3 NY Restaurants, Chefs Named 2026 James Beard Winners

NEW YORK CITY — Three New York City restaurants were honored at Monday’s James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.

The awards, regarded as the Academy Awards of the U.S. restaurant industry, honor excellence across a range of categories, from fine dining to casual gems.

Lei, a wine bar and restaurant in Chinatown, was named the best new restaurant, and Borgo's Lee Campbell was named an outstanding professional in beverage service.

For the best chef in New York state, Hooni Kim of Meju in Long Island City took the title.

Other nominees from New York City were:

Outstanding Restaurant:

• The Four Horsemen (Williamsburg)

Emerging Chef:

• Rasheeda Purdie, Ramen by Ra (East Village)

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program:

• Chambers (Tribeca)

Best New Bar:

• Clemente Bar (Flatiron)

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service:

• Ivy Mix, Whoopsie Daisy (Crown Heights)

Best Chef, New York State:

• Fidel Caballero, Corima (Chinatown)
• Giovanni Cervantes, Carnitas Ramirez (East Village)
• Ayesha Nurdjaja, Shukette (Chelsea)
• Joshua Pinsky, Claud (East Village)

What Is The James Beard Foundation?

Established in honor of the renowned chef and culinary author, the New York-based James Beard Foundation stands as a premier authority in the American food scene.

While it is famous for the namesake awards handed out Monday, the nonprofit is also dedicated to fostering a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable environment for independent restaurants, making its endorsement a highly coveted distinction.

Marking its 36th anniversary, the James Beard Awards were launched in 1990 to celebrate chefs and establishments that excel in culinary craft, food media, and the improvement of food systems. Beyond gastronomic excellence, the foundation evaluates nominees on their dedication to community impact, sustainability, and the promotion of racial and gender equity within the industry.

The awards presented Monday are the latest from the foundation.

20 Chefs To Watch

Earlier in June, the James Beard Foundation announced its 2026-27 TasteTwenty chefs, a national group of culinary professionals recognized as “ones to watch” in the independent restaurant industry.

In New York City, Yara Herrera, who owns Hellbender in Ridgewood, won the title.

The 20 chefs will headline events in their hometowns as part of the foundation’s Taste America culinary tour, which begins Sept. 16 in New Orleans and continues in cities across the country through March 2027.

The foundation said the chefs were selected not only for culinary talent but also for their work beyond the kitchen, including efforts such as supporting sustainable agriculture, investing in restaurant teams, elevating quality ingredients and advocating for a stronger food system.

Chefs in Houston, Detroit, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles and New Orleans are among the 20 to watch.

The Best Of The Rest

New York City restaurants and chefs who were named semifinalists for the James Beard Awards in January were:

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Simon Kim, Gracious Hospitality (Cote, Undercote, and Coqodaq), NYC
• Jennifer Vitagliano and Nicole Vitagliano, Elizabeth Street Hospitality (The Musket Room, Raf’s, and Cafe Zaffri), NYC

Outstanding Chef

• Gabriel Kreuther, Gabriel Kreuther (Midtown)
• Kwame Onwuachi, Tatiana (Upper West Side)
• Missy Robbins, Lilia (Williamsburg)

Outstanding Restaurant

• Via Carota (West Village)

Emerging Chef

• Sunny Lee, Sunn’s (Chinatown)

Best New Restaurant

• Bong (Crown Heights)
• Kabawa (East Village)

Outstanding Bakery

• Bánh by Lauren (Chinatown)
• Librae (East Village)

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

• Renata Ameni, Birdee (Williamsburg)
• Eunji Lee, Lysée (Flatiron)

Outstanding Hospitality

• Cosme (Flatiron)
• Red Hook Tavern (Red Hook)
• Sofreh (Prospect Heights)

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

• Chambers (Tribeca)

Outstanding Bar

• Aldo Sohm Wine Bar (Midtown)
• Double Chicken Please (Lower East Side)

Best New Bar

• Bar Snack (East Village)

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service

• Amy Racine, La Marchande (Financial District)

Best Chef: New York State

• Fariyal Abdullahi, Hav & Mar (Chelsea)
• Christophe Bellanca, Essential by Christophe (Upper West Side)
• Sadie Mae Burns and Anthony Ha, Ha’s Snack Bar (Lower East Side)
• Aretah Ettarh, Gramercy Tavern (Flatiron)
• Vikas Khanna, Bungalow (East Village)
• Yvan Lemoine, Tourmaline (Forest Hills)
• Nate Limwong, Chalong (Hell’s Kitchen)
• Cheng Lin, Shōta Omakase (Williamsburg)
• Buddha Lo, Huso (Tribeca)
• Angie Mar, Le B (West Village)
• Mads Refslund, Ilis (Greenpoint)
• Rafiq Salim, Rolo's (Ridgewood)
• Stefano Secchi, Rezdôra (Flatiron)