TheFork Awards 2026 names Italy's favourite new restaurants
142 Restaurant in Milan, Antesi in Fiesole and Baccanti in Matera take the People's Choice titles at the eighth edition's final in Milan.
TheFork Awards 2026 crowned its winners in Milan on 27 October, closing an eighth edition that drew 47 finalists from across Italy. The People's Choice titles, decided by almost 30,000 online votes, went to three restaurants spanning the country: 142 Restaurant in Milan for the north, Antesi in Fiesole for the centre, and Baccanti in Matera for the south and islands.
The final ceremony was held at the Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber, hosted by broadcaster Cristina Parodi under the theme “The Future Constellation.” TheFork Awards are organised by the restaurant-booking platform with Identità Golose, and built around a two-stage process: a jury of 74 established chefs nominates restaurants that opened or changed hands recently, and the public and partner brands then vote on finalists.
142 Restaurant, led by chef Federico Zappalà and owner Sandra Ciciriello, took the north and national title. Antesi, in the Florence hills town of Fiesole, won for the centre under chef Alessandro Cozzolino. Baccanti, in Matera, won the south and islands category under owner Sergio Guanti and chef Nicola Popolizio.
TheFork Awards are the best answer to the constant refrain that fine dining is dead.
A set of partner-sponsored awards ran alongside the public vote. AEG's “Visioni Future” prize went to Nomos Ante in Rome, led by chef Giulio Zoli. Daygum's “Best Service” award went to Tarassaco Ristorante in Bientina, near Pisa, under chef Luca Nut. RealBites' “Creators' Choice” went to Thelema in Gaggiano, outside Milan, led by chef Simone Tricarico.
Ambasciatori del Gusto named six finalists for its “New Generation” prize without singling out a winner on the night: Thelema, Albura Bistrot, Capuccina, Fonderia, Somnium and Sextantio.
A four-course dinner by three kitchens
The evening's dinner was cooked by three Michelin three-star chefs working in sequence: Giancarlo Perbellini, Riccardo Monco of Enoteca Pinchiorri, and brothers Enrico and Roberto Cerea of Da Vittorio.
TheFork chief executive Almir Ambeskovic said Italy hosted the first national edition of the awards in Europe, a format since extended to France, Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal. TheFork Italy country manager Carlo Carollo said every finalist restaurant now gets a year of TheFork Manager, the company's booking and management software, free of charge.
Fuel for dreams, says the jury
Chef Cristina Bowerman, one of the evening's jurors, called the award “fuel for dreams.” Food critic Paolo Marchi was more pointed about what the night was meant to prove: “TheFork Awards are the best answer to the constant refrain that fine dining is dead,” he said, pushing back on a narrative that has followed high-end restaurants through a difficult year for the trade — one also visible in Michelin Italia's recent move of its sales office from Milan to Turin.
Next year's finalists are expected to open for nomination in the spring, with the jury process running through the summer ahead of another autumn final.
