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New Yorkers love a victory lap, especially when it comes plated in beurre blanc. This week, La Liste, a Paris-based aggregator that crunches more than 1,000 global sources, unveiled its 2026 ranking of the world’s top 1,000 restaurants. In a rare 10-way tie for the top spot, one New York fine dining legend emerged as the country’s highest-scoring restaurant: Le Bernardin.
Chef Eric Ripert’s midtown seafood temple landed alongside heavy hitters from Stockholm, Macau and Tokyo. But if you’ve ever sat before one of Ripert’s barely-touched scallops or the trademark paper-thin tuna topped with foie gras, you’ll understand how the placement feels inevitable.
La Liste’s algorithm works a bit like the Rotten Tomatoes of fine dining. The organization surveys critics, guides, customer reviews and expert rankings to create a global consensus. For its 10th anniversary edition, the organization says the distribution of top scores reflects a changing culinary world that’s increasingly decentralized yet largely shaped by Asia and Nordic countries. Even in a year when the global power centers are shifting, New York’s old guard proved it still has range.
Le Bernardin’s ever-changing menu—an ode to fish in all its forms—reinforces why it remains such a fixture. Recent dishes move from delicate tartares to slow-baked salmon topped with Royal Osetra caviar and warm scallop-uni combos in citrus broths. It’s a masterclass in restraint, precision and quiet luxury.
The broader La Liste report highlights the return of the Robuchon model, Nordic ascendance and Asia’s accelerating rise as a global gastronomic powerhouse. Yet it also notes that the U.S. remains a major investor in the future of fine dining, bringing about a blend of entrepreneurship, creativity and the kind of deep-pocketed hospitality groups that can support sustained excellence.
Other New York entries include innovative Korean eatery Jungsik; Daniel Boulud's famous Park Avenue restaurant Daniel; sophisticated French eateries Jean-Georges and Gabriel Kreuther; perennial favorite Atomix; Thomas Keller's Per Se and Caribbean-inspired destination Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi, among others.
Browse through all 1,000 restaurants right here.