The World's 50 Best Restaurants gala takes place on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, at the Teatro Municipal (Municipal Theatre) in Lima. It is the first time the ceremony has been held in Peru in the award's 24-year history, and the first anywhere in the region.
The ranking is revealed live, one place at a time, from 50 down to 1, alongside the edition's special awards.
A host city that changed
Abu Dhabi had been announced as the 2026 host before the organisers moved the gala to Lima. Presenting the change, The 50 described the Peruvian capital as "a growing creative force in the global dining community," citing its cultural heritage, its community of cooks, and the fact that it is home to Maido, named The World's Best Restaurant in 2025.
Who votes
The result comes from a jury of more than 1,100 international experts — chefs, food writers and well-travelled diners — who vote for their best experiences of recent months.
What is already known
The extended list, covering places 51 to 100, was published on 21 October 2026 and brings together restaurants from 25 territories and 36 cities across six continents. The Latin American entries include:
- 54. Nelita (São Paulo)
- 55. Alcalde (Guadalajara)
- 68. Evvai (Brazil)
Two special awards were also announced before the gala: the Art of Hospitality Award went to Tuju, in São Paulo, and the One to Watch award to Yiaga, in Melbourne.
That no Peruvian restaurant appears between 51 and 100 is, in this award, a favourable sign: it means the country's entries are competing for places inside the top 50 revealed on Wednesday night.
Peru, twice number one in three years
The Peruvian capital arrives at the gala with two recent titles: Central was named the world's best restaurant in 2023 and Maido in 2025. Latin America's 50 Best regional list also features seven Lima restaurants: Kjolle, Mérito, Cosme, Mayta, La Mar, Rafael and Osso.
Outside Lima, Mil — chef Virgilio Martínez's project at more than 3,500 metres in Cusco's Valle Sagrado (Sacred Valley) — recently entered the world's hundred best.
A new brand
The Lima gala will also be the first under the new global identity The 50, which William Reed, owner of The 50 Group, is using to unify its restaurant, bar, hotel and vineyard lists and its Discovery platform.
The tourism calculation
For the Peruvian government, the gala is a promotional operation. "Holding The 50 Best Restaurants in Lima is an exceptional opportunity," said Teresa Mera Gómez, executive president of Promperú (Peru's export and tourism promotion agency), who pointed to extending the food route "from the capital" to destinations such as Cusco, Arequipa and Loreto.
The figures behind that bet are modest but growing in the European market: 144,294 Spanish visitors arrived in Peru in 2025, up 4.7% on the previous year, with an average stay of 12 nights. Direct flights from Madrid were joined in mid-2026 by a direct route from Barcelona operated by Level.
With information from The 50, Gastroeconomy and the EFE news agency.
