The 2026 Condé Nast Traveler x District Top Restaurant Awards have revealed their ranking of India’s 50 best restaurants. The seventh edition, powered by Visa, was announced at a ceremony at The Grand Hyatt in Bambolim, Goa, celebrating the chefs, bartenders and restaurateurs shaping the country’s dining scene.
NAAR in Kasauli claimed first place. Chef Prateek Sadhu’s 16-seat restaurant, located near Darwa village in Himachal Pradesh, builds its menus around the Himalayas’ six seasons and cooking over a juniper-smoked hearth. Mumbai’s The Table ranked second, followed by Papa’s, also in Mumbai. FarmLore in Bengaluru took fourth, while Kolkata’s Sienna Calcutta completed the top five.
Mumbai and Goa each contributed 13 restaurants to the top 50, the first time Goa has matched Mumbai’s representation. Bengaluru followed with six entries, while Chennai and Kolkata had four each. New Delhi contributed three restaurants, Shillong two, and Kasauli, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Gurugram and Karaikudi one each.
The list was created from a shortlist of more than 1,000 restaurants curated by Condé Nast Traveler. Restaurants could nominate themselves by submitting a form, after which a 105-member jury voted in two phases. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP advised on the process, while jurors were screened for conflicts of interest and selected with regional diversity in mind. The panel included food critics, writers, chefs, designers, artists and curators.
The restaurants ranked from sixth to tenth were Izumi Assagao in Goa, Indian Accent at The Lodhi in New Delhi, Bomras in Goa, Avartana at ITC Grand Chola in Chennai, and The Bombay Canteen in Mumbai. These entries reflect the variety of approaches represented in the ranking, from Japanese dining and modern Indian cuisine to Kachin cooking, South Indian tasting menus and contemporary interpretations of Mumbai food culture.
Mumbai continued its strong showing further down the list with Masque at number 11 and Americano at number 12. New Delhi’s INJA ranked 13th, followed by Kolkata’s Amar Khamar at 14 and Bengaluru’s NĀVU at 15. The Second House in Goa was 16th, while Hyderabad’s Theta Theta Telugu took 17th.
The ranking highlights both established names and newer directions in Indian dining. Restaurants on the list draw on regional ingredients and traditions while experimenting with tasting-menu formats, international techniques and cross-cultural combinations. Goa’s joint lead with Mumbai marks the clearest sign of the state’s growing influence in the national restaurant landscape.
Sources: Condé Nast Traveler.