BRG Data Report · August 28, 2026
The world's award capital 2026: the most-awarded dining cities
New York City is the world's award capital of 2026, holding 1384 restaurant award distinctions across 11 global award systems — more than any other city. Tokyo ranks second with 720, and Las Vegas completes the top three with 656. The ranking counts every distinction restaurants hold from the 11 award systems that operate globally.
The 20 most-awarded dining cities
| # | City | Distinctions | Award systems | Restaurants tracked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City · United States | 1384 | 11 | 265 |
| 2 | Tokyo · Japan | 720 | 8 | 235 |
| 3 | Las Vegas · United States | 656 | 7 | 77 |
| 4 | Hong Kong · Hong Kong | 572 | 10 | 113 |
| 5 | Paris · France | 559 | 9 | 158 |
| 6 | Los Angeles · United States | 538 | 11 | 139 |
| 7 | Macau · Macau | 514 | 7 | 61 |
| 8 | Chicago · United States | 432 | 9 | 99 |
| 9 | San Francisco · United States | 406 | 10 | 64 |
| 10 | London · United Kingdom | 377 | 9 | 147 |
| 11 | Washington D.C · United States | 354 | 8 | 79 |
| 12 | Singapore · Singapore | 312 | 9 | 73 |
| 13 | Toronto · Canada | 309 | 8 | 49 |
| 14 | Seoul · South Korea | 292 | 8 | 72 |
| 15 | Miami · United States | 269 | 9 | 74 |
| 16 | Kyoto · Japan | 230 | 4 | 107 |
| 17 | Shanghai · China | 224 | 6 | 56 |
| 18 | Boston · United States | 220 | 6 | 51 |
| 19 | Bangkok · Thailand | 219 | 9 | 61 |
| 20 | Rome · Italy | 214 | 6 | 46 |
Methodology
This ranking counts award distinctions held by restaurants in each city, as recorded in the Best Restaurants Guide database of 13,500+ expert-reviewed restaurants across 464 destinations, as of August 28, 2026.
Only global award systems are counted — systems whose recognized restaurants span at least 15 countries. The 11 qualifying systems: Wine Spectator (278 countries/territories), La Liste (255), MICHELIN Guide (224), Food & Wine (101), 50 Top Italy (96), Top Chef (90), Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards (87), The World's 50 Best Restaurants (67), World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants (59), World's Best Wine List Awards (51), and Restaurant & Bar Design Awards (31).
Regional and national systems (for example, national Good Food Guides and Hat awards) are excluded so that cities are compared like-for-like regardless of where our regional coverage is deepest. One distinction equals one recognized awarding — a MICHELIN star, a Wine Spectator excellence award, a World's 50 Best listing position, and so on.
Award data is collected continuously from official sources and editorially reviewed. Counts change as awards are announced; this report is refreshed periodically.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most awarded city for restaurants in 2026?
New York City is the world's award capital in 2026, with 1384 award distinctions across 11 global award systems — more than any other city. Tokyo ranks second with 720.
Which award systems count toward the ranking?
Only global award systems — those covering restaurants in at least 15 countries. The 11 qualifying systems are Wine Spectator, La Liste, the MICHELIN Guide, Food & Wine, 50 Top Italy, Top Chef, Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards, The World's 50 Best Restaurants, World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants, the World's Best Wine List Awards, and the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards.
What counts as one award distinction?
One distinction is a single recognized awarding — for example, one MICHELIN star, one Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, or one World's 50 Best listing position held by one restaurant.
Where does this data come from?
Best Restaurants Guide tracks award distinctions across more than 40 restaurant award systems for its expert-reviewed restaurants in 464 destinations, as of August 28, 2026.