NATIONAL: The wait is over! The winners of the Condé Nast Traveller x District Top Restaurant Awards 2026 have been unveiled. Powered by Visa, the awards made their Goa debut, bringing together the country’s most celebrated restaurateurs, chefs, culinary visionaries and industry leaders for an evening celebrating the people and establishments shaping India’s dining landscape. The celebration was supported by associate partners Hyatt Hotels – India and Southwest Asia, Vedica – Himalayan Sparkling Water, Nespresso, Quantra, Johnnie Walker Luxe Blended Water and Bourbon.
This year, Mumbai and Goa share the top spot, each placing 13 restaurants among the top 50. Bengaluru follows with 6, while Chennai and Kolkata hold 4 apiece. New Delhi takes 3, and Shillong doubles its presence with 2. The remaining five spots belong to Kasauli, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Gurugram and Karaikudi, each claiming one. Together, the spread marks a shift from past years. Goa has pulled level with Mumbai for the first time, a sign of just how much the state’s dining scene has matured beyond its reputation as a holiday detour.
The top five restaurants on this year’s list are:1. NAAR, Kasauli
2. The Table, Mumbai
3. Papa’s, Mumbai
4. Farmlore, Bengaluru
5. Sienna Calcutta, Kolkata
The evening also celebrated four Excellence Award winners honouring trailblazers whose bold ideas and boundary-pushing work are shaping the future of food and beverage in India.
*Chef of the Year – Avinandan Kundu and Koyel Roy Nandi, Global Indian Chef of the Year – Chintan Pandya, Spirit of Hospitality – Sahodari Foundation, Mixologist of the Year – Sujan Shetty
Talking about the awards, Salil Deshpande, Head of Editorial Content, Condé Nast Traveller, said “The beauty of the list is that it keeps changing, reflecting how India dines. It’s such a brilliant showcase of our culinary diversity, and the range of experiences across formats and geographies. It proves that Indian food cannot be boxed in anymore. The scene is wildly creative, and India is ready to become the dining capital of the world.”
Ramakrishnan Gopalan, Head of Products & Solutions, India & South Asia, Visa, said “Dining has a unique ability to turn the everyday into something exceptional – transforming a meal into a memory and a transaction into an unforgettable experience. At Visa, this belief is central to how we show up in consumers’ lives: as an enabler of bespoke lifestyle experiences and moments that bring together convenience, trust, aspiration and discovery. Our long-standing association with the Condé Nast Traveller Top Restaurant Awards is a natural extension of this commitment, celebrating a category that sits at the heart of culture, travel and connection. As India’s culinary landscape becomes more imaginative and diverse, this year’s winners represent the next chapter of dining in India, one defined by creativity, craft and elevated hospitality. Visa is excited to power a platform that celebrates this evolution and the visionaries behind it.”
This year’s list is shaped by a 105-member jury drawn from across the country, spanning voices who know food and culture inside out, from chefs and writers to entrepreneurs, designers, and tastemakers. Their votes were cast over two rounds between July and August. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP are the process advisors for this edition of the Top Restaurant Awards. Bengaluru brought together designer Manoviraj Khosla and wine journalist and educator Ruma Singh. In Chennai, the jury included chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand alongside sports physician Dr Madhu Thottappillil, team doctor for the Chennai Super Kings. Spanning central and north India, the jury featured artist Subodh Gupta; designer Gaurav Gupta, known for his sculptural and experimental approach to fashion; and Chiki Sarkar, founder of Juggernaut Books.
Goa brought together cookbook author Odette Mascarenhas who has long chronicled Goa’s rich food traditions, while photographer Rohit Chawla is known for his evocative visual storytelling. The East and Northeast were represented by writers Sandip Roy and Chandrahas Choudhury, alongside gallerist Priyanka Raja and cultural impresario Malavika Banerjee. In Hyderabad, the panel crossed fashion, film, food and culture with designer Jayanti Reddy and actor Naga Chaitanya. Rajasthan was represented by Tarang Arora, CEO of Amrapali Jewels and designer Tahir Sultan represented the region’s fashion community. From Kerala, the jury included Sareeka John, who pioneered creative food pop-ups in Kochi. Mumbai saw a particularly diverse jury of food, fashion, culture and entertainment voices. Veteran food critic Rashmi Uday Singh brought decades of expertise in dining and gastronomy, while stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania is one of the country’s most influential voices in fashion and celebrity styling. Finally, Pune included Karen Anand, food writer and television personality and Jyoti Kumari, former managing editor of Condé Nast Traveller India.
