FOOD NEWS
Condé Nast Traveller’s 2026 Top 50 Restaurants List Sparks Debate Over Geographic Bias
The latest Condé Nast Traveller x District Top Restaurant Awards for India have drawn criticism for heavily favouring Mumbai and Goa, while overlooking major culinary hubs like Delhi, Pune, and Punjab.
The release of the 2026 Condé Nast Traveller x District Top Restaurant Awards has ignited a conversation regarding the geographic representation of India’s dining scene. While the list aims to highlight the country's premier culinary destinations, the results have drawn criticism for a perceived heavy bias toward coastal hubs and specific urban enclaves, leaving many established food capitals feeling overlooked.
The top honour went to NAAR, chef Prateek Sadhu’s project in Kasauli, which was recognised for its focus on high-altitude, forage-forward gastronomy. Following the Himalayan establishment, the list featured Mumbai’s The Table at number two and Papa’s at number three, with Bengaluru’s FarmLore securing the fourth spot. However, the distribution of the remaining forty-six entries has raised questions about the selection process, as a significant portion of the list is concentrated in a few select regions.
A Concentration of Coastal and Urban Favourites
Data from the rankings indicates that Mumbai and Goa collectively claimed twenty-six of the fifty spots, with thirteen entries each. This concentration suggests that the jury’s focus was heavily weighted toward the boutique dining rooms of Bandra and South Bombay, alongside the popular culinary destinations of Assagao and Siolim in Goa. Bengaluru followed with six entries, and Chennai secured four, leaving the rest of the country to account for the remaining positions.The results have been particularly noted for the limited representation of other major metropolitan areas. Delhi NCR, often regarded as a central pillar of India’s fine dining and historical food culture, received only four entries—three in New Delhi and one in Gurugram. Meanwhile, other regions faced even more significant exclusions. Punjab, home to a deep-rooted tradition of tandoori techniques and seasonal produce, did not receive a single entry, and Pune was entirely absent from the list despite its growing artisanal and regional dining scene. Hyderabad was represented by only one restaurant, Theta Theta Telugu.
The Challenge of Jury Representation
The disparity in the list has prompted discussions about the nature of national restaurant awards and the influence of metropolitan-centric editorial boards. Critics suggest that when juries are composed primarily of urban insiders, the results often reflect the travel patterns and social circles of those individuals rather than the full breadth of the national culinary landscape. There is also the suggestion that restaurants with sophisticated public relations and marketing budgets—capable of hosting exclusive previews and creating spaces designed for social media visibility—may have an inherent advantage over regional institutions that rely on long-standing craftsmanship.As the industry reflects on these rankings, the conversation has shifted toward how future lists might better capture the diversity of India’s food culture. For now, the 2026 results serve as a reminder of the ongoing tension between curated lifestyle journalism and the vast, often unrecognised, culinary excellence found in the country’s diverse regional heartlands.
