The night between Wednesday and Thursday was a good one for the Danish gastronomic scene.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, which ranks the best restaurants in the world as judged by an academy of more than 1,100 culinary experts, presented its 2026 list in Lima, Peru.
On the list of the 50 best restaurants, three Danish restaurants were listed. A fourth restaurant also sneaked into the top 100 list.
Alchemist
The highest-ranking Danish restaurant, Alchemist, took third place on the global list.
Alchemist is a genre-bending, experimental restaurant on Refshaleøen in Copenhagen, which currently holds two Michelin stars.
On its own website it says, “The alchemists aimed to purify, mature, and perfect physical objects. In the same way, we aim to transform and transcend the nature of food and dining.”
The head chef of the restaurant is Rasmus Munk, who serves up a self-described holistic menu which offers many small tasting courses, or edible impressions.
One of the restaurant’s most iconic dishes is a hyper-realistic-looking eye made out of a gel and caviar with a mousse filling. It is described as a social commentary inspired by George Orwell’s 1984.
Kadeau
Kadeau took eighth place on the list as well as the ‘Highest Climber Award’, given to the restaurant that has made the biggest progress upwards on the list, after it appeared as number 41 in 2025.
Kadeau is located in Christianshavn in Copenhagen and has cuisine inspired by the Danish island of Bornholm, mixed with New Nordic techniques, and Danish produce.
The restaurant holds three Michelin stars, its head chef is Nicolai Nørregaard, and it has a sister restaurant in Bornholm, which it takes inspiration from.
Jordnær
Taking the 40th slot on the list is the Danish re-entry Jordnær (‘down-to-earth’), which also previously appeared on the 2022 list before falling off.
This restaurant has three Michelin stars and is located in Gentofte, on the outskirts of Copenhagen.
Its style focuses on Danish produce, and takes on a more down-to-earth approach towards fine dining than many other entrants on the list.
The head chef of the restaurant is Eric Vildgaard, who has a particular focus and love for the use of caviar in the menu.
Other entries
The Korean-inspired Danish restaurant Koan in Østerport in Copenhagen came in on the runners-up list at number 57.
The global winner was the Basque restaurant Asador Etxebarri in the small town of Atxondo.
