The Best Restaurants for 2026: Michelin Tables, New Openings & Where Locals Eat

Editor’s quick picks

A handful of editor-chosen articles to start with — the ones we keep sending people to.

Critics + crowdBest New Restaurants in the WorldLoved by visitors and criticsSolo-friendlyFood Cities in EuropeContemporary restaurants, local ingredientsDesign pick23 Most Beautiful Bars in the WorldAlex Copenguy — 2026 Edition

From our writers

Insider EditorialLocals Insider’s editorial team, led by founders Alex and Martin

“The most rewarding restaurant of 2026 isn't always the highest-starred one. Saint Peter relocating to Sydney's Grand National Hotel, Roscioli's salumeria-with-kitchen in Rome, Damian D'Silva preserving Singapore's Eurasian heritage at the National Gallery — these are the rooms doing something other restaurants haven't even tried.”

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Locals InsiderLocals Insider’s editorial team, led by founders Alex and Martin

“A good food city has range — the perfect croissant for breakfast, a wine bar for lunch with strangers, and an ambitious tasting menu for the evening when you want to be a little undone. Lisbon, San Sebastián, Bologna and Copenhagen still set the European bar, but the year's most interesting movement is happening in mid-size cities everyone underestimated.”

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From the 2026 lists

Distilled from Food & Wine Global Tastemaker Awards 2026, Tatler Best 2026 (Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Singapore editions), Michelin Guide 2026, and the World's 50 Best Restaurants — the places appearing on three or more reports.

Off the beaten path

Two of our most-read editorial deep dives in this category.

Editor's pick · Off-grid

Stedsans in the Woods: a Swedish forest restaurant where the chef forages your plate

Off-grid in the Swedish countryside, 90 minutes from Gothenburg. Meals are foraged and grown on-site; you sleep in cabins around a small lake. From our 2026 restaurants guide as one of the most genuinely sustainable kitchens in Europe — a contender for the Michelin Green Star wave.

from our 2026 restaurants guide

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Design picks

23 most beautiful bars in the world

Alex Copenguy's 2026 edition: the rooms where the design is reason enough to book a table. From Sublimotion's twelve-seat VR theatre to The Jane's deconsecrated chapel in Antwerp.

• The Jane, Antwerp — chefs Sergio Herman & Nick Bril, two-star dining in a chapel
• Sublimotion, Ibiza — twelve seats, VR-and-projection
• Sketch The Glade, London — Yinka Shonibare's botanical dreamscape
• Atlas, Singapore — the gin temple in Parkview Square

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Browse the archive

Here is our Eco Fish and Seafood Restaurants section, where we spotlight sustainable dining experiences. From local catches and organic ingredients to ocean-friendly practices, find seafood spots that let you enjoy fresh flavors with a clear conscience.

by Chef Masa · Dec 26, 2025“Trends Come and Go, but the Guest Sitting Across From Me Is Real”: Chef Masa on Omakase at Sushi Masa by Ki-Setsu, Singaporeby Locals Insider · Sep 27, 2025Tallest Hotels in the World with Rooftop Bars for Drinks & Viewsby Yasha Lysenko · Sep 17, 2025Marseille by the Glass: 5 Cool Wine Bars Worth Stopping Forby Martin Eriksen (Danemaq) · Sep 6, 2025Local Food Tours in Vietnam Worth Bookingby Locals Insider · Sep 6, 2025Latest Michelin Star Restaurants in Romeby Locals Insider · Sep 3, 2025The Best Seafood Restaurants in Montenegro, According to Locals: Oysters at an Old Mill and Sea Bass Fresh from the Fishermenby Martin Eriksen (Danemaq) · Aug 8, 202518 Best Places to Eat in Copenhagen – From Smørrebrød to Sourdough Pizzaby Yasha Lysenko · Nov 13, 2024Paris’ Easy & Nice Wine Bars Handpicked by a Wine Journalistby Locals Insider · Nov 7, 2024Top 10 Seafood Eateries Restaurants in Londonby Martin Eriksen (Danemaq) · Nov 5, 2024Amsterdam’s Top Eco-Friendly Seafood Restaurants to Visit