Gault&Millau 2026 guides: Chefs of the Year in six European countries
Szabina Szulló, Karen Torosyan, Clovis Degrave, Jérémy Desbraux, César Troisgros and Vitus Winkler head the 2026 guides in Hungary, Belux, Switzerland, France and Austria.
Six European editions of the guide have published their 2026 selections, each with its Chef of the Year and a new generation of award winners. Here are the highlights, country by country.
Hungary
After nearly a decade away, Gault&Millau has returned to Hungary. Its anonymous inspectors visited more than 350 restaurants, and the 2026 edition, released in late September, features nearly 400 of them, over 150 outside Budapest, along with a POP category and more than 100 Hungarian producers and artisans. The guide is available in print and online, in Hungarian and English.
Szabina Szulló is Chef of the Year for her work at Stand Restaurant. Richárd Csillag is Young Talent of the Year for his farm-to-table concepts at Lokal at the Lake and Lokalista, and Kornél Kaszás is Future Talent of the Year for Babel Budapest. Dávid Kincses of Arany Kaviár is Sommelier of the Year, and Panificio il Basilico, led by its founder Szabolcs Szabadfi, is Pop Restaurant of the Year.
Belgium
Before more than 2,000 industry professionals at Brussels Expo, Gault&Millau presented the 23rd Belux guide: over 1,340 restaurants in Belgium and Luxembourg, including 153 new entries and 166 establishments that moved up after visits by anonymous inspectors.
Karen Torosyan of Restaurant Bozar in Brussels is Chef of the Year 2026, for a meticulous, technically masterful and deeply human cuisine. The Young Chefs of the Year are Kevin Graf for Flanders, Basile De Wulf for Wallonia and David Alexandre Bruno for Brussels, and the Remarkable Newcomers are Est in Heverlee-Leuven, Coquo in Bierwart and Eliane in Brussels.
At the top, Nick Bril’s newly relocated The Jane reaches 18.5/20 and 4 toques, Maison Colette in Westerlo 17.5/20 and 4 toques, and Kobe Desramaults’ Eliane opens in Brussels with 17/20 and 4 toques.
Luxembourg
The 11th edition of Gault&Millau Luxembourg marks more than two decades of the guide in the Grand Duchy. The bilingual French-English guide covers restaurants, brasseries, H!P venues, bars, chocolatiers and, under the “Stars of the Moselle” selection, the finest producers of Luxembourg’s vineyards.
Clovis Degrave of Grünewald Chef’s Table in Dommeldange is Chef of the Year, for his creativity, perseverance and entrepreneurial drive. He runs Hostellerie du Grünewald and Maison B with his wife Aline Bourscheid, and earns 15.5/20 and a third toque.
Switzerland
GaultMillau Switzerland 2026 names Jérémy Desbraux of Maison Wenger in Le Noirmont Chef of the Year. His cuisine holds 18 points and he leads a team of 13 chefs in the Jura.
Seven chefs keep the 19-point rating, including Marco Campanella, now recognised for both Eden Roc in Ascona and his winter kitchen at the Tschuggen in Arosa. Rising Stars Marcel Koolen, Reto Brändli and Armel Bedouet each earn 18 points, Zurich’s Dario Moresco reaches 17 points with his Italian cuisine, and Cyril Bettschen is Star Abroad. Stephanie Mittler is Pastry Chef of the Year, Charline Pichon Sommelier of the Year and Evelyn Igl Hostess of the Year. Pascal Steffen of Roots in Basel is Green Chef of the Year for his vegetable-led approach.
The guide lists 880 restaurants, 100 gourmet hotels and 150 top winemakers, including 109 new listings, and 12 new chefs enter the 17-point category. Badrutt’s Palace (Hotel of the Year) and Olympia in Bern (Pop of the Year) had been announced earlier.
France
The French 2026 guide names César Troisgros Chef of the Year. His cuisine reflects both his family’s legendary heritage and his own creative identity, shaped by Mediterranean influences, Italian family roots and the Japanese inspirations explored by earlier generations of the Troisgros dynasty. It stays connected to the family’s houses in Roanne and Ouches, where harmony, respect for nature and a shared vision define the cooking.
Austria
The Gault&Millau Austria 2026 guides were presented at the Andaz Vienna. Thomas Dorfer of Landhaus Bacher earns his fifth toque with 19 points, Vitus Winkler of Kräuterreich in St. Veit im Pongau is Chef of the Year 2026, and Karl Kolarik receives a Lifetime Achievement Award.
780 restaurants receive toques, with Tyrol leading the country in top-rated addresses. Despite rising scores, several regions, Vienna in particular, saw a decline in economically sustainable restaurants. Among 69 new entries, Tannenhof in St. Anton enters highest, at 18 points, while Gasthaus Fuchs, Schankkuchl am Pogusch and Loft in Vienna are among the notable climbers.
Main photo: César Troisgros, Chef of the Year 2026 in France © Bertille Genty