Lima will host the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony on 4 November 2026 — the first time in the competition’s 24-year history that the event has been held in South America. The decision places Peru’s capital at the centre of global gastronomy for a full week of events, chef collaborations, and public programming in the lead-up to the ceremony.
Why Lima
The selection reflects how thoroughly Peruvian cuisine has changed its standing over the past decade. Lima currently has four restaurants on the World’s 50 Best list: Maido at number one (the 2025 winner and current title holder), Kjolle at number nine, Merito at number 26 and Mayta at number 39. No other South American city comes close to that concentration.
The broader argument for Lima rests on diversity and depth. Cevicherias in Miraflores that have been running for 40 years sit alongside tasting-menu restaurants working with Amazonian ingredients that were barely known to chefs outside Peru five years ago. The city has the production base — fishing communities, highland farmers, jungle foragers — and the culinary talent to sustain serious food tourism in a way few cities in the world can match.
The Week’s Programme
The 50 Best organisation is staging a full week of events around the 4 November ceremony:
- 50BestTalks: panel discussions and keynotes from chefs and food thinkers
- 50 Best Signature Sessions: collaborative dinners where internationally ranked chefs cook together at Lima venues
- Chefs’ Feast: an open event where industry professionals and guests can eat across multiple tables from different chefs in a single evening
- The awards ceremony itself: held at a central Lima venue, with the list revealed live from number 50 upward
What This Means for Travellers
The 50 Best week will concentrate a large number of internationally prominent chefs in Lima during late October and early November 2026. Restaurants at the top end of the city’s dining scene will be fully booked, and some will be hosting private events. Anyone planning to eat at Maido, Kjolle, Central or any of the other highly ranked Lima restaurants during the week of 28 October to 7 November should book now if they have not already done so.
Outside the week of events, the attention the ceremony brings typically lifts restaurant bookings across Lima’s entire dining scene for weeks afterward. October and November are already high-demand months in Lima for food tourism, and the 50 Best effect will push that further.
Practical notes:
- Lima Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM) receives direct flights from major US hubs, Madrid, Amsterdam, and several South American cities
- Miraflores and Barranco are the two neighbourhoods most relevant for fine dining and have the best hotel density for food-focused visits
- Lima’s climate in November is overcast and cool (around 17-19°C), typical for the garua season — pack a layer
Our Lima food guide covers the full spectrum from cevicherias to tasting menus with specific restaurant recommendations and price guidance.