Decennial celebration of LA LISTE

ISTANBUL

Global restaurant ranking system La Liste is often referred to as the ultimate list of all the restaurant review guides in the world incorporating the algorithms of all other rating lists. This year, La Liste celebrated its 10th anniversary with a spectacular gala evening in Paris at the magnificent salons of the Hotel of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, located on the banks of the Seine. Prior to the spectacular Gala event, a conference was held to discuss the future of fine dining. The 2026 list was full of surprises. There was no clear winner this year, with a total of ten winners sharing the top spot. Ten restaurants tied for first place at the top of the list of the world's best restaurants, each scoring 99.5 out of 100, perfect for the decennial celebration.

La Liste has become a foremost event a highly anticipated in the global gastronomy circles. Every year, the world’s greatest chefs gather in Paris during the last week of November for the announcement of the most prestigious list in the restaurant industry. The system considers not only other leading rating systems such as Michelin, Gault&Millaut, and 50 Best, but also restaurant reviews and visitor comments and creates a list of 1,000 highest-scoring restaurants worldwide. For its tenth anniversary, La Liste revealed the 2026 edition of its global ranking, compiled from over 1,100 sources worldwide, including national and regional media to expert guides, and specialized digital platforms and customer review sites. Apart from the extensive global list, the Special Awards 2026 features venues that highlight the diversity, excellence, creativity, courage of chefs and their commitment and capacity to reinvent themselves. A total of 14 awards is given to 37 winners from 20 countries, truly representing current trends in gastronomy.

Mark of seven countries

Every year, the Award Ceremony is preceded with a reception featuring the most exquisite flavors from top chefs. This year, it was the countries that left their mark in the starry night. Among the seven countries, in addition to chefs from France and Italy, as is traditional, it was the Asian cuisines that attracted the most attention. The inclusion of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Kazakh cuisine, in addition to Mexican, made a significant impression at this year's reception. Each country, especially the Asian countries, represented their cuisines to a high standard. The refined flavors from Fukuoka, Japan, were particularly noteworthy. Korea, surprisingly, impressed with flavors similar to Turkish cuisine. The grilled meatballs, tasting exactly like our grilled köfte, were delicious. The walnut-stuffed dried persimmon was almost identical to “cevizli sucuk” the threaded walnuts dipped in jelled grape molasses. The tacos served at the Mexican table were also quite reminiscent of from shish kebab wraps. But it was Kazakhstan that made the most surprising move. Kazakhstan has been running an intensive tourism campaign lately, focusing entirely on gastronomy. Its presence at such an important gala shows how committed the Kazakhs are to this endeavor. The dishes prepared by Artem Kantsev, chef at the Qazaq Gourmet restaurant in Astana, were the most eye-catching on the table. But to be honest, it was a lesson for us too. It is essential for Türkiye to showcase its culinary culture in such leading events to promote and highlight our culinary heritage. We have everything we need to promote Turkish cuisine with its skilled chefs and finest ingredients, but I sometimes feel like we have no intention of doing so.

The future fine dining

At a press conference held on the same day before the awards ceremony, La Liste General Director Hélène Pietrini posed that dreaded question about the future of fining dining, asking will it continue to live on? Considering that the question was directed to a group of chefs who are considered the crème de la crème of fine dining world, it was a bold act. However, she immediately added, “Or will fine dining luxury restaurants continue to exist alongside more accessible or casual versions of themselves?” The questions can be extended. Or will completely different dining concepts emerge? Jörg Zipprick, one of the founders of La Liste, reiterated that, as was the case last year, many long-established classic restaurants in Europe continue to close without being able to survive. The common prediction is that restaurants will become increasingly diverse. Rating lists like La Liste contribute to the diversification of the gastronomic world as much as they ensure the survival of classic fine-dining restaurants. But there is more to it. They also contribute to expanding the boundaries, or in a way, diminishing the boundaries of the gastronomic map of the world.

Redrawing the map

As culinary experiences diversify, the center of the gastronomic world is also shifting. While the classic French school strives to maintain its dominance in Europe, the Nordic countries are bringing a cool breath of fresh air from the north. The world’s gastronomic map is being redrawn, with Asia moving towards the center of the graph. International Director Stéphanie Kim says, “The restaurant sector in Asia is one of the most dynamic and innovative sectors in the world. Chefs in the region are pushing the boundaries every day.” Philippe Faure, founder of La Liste and a former diplomat, treats all countries equally in a diplomatic manner and says, “There is no longer a single capital of taste. The world has become a shared space for culinary excellence.” This particular point is a crucial reminder to us, if we want to promote Turkish cuisine, not just for the sake of promotion, but for the recognition it deserves, as part of the world culinary heritage map.