Mexico Leads North America on The 50 Best Restaurants’ 2026 Extended List

Five Mexican restaurants and Sonoma’s SingleThread make the 51–100 ranking, with the top 50 still to come on November 4.

Restaurant rankings have a way of turning a perfectly manageable travel wish list into something considerably more ambitious. The latest instalment from The 50 Best Restaurants offers another 50 reasons to start looking at flights, with Mexico making a particularly strong showing.

Released October 21, the 2026 extended list names the restaurants ranked from 51 to 100, ahead of the main awards ceremony in Lima, Peru, on November 4. It covers 36 cities across 25 territories, with nine restaurants appearing on the extended list for the first time.

Mexico gives us plenty to work with

Mexico accounts for five of North America’s six restaurants in the 51–100 ranking. Alcalde in Guadalajara places highest at No.55, followed by Huniik in Mérida at No.79, Arca in Tulum at No.87 and Rosetta in Mexico City at No.96. Fauna, in Valle de Guadalupe, returns to the extended list at No.99.

That is a useful reminder to look beyond a single city when planning a food-focused trip to Mexico. Guadalajara, Mérida, Mexico City, Tulum and Valle de Guadalupe suggest very different holidays. The ranking gives each a restaurant to build an evening around, rather than an itinerary that tries to squeeze them all into one trip.

The only U.S. restaurant in this section is SingleThread in Healdsburg, at No.93. For a Sonoma itinerary, it is a name to investigate early in the planning, particularly if dinner is one of the reasons for the trip.

Tokyo, Singapore and a few new names

Asia has 17 restaurants on the extended list, including five in Japan. La Cime in Osaka takes No.52, while Tokyo contributes Sazenka at No.56, Narisawa at No.59, Florilège at No.61 and Den at No.91.

Shanghai’s Ling Long is the highest new entry at No.53. Other newcomers include Seroja in Singapore at No.64, Eatanic Garden in Seoul at No.72, Baan Tepa in Bangkok at No.90 and Lamdre in Beijing at No.92.

Singapore has three restaurants in this section: Seroja, Burnt Ends at No.89 and Labyrinth at No.98.

Europe accounts for 20 places, beginning with Uliassi in Senigallia, Italy, at No.51. The Ledbury in London returns to the extended list at No.83, its first appearance in this section since 2019. Berlin has three entries, Nobelhart & Schmutzig, Coda and Tim Raue, while Cape Town’s Fyn and Salsify at the Roundhouse place at No.65 and No.71 respectively.

The new entries also include Nelita in São Paulo at No.54, FZN in Dubai at No.88 and Khufu’s in Giza at No.97.

How the ranking works

The list comes from votes cast by more than 1,100 international restaurant experts, including chefs, food writers and other culinary specialists. The voting academy is divided into 28 regions, has a 50/50 gender balance and refreshes at least 25 per cent of its membership annually. Deloitte acts as the independent adjudication partner.

A ranking can be a starting point for a trip, but the number beside a restaurant cannot tell you everything about the evening you will have there. Before booking, look at the current menu, the total cost, the cancellation terms and whether the style of meal is one you actually enjoy. A place on the list is a reason to be curious.

The top 50 will be announced at Teatro Municipal de Lima on Wednesday, November 4, with a livestream on The 50’s YouTube channel.

The complete 2026 list: Nos.51–100

See The 50’s official 2026 extended list. Read more about Tuju’s 2026 Art of Hospitality Award.