Leading chefs and culinary figures from across the United States and Canada gathered in New Orleans on Thursday for the unveiling of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026.

The influential annual ranking — part of the expanded 50 Best ecosystem that now includes continental lists alongside its flagship global awards — is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious honors in the restaurant world, alongside the Michelin Guide.

The ceremony at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel honored the second edition of the North America list, along with several special award winners.

This year, three-Michelin-starred Smyth in Chicago — led by husband-and-wife chefs John Shields and Karen Urie Shields — was named the top restaurant on the continent. Rising from the number four spot in the inaugural 2025 rankings, the minimalist, open-kitchen restaurant was celebrated for its hyper-seasonal, deeply personal approach to fine dining, which relies on a tight-knit network of local growers and purveyors.

Calgary’s Eight made an unprecedented debut at No. 2, comfortably securing the Highest New Entry Award and the title of Best Restaurant in West Canada. Lincoln’s Restaurant Pearl Morissette closely followed in at No. 3, which also picked up the Art of Hospitality Award.

This year’s list spans 20 cities, including 14 restaurants from Canada and 36 from the United States, with 18 new entries.

In individual categories, New York City proved to be a powerhouse for specialized talent. Eunji Lee of Lysée was named Best Pastry Chef for her French-Korean fusion creations, while industry veteran Aldo Sohm (of Le Bernardin and Aldo Sohm Wine Bar) took home Best Sommelier.

Here is the 2026 list of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants in full (asterisks denote restaurants new to the list this year):

50. *Diane’s Place, Minneapolis

49. Kato, Los Angeles

48. *The Pine, Collingwood, Ontario

47. *Wild Blue, Whistler, British Columbia

46. *Somni, Los Angeles

45. *Sons & Daughters, San Francisco

44. Atelier Crenn, San Francisco

43. *Gramercy Tavern, New York City

42. *Pascual, Washington, the district

41. *Semma, New York City

40. *Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia

39. *Tatiana, New York City

38. *Torrisi, New York City

37. Dōgon, Washington, D.C.

36. Corima, New York City

35. *AnnaLena, Vancouver, British Columbia

34. *Sabayon, Montreal

33. Benu, San Francisco

32. Providence, Los Angeles

31. *Addison, San Diego

30. *Acamaya, New Orleans

29. *Avize, Atlanta

28. Mhel, Toronto

27. Beba, Montreal

26. Holbox, Los Angeles

25. *Edulis, Toronto

24. Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.

23. Aska, New York City

22. Saison, San Francisco

21. Chubby Fish, Charleston, S.C.

20. Emeril’s, New Orleans

19. Penny, New York City

18. Jungsik, New York City

17. Published on Main, Vancouver, British Columbia

16. SingleThread, Healdsburg, Calif. (Best in West)

15. Le Violon, Montreal

14. *Kabawa, New York City

13. Le Bernardin, New York City

12. Le Veau d’Or, New York City

11. Kalaya, Philadelphia

10. César, New York City

9. La Tanière3, Quebec City

8. Quetzal, Toronto

7. Atomix, New York City

6. Albi, Washington, D.C.

5. Mon Lapin, Montreal

4. Dakar NOLA, New Orleans

3. Restaurant Pearl Morissette, Lincoln, Ontario

2. *Eight, Calgary, Alberta

1. Smyth, Chicago

The North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list is compiled from the votes of a 300-member Academy of regional restaurant industry experts, divided into eight sub-regions, each led by an independent Academy Chair.

Voters remain anonymous (except for Chairs), vote confidentially, and must include at least three restaurants outside their home region. To ensure integrity, no one may vote for restaurants in which they have financial or family ties, and neither 50 Best staff nor sponsors influence the results.

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