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.
