Taste is subjective, but data can help analyze what people really prefer.
La Liste, the ten-year-old global guide using a proprietary algorithm to rank to world’s best hospitality venues, just released its list of the top 1,000 restaurants in the world.
The 2026 edition of La Liste’s global ranking is compiled from over than 1,100 sources worldwide, including from national and regional media outlets, expert guides, and specialized digital platforms including customer review sites. The app serves as a digital guid to more than 40,000 restaurants, 3,000 pastry shops, and 7,000 hotels in over 200 countries.
This year, ten restaurants share the top position as the world’s number one restaurant. And for the first time, the restaurants span eight countries. Le Bernardin, a New York City fine dining restaurant, has held onto its number one spot on the list for nine years running. This November, Le Bernardin also retained its three star ranking in New York’s Michelin Guide.
Across the country in the Napa Valley, SingleThread a fine dining restaurant in Healdsburg, also was ranked number one. In Europe, restaurants in France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and Spain also shared the accolade. Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl at Hotel Trois Rois in Basel, Da Vittorio in Brusaporto, Guy Savoy in Paris, Martín Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria, and Schwarzwaldstuben in Berlin.
Three restaurants in Asia rounded out the first place rankings: Lung King Hing in Hong Kong, Matsukawa in Tokyo, and Robuchon au Dôme in Macau.
“La Liste shows that taste no longer has a single capital,” said Philippe Faure, founder and CEO of La Liste. “The world has become a field of shared excellence.”
Among the top 1,000 restaurants that earned a spot on La Liste for 2026, several trends are evident including the popularity of Nordic technique and cuisine, the rise of fine dining in Asia, the hotel restaurant becoming a beloved fine dining destination, and more relaxed luxury in fine dining, particularly in Europe. Luxury hotel groups including Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental are investing heavily in high end Asian dining.
“Asia’s restaurant scene is among the most dynamic and innovative anywhere,” said Stéphanie Kim, International Director at La Liste.”Chefs across the region are pushing boundaries.” Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines also had restaurants on the top list, indicating that these countries may be the next culinary hotspots.
In the United States, entrepreneurship and culinary creativity unite at top restaurants, while The Middle East features restaurants that are largely shaped by international investments.
The United States and New York City specifically also fared well in prestigious global awards. Daniel Boulud won the Culinary Impact Award, Vijay Kumar (of Semma NYC) won New Talent of the Year, Will Guidara won the Game Changer Award, and New York’s Coqodaq won the Show-to-Table Award.
La Liste’s full collection of the 1,000 best restaurants across the globe can be accessed on their website or via the app.