Gault&Millau 2026 galas in Poland, Japan, Slovenia, Croatia and Slovakia
Five spring galas crowned their Chefs of the Year, with a first-ever five-cap rating in Slovenia and a 10th-anniversary guide in Japan.
In March 2026, five Gault&Millau editions held their galas and named their Chefs of the Year, from Warsaw to Tokyo.
Poland
Gault&Millau marked its return to Poland with the Gault&Millau Poland 2026 gala, held in Warsaw on 9 March. After a pause caused by the pandemic, the guide relaunched in 2025, with inspectors assessing restaurants anonymously across the country, from cuisine and service to atmosphere and concept.
This year, 251 restaurants were evaluated, and only 18 reached the top tier of three and four toques. Bottiglieria 1881 in Kraków has the highest rating of the year, with 18 points.
- Chef of the Year: Przemysław Klima (Bottiglieria 1881, Kraków)
- Innovative Chef of the Year: Andrea Camastra (Nuta, Warsaw)
Japan
ONODERA GROUP Co., Ltd. published Gault&Millau 2026 on 17 March, marking the 10th anniversary of the Japanese edition. It features 581 restaurants across all 47 prefectures. At the awards ceremony and gala, held on 16 March at Palace Hotel Tokyo before more than 900 guests, 13 professionals were recognised across 10 categories, from chefs and sommeliers to pastry chefs, service teams and producers.
- Chef of the Year: Kanji Kobayashi (villa aida, Wakayama)
- Great of Tomorrow: Masaki Kuzuhara (Restaurant Reminiscence, Aichi) and Toshiharu Sunayama (SÉN, Nara)
- Young Talent: Masahiro Nishikino (Ramus, Tokushima) and Yui Yamamoto (ESqUISSE, Tokyo)
Slovenia
The Gault&Millau Slovenia 2026 gala took place on 17 March. For the first time ever, the highest distinction of five caps was awarded, and a record 51 restaurants achieved three caps or more. The evening also showcased a strong wave of young talent.
- Chef of the Year: Jure Tomič (Ošterija Debeluh)
- Chef of the Future: Davor Arnautović (Vila Muhr)
- Young Talent: Jurij Daolio (Doppler Estate)
Croatia
Also on 17 March, Gault&Millau Croatia unveiled its 2026 guide at a gala evening in the Emerald Hall of the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel. The guide features 422 venues, including restaurants, bistros, taverns and POP locations. Among them, 74 restaurants are top-rated, 16 of them with four toques.
The Chef of the Year title goes to Stiven Vunić, whose cooking at Konoba Zijavica draws on the traditions and producers of the Kvarner region.
- Chef of the Year: Stiven Vunić (Konoba Zijavica, Mošćenička Draga)
- Great Chef of Tomorrow: Ines Jurišić (Bistro Beška, Čakovec)
- Young Talent of the Year: Danijel Biro (Josić, Zmajevac)
Slovakia
Gault&Millau Slovakia presented its 2026 guide and awards on 23 March at Stará Tržnica. The guide evaluated 221 restaurants, 182 of which earn at least one toque, and includes a further 83 venues in the POP category. This year also saw the launch of Stay & Dine, a guide to hotels that combine high-quality accommodation with strong culinary experiences.
Three restaurants reach the highest distinction of four toques: ECK Restaurant, which keeps its leading position from last year, and Irin. and Gašperov Mlyn, which join the top tier.
- Chef of the Year: Jozef Breza (Gašperov Mlyn)
- Chef of Tomorrow: Peter Bracho (Reštaurácia Klára, Kaštieľ Voderady)
- Young Talent of the Year: Roman Borovský (Semillon Restaurant)
Main photo: Award winners at the Gault&Millau Japan 2026 gala, Palace Hotel Tokyo © Gault&Millau Japan