This year’s grand unveiling of Asia’s 50 Best proved momentous for India, with two record-breaking Indian restaurants not only making the list but also breaking into the top 30. The ceremony held in Hong Kong last evening, on March 25, brought together the best of the best from across the continent, with India firmly in the global spotlight.
Not one but two of Chef Gaggan Anand’s culinary endeavours in Bangkok, Thailand, made it onto the top 10, with Gaggan at No. 3 and Gaggan at Louis Vuitton at No. 8, marking a historic moment for India-led spaces on the international stage. Meanwhile, as for restaurants in India, this year’s list proved equally as significant. Chef Varun Totlani’s Masque, Mumbai—also the proud recipient of the Art of Hospitality Award, 2026—landed 15th place on the list, and NAAR by Chef Prateek Sadhu ranked 30th among Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. Four of India’s culinary pride and joys also appeared on the extended 51-100 list revealed earlier this month.
The rankings, announced by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, are compiled from votes cast by industry experts across Asia, including chefs, restaurateurs, and food writers. It’s regarded as one of the most influential barometers of the region’s dining landscape.
This year’s list not only highlights a milestone for India’s culinary scene but also one for regional cuisines across India. With hundreds of cultures, traditions, and hence, cuisines, thriving in one place, it’s time the world discovered just how much Indian cuisine is really capable of offering.
So, as you hold onto the edge of your seats for all the highlights, we’ve got you. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s ceremony—read on!
Top 5 Restaurants In Asia, 2026
The top, creme de la creme, of the list was dominated by a mix of experimentation and legacy, spanning multiple culinary capitals of Asia. The honour of No. 1 was taken home by the host country, Hong Kong’s The Chairman, helmed by chef-owner Danny Yip. Built on the fundamentals of China’s culinary history, Yip’s restaurant rewrites Cantonese cuisine, one recipe at a time.
No. 2 was another space up Hong Kong’s sleeve—Wing by chef-owner Vicky Cheng. The restaurant sprang from an invite-only, midnight supper test kitchen at Cheng’s Hong Kong debut, Vea. Wing boasts a “boundaryless” Chinese fine-dining establishment that pays homage to 8 Chinese cuisines.
The 3rd position was bagged, of course, by chef Gaggan Anand’s eponymous restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand. Gaggan mixes music, colours, and a bit of rock-and-roll with a menu anchored firmly in contemporary Indian cuisine, with French, Thai, and Japanese influences. What makes the restaurant especially distinct is the chef’s blatant, no-rules approach, complete with emojis to describe the courses, encouraging diners to use their hands instead of cutlery, and even pushing them to lick the plate. After bagging the premiere spot on Asia’s 50 Best list last year, the restaurant has maintained its position among the top 5.
No. 4 came Chef Mingoo Kang’s Mingles in Seoul, South Korea—a restaurant redefining Korean cuisine using a modern lens. A standard, customary practice at the space is to present diners with all the fresh produce and ingredients used to make their 10-course meals, highlighting what really goes into a meal like this.
The last among the top 5 was Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn and Chaisiri ‘Tam’ Tassanakajohn’s Nusara, in Bangkok, Thailand. Opened in the memory of the brother-duo’s grandmother, the restaurant serves Thai with a side of experimentation and pizzazz.
Indian Restaurants That Stood Out On The List
Varun Totlani’s Masque, in Mumbai, rose from 2025’s 19th rank to 15th this year, inching closer to the top 10. Masque specialises in contemporary Indian cuisine, taking familiar, everyday ingredients from cultures and cuisines across the country, and reimagining them in unexpected ways. Totlani’s restaurant also took home the Art of Hospitality Award earlier this year, further solidifying its position in India’s sprawling culinary scene.
Lauded by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants as “One of India’s most forward-thinking restaurants”, Masque is renowned for serving one of the most ingenious 10-course tasting menus in a textile mill in Mumbai.
On number 30, the list also placed Chef Prateek Sadhu’s NAAR in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, a restaurant specialising exclusively in Himalayan fare. Breaking into the top 30 marks a rather crucial milestone, not just for the restaurant but for regional Indian cuisine, which is finally garnering global attention. Sadhu’s restaurant has been described as a perfect choice for destination dining—a trend that has received much recognition since culinary tourism picked up in the last few years.
While Gaggan Anand’s aforementioned restaurant made it into the top 5, there’s more to be proud of. His second outpost, Gaggan at Louis Vuitton, also in Bangkok, Thailand, made space among the top 10 on Asia’s 50 Best, bagging the 8th position. But even that is not all! Gaggan has also been named the Best Restaurant in Thailand, after topping the list in 2025. What makes his food so special is the mix of progressive Asian flavours inspired by India, Thailand and Japan, alongside his unserious, creative approach to cooking.
Other Highlights You (Might Have) Missed Out On
Chef-owner Fu Yue Liang’s Ru Yuan (No.10), in Hangzhou, China, also took the Highest New Entry Award, dedicated to reviving heritage recipes and techniques of Southern China.
Lamdre, in Beijing, China, took the 17th position on the list this year, 33 spots ahead of 2025, earning the Highest Climber Award. The plant-based restaurant owned by Zhao Jia and led by chef Dai Jun is exclusively vegetarian, placing sustainability and respect for nature centre stage. In conversations surrounding sustainable eating, Baan Tepa (No. 53) by Chef-owner Chudaree ‘Tam’ Debhakam in Bangkok, Thailand, won the Sustainable Restaurant Award this year.
As it may be obvious, Bangkok, Thailand, featured the highest number of restaurants on the Asia’s 50 Best List with 9 entries, followed by Tokyo, Japan, with 8. Following closely were Hong Kong, Seoul, and Singapore, each with 6 restaurants to its name.
As for chef-centric accolades, Cho Eun-hee from Seoul’s Onjium, No. 14, won Asia’s Best Female Chef for this year. Translating into ‘creating in the right way’ in Korean, Onjium is all about reimagination. Along with chef Park Sung-bae, Cho Eun-hee researches centuries-old recipe books to recreate and revamp them for diners today.
Ardika Dwitama from Jakarta, Indonesia’s August at No.42, won the award for Asia’s Best Pastry Chef. Lastly, Lesley Liu from Odette, Singapore, No. 19 on the list, took home the Asia’s Best Sommelier Award.
Read more: Asia’s 50 Restaurants Reveals 2026 Extended 51-100 List— Full List Out Soon
Also read: Forget The Awards—Let’s Talk About What The A-Listers Ate After The Oscars
