See All Of NYC's James Beard Award 2026 Semifinalists

NEW YORK CITY — The James Beard Foundation — the food industry's version of the Oscars — has revealed its list of semifinalists on Wednesday, and the culinary scene in New York City is very well represented on the list.

This year, semifinalists are vying for 25 total awards, including Best Restaurant, Best Chef, and more.

The James Beard Awards, first presented in 1990, recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries.

The finalists will be announced on March 31, and the winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on June 15 in Chicago.

Without further ado, here are the New York City semifinalists:

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

• The Four Horsemen, Williamsburg
• Via Carota, West Village

Emerging Chef

• Sunny Lee, Sunn’s, Chinatown
• Rasheeda Purdie, Ramen by Rā, East Village

Best New Restaurant

• Bong, Crown Heights
• Kabawa, East Village
• Lei, Chinatown

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
• Clemente Bar, Flatiron

Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service

• Lee Campbell, Borgo, Nomad
• Amy Racine, La Marchande, Financial District

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

• Ivy Mix, Whoopsie Daisy, Crown Heights

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
• Fidel Caballero, Corima, Chinatown
• Giovanni Cervantes, Carnitas Ramirez, East Village
• Aretah Ettarh, Gramercy Tavern, Flatiron
• Vikas Khanna, Bungalow, East Village
• Hooni Kim, Meju, Long Island City
• 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
• Ayesha Nurdjaja, Shukette, Chelsea
• Joshua Pinsky, Claud, East Village
• Mads Refslund, Ilis, Greenpoint
• Rafiq Salim, Rolo's, Ridgewood
• Stefano Secchi, Rezdôra, Flatiron

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.