2026 Food & Wine Top 10 US Restaurants

Kabawa is Paul Carmichael and Momofuku's Caribbean restaurant in New York City.

Alma Fonda Fina is a restaurant on 15th Street in Denver's LoHi neighbourhood.

Canje is Austin's strongest case for Guyanese-Caribbean cooking, landing #4 on Esquire's Best New Restaurants in 2022. The East 6th Street room works well for dates and small celebrations, booking is straightforward, and a rotating menu means return visits stay interesting. Go with an open mind on what to order.

Dōgon is a restaurant at Salamander Washington DC on Maryland Avenue.

Emeril's is Emeril Lagasse's flagship restaurant in New Orleans' Warehouse District, serving a refined approach to Louisiana cooking.

Hayato is a restaurant at Row DTLA in Los Angeles.

Semma is a South Indian restaurant in New York City's Greenwich Village.

Kalaya is the clearest yes in Philadelphia for Southern Thai cooking that operates with real ambition. Chef-owner Nok Suntaranon's Fishtown restaurant is Michelin-recognised, built around house-made pastes and authentic heat, and more bookable than its reputation suggests. The bar seats work well for solo diners and walk-ins. Go hungry and stay for the shaved-ice desserts.

Gregory Gourdet's debut restaurant brings three-time James Beard Award-winning technique to Haitian Caribbean cuisine at a $$ price point: the full menu is gluten- and dairy-free, and the front-of-house depth (dedicated wine director, sommelier) outpaces the price tier. Ranked on OAD's Casual North America list in both 2024 and 2025, this is one of Portland's hardest bookings and one of its clearest yes-book decisions for a serious dinner.

Mister Jiu's is a modern Chinese restaurant on Waverly Place in San Francisco.