From Eater · Eater Staff · · 2m
Highly Specific Observations for 2026 Eater Awards
Eater scouts 2026 award contenders with hyper-specific dishes and unique dining experiences.
In brief
Eater scouts 2026 award contenders with hyper-specific dishes and unique dining experiences. Eater identifies restaurants and bars that stood out for highly specific reasons during their 2026 award research. Originally reported by Eater.
Cabbage of the Year
Monte’s in Montecito, California won cabbage for its coal-roasted cone cabbage with smoked shiitake XO sauce.
“Cabbage is having its moment. From a star turn on the Sandy Liang runway as a ruffled bag to a hand-painted Bordallo Pinheiro dinner set and a declaration from Vogue that the leafy green has gone “chic,” the cruciferous vegetable is 2026’s “it” girl.”
Best Bathroom Party
Bobo in Chicago, Illinois features refractory horizontal-mirrored panel walls and colored light shifting from reds to greens.
“In a world that’s fully embraced the bathroom selfie, Bobo has answered the call with refractory horizontal-mirrored panel walls and colored light that shifts from reds to greens, turning this lavatory into a mesmerizing disco ball.”
Most Unhinged Martini
The Dirty Fish at Kelang in Brooklyn uses fish sauce to elevate a Vesper cocktail with gin, vodka, dry vermouth and garnishes.
“The Dirty Fish riffs on a Vesper with gin, vodka, dry vermouth, and, saliently, fish sauce, which levels up the drink’s savoriness in every way.”
Best Low-Key Power Lunch
Little Fish Melrose Hill, Los Angeles offers low-key power lunches with tuna melts and bay leaf chip stracciatella.
“The light-filled dining room hums during daytime with flexibly scheduled creatives and well-dressed parents toting young children, all adults in the room sipping wine picked by sommelier Kae Whalen.”
Most Camp
Night Hawk in Coronado, California features pink clamshell chairs, waterfalls and cocktails named Adonis in Bloom.
“Night Hawk is the next jewel in that camp crown; the Greek-influenced San Diego restaurant is an anchor of Coronado Island’s hypermaximalist new Baby Grand hotel and beckons diners into a lush, faux-rock-filled outdoor dining room with pink clamshell chairs, waterfalls, and cocktails that have names like the Adonis in Bloom and Spanakopita Punch.”
Best British Import
Ambassadors Clubhouse in New York City showcases Punjabi showstoppers like seven-layer samosas and butter chicken lollipop chops.
“British food hit a fever pitch nationally this year as Americans awakened to the allure of meat pies and mushy peas. But if any restaurant truly dispelled notions of the country’s cuisine as dull or bland, it was Ambassadors Clubhouse, with its extensive menu of Punjabi showstoppers such as seven-layer, aloo-filed, Amritsari-style samosas; butter chicken in the form of lollipop-like chops with a heady char; and matka Beliram lamb, its crimson oil heralding intense flavor.”
Marry Me Restaurant
Little Mountain in Montecito, California offers Architectural Digest-worthy dining spaces for weddings.
“The most beautiful new restaurant in California is tucked into a shopping center in Montecito’s tony upper village. Little Mountain, which opened in November 2.025 under chef Diego Moya, gives more to the scene than just a locavore menu that leans into live-fire cooking, it brings a bona fide, Architectural Digest -worthy destination that I would get married (and remarried) in.”
Best Endless Euro Summer Restaurant
Heretík in Denver, Colorado serves an endless summer menu with Santa Barbara uni and scallops à la plancha.
“Chef Theo Adley opened Heretík last spring, and it has brought a breath of fresh, San Sebastián-esque sea breeze air into the Denver dining scene. The French- and Basque-leaning restaurant serves an endless summer menu of dishes like Santa Barbara uni, a playful pan con tomate martini, and scallops à la plancha with bearnaise and seaweed.”
Most Valuable Egg
Dean’s in New York City uses quail eggs in its Scotch eggs for a better meat-to-egg ratio.
“Chickens, you can’t take credit for this one: The British-inspired pub Dean’s proved that bigger is not always better with its take on a Scotch egg, which employs quail eggs instead of the typical chicken ones.”
Pop-Up We Need to Go Permanent
Ladyfish in Portland, Maine closed after October 2026 but plans to return next year.
“Ladyfish in Portland, Maine has been clear about one thing since the beginning: “A summer fling,” the restaurant declared when it announced its May 2026 arrival. True to its word, the restaurant closed at the end of October.”
Best 2.0 Comeback
Broken Spanish Comedor in Culver City, California revived chef Ray Garcia’s Mexican fine dining legacy.
“Los Angeles-born chef Ray Garcia opened Broken Spanish Comedor in Culver City in late 2025, years after his groundbreaking Mexican fine dining restaurant, Broken Spanish, and more casual B.S. Taqueria closed in Downtown Los Angeles.”
Best Hangover Cure
Casimiro in New Orleans offers chilaquiles and tortas for hangover relief.
“The restaurant delivered: textbook chilaquiles, impossibly fluffy conchas, crispy pescaditos, and one of the best tortas I’ve ever had.”
The Pastry Disruptor
Dahlia in Minneapolis features lettuce cream on BLT Danish pastries.
“The weirdest thing I ate on a pastry this year was “lettuce cream” lacquered onto the BLT Danish at Dahlia in Minneapolis.”
Best Bathroom Party
Bobo in Chicago, Illinois features refractory horizontal-mirrored panel walls and colored light shifting from reds to greens.
“In a world that’s fully embraced the bathroom selfie, Bobo has answered the call with refractory horizontal-mirrored panel walls and colored light that shifts from reds to greens, turning this lavatory into a mesmerizing disco ball.”
Most Unhinged Martini
The Dirty Fish at Kelang in Brooklyn uses fish sauce to elevate a Vesper cocktail with gin, vodka, dry vermouth and garnishes.
“The Dirty Fish riffs on a Vesper with gin, vodka, dry vermouth, and, saliently, fish sauce, which levels up the drink’s savoriness in every way.”
The short version
Eater identifies restaurants and bars that stood out for highly specific reasons during their 2026 award research.
