Copenhagen has confirmed its place at the top of world gastronomy. Alchemist placed third and Kadeau eighth in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026, unveiled in Lima, Peru, on 4 November, giving the Danish capital two restaurants in the global top ten.
FAKTA
- The winner: Asador Etxebarri in Atxondo, Spain, was named The World’s Best Restaurant 2026. Gaggan in Bangkok placed second.
- Copenhagen in the top 10: Alchemist placed No. 3, up two places, and Kadeau placed No. 8, rising 33 places and winning the Highest Climber Award.
- The ceremony: The list was revealed on 4 November at the Teatro Municipal de Lima, the first time the awards have been held in Peru.
- The scale: The ranking covers 28 territories across six continents, voted on by more than 1,100 restaurant experts. Three Danish restaurants made the list.
- New entries: 11 restaurants entered the top 50 for the first time and five re-entered the ranking.
Copenhagen’s night in Lima
The gastronomic world gathered in Lima for the unveiling of The 50 Best Restaurants 2026, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. Asador Etxebarri, led by chef-owner Victor Arguinzoniz, was named The World’s Best Restaurant, praised for its mastery of Basque wood-fire cooking. It succeeds Maido in Lima, the 2025 winner, which now joins the Best of the Best hall of fame.
Behind the winner, Copenhagen took centre stage. Alchemist, led by chef Rasmus Munk, placed third, while Kadeau climbed 33 places to eighth, the biggest rise on the list. Two of the three Danish restaurants on the list made the top ten, DR reported.
Two very different restaurants
Alchemist is an immersive, planetarium-domed dining experience that is less a meal than a performance in several acts. Kadeau brings the wild larder of the island of Bornholm to the city, in a style that makes New Nordic cooking feel like home cooking.
The two restaurants show the range of Copenhagen dining: one built around spectacle and theatre, the other around the seasons and produce of a small Danish island. Both have now been recognised among the ten best restaurants on earth.
Bread and butter at Noma in Copenhagen. Danish restaurants have long set the standard for New Nordic cuisine, and now Alchemist and Kadeau have joined the world’s top ten.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026: a global list
The top ten spans four continents, from Bangkok to Mexico City and from Lima to Paris. Quintonil in Mexico City placed fourth and was named the best restaurant in Latin America, while Kjolle in Lima placed seventh.
| Rank | Restaurant | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asador Etxebarri | Atxondo, Spain |
| 2 | Gaggan | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 3 | Alchemist | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| 4 | Quintonil | Mexico City, Mexico |
| 7 | Kjolle | Lima, Peru |
| 8 | Kadeau | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| 9 | Diverxo | Madrid, Spain |
| 10 | Plénitude | Paris, France |
Regional honours went to Atomix in New York, ranked 11th, as the best restaurant in North America; Trèsind Studio in Dubai, ranked 28th, as the best in the Middle East; La Colombe in Cape Town, ranked 35th, as the best in Africa; and Saint Peter in Sydney, ranked 50th, as the best in Oceania. Tuju in São Paulo, ranked 16th, won the Highest New Entry Award.
What the ranking means for Danish dining
For Copenhagen, the result confirms a position the city has held for more than a decade. Since Noma first topped the world ranking, Danish chefs have shaped how the world eats – and the 2026 list shows that the next generation, led by Alchemist and Kadeau, is carrying that reputation forward.
Read more culture news on Watan News International – Food.
Conclusion
The 50 Best Restaurants 2026 belonged to a Basque grill house in Atxondo, but Copenhagen was the night’s other big winner. With Alchemist third and Kadeau eighth, the Danish capital once again has two restaurants among the ten best in the world.
