual rankings.