Es gibt Listen, die einem die Welt erklären. Und es gibt diese hier, die einem Frankreich erklärt. 82 der 174 Restaurants auf der OAD-Classical-Liste 2026 stehen in Frankreich — fast die Hälfte. Wer klassische Hochküche sucht, Sauce statt Schaum, Handwerk statt Theater, landet fast zwangsläufig zwischen Paris und der Provence.
An der Spitze steht Plénitude im Pariser Cheval Blanc, Arnaud Donckele auf Platz 1. Dahinter die großen Namen, die man kennt: Marcon, Troisgros, L’Ambroisie. Französische Dynastien, teils in dritter Generation. Hier wird nichts neu erfunden. Hier wird perfektioniert.
Zwei Deutsche in den Top 10
Und genau deshalb ist das hier bemerkenswert: Unter all den Franzosen sitzen zwei deutsche Adressen in den Top 10. Victor’s Fine Dining by Christian Bau in Perl-Nenig an der Mosel auf Platz 7. Die Schwarzwaldstube in Baiersbronn auf Platz 9, inzwischen unter Torsten Michel. Beide spielen die französische Klaviatur — und das so gut, dass die Franzosen Platz machen müssen.
Insgesamt stehen 12 deutsche Restaurants auf der Liste. Klingt nach wenig, ist aber bei nur 174 Plätzen ein ordentlicher Block. Auffällig: die geografische Ballung. Baiersbronn allein stellt mit der Schwarzwaldstube (9) und dem Restaurant Bareiss (30) zwei der drei besten deutschen Klassiker. Das Saarland kontert mit Bau, dem Gästehaus Klaus Erfort in Saarbrücken und dem neuen Louis in Saarlouis. Zwei Regionen, eine Handschrift.
Drei Neue — und ein Abschied
Bewegung gibt es vor allem am Ende der Liste. Drei deutsche Häuser sind neu dabei: Zur Wolfshöhle in Freiburg, Louis in Saarlouis und Le Jardin de France in Baden-Baden. Klassische Küche, klassische Standorte. Der Nachwuchs in diesem Segment kommt nicht aus den Metropolen, sondern aus der Provinz.
Ein Name fehlt künftig: Das Aqua in Wolfsburg, lange Sven Elverfelds Bühne, ist als geschlossen vermerkt. Eine Ära, die man kurz würdigen sollte, bevor man weiterblättert.
Was „Classical“ überhaupt heißt
Kurz zur Einordnung, weil die Liste oft missverstanden wird. OAD trennt seine Rankings: Es gibt die große Bestenliste mit allem von New Nordic bis Wood-Fire — und es gibt diese hier, die klassische. Gemeint ist die französisch geprägte Schule: Fond, Butter, Präzision, Service am Gueridon. Kein Stickstoff, keine Pinzettenkunst. Die Tradition, die das Fine Dining über Jahrzehnte definiert hat.
Dass Deutschland hier so weit oben mitspielt, sagt etwas über die deutsche Spitzengastronomie. Wir können nicht nur modern. Wir können auch das Schwere, das Klassische, das technisch Anspruchsvolle — und zwar auf Augenhöhe mit den Franzosen. Bau und Michel beweisen es Jahr für Jahr.
Frankreich bleibt das Maß der Dinge. Aber wer zwei Plätze in den Top 10 holt, in der Königsdisziplin der anderen, hat sich seinen Respekt verdient.
| Rang | Restaurant | Stadt | Land | Küchenchef | Stil |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plenitude | Paris | France | Arnaud Donckele | Modern French |
| 2 | Régis et Jacques Marcon | Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid | France | Régis et Jacques Marcon | Contemporary French |
| 3 | Troisgros | Ouches | France | Cesar Troisgros | Contemporary French |
| 4 | Cheval Blanc | Basel | Switzerland | Peter Knogl | Contemporary French |
| 5 | Hôtel de Ville de Crissier | Crissier | Switzerland | Franck Giovannini | Contemporary French |
| 6 | Flocons de Sel | Megève | France | Emmanuel Renaut | Contemporary French |
| 7 | Victor's Fine Dining by Christian Bau | Perl-Nenig | Germany | Christian Bau | French-Japanese |
| 8 | Gilles Goujon/Auberge de Vieux Puits | Fontjoncouse | France | Gilles Goujon | Contemporary French |
| 9 | Schwarzwaldstube | Baiersbronn | Germany | Torsten Michel | Contemporary French |
| 10 | L'Ambroisie | Paris | France | Shintaro Awa | French |
| 11 | Bozar Restaurant | Brussels | Belgium | Karen Torosyan | French |
| 12 | La Vague d'Or | St. Tropez | France | Arnaud Donckele | Contemporary French |
| 13 | Epicure | Paris | France | Arnaud Faye | French |
| 14 | Alain Ducasse- Louis XV | Monte Carlo | France | Emmanuel Pilon | French - Provençal |
| 15 | Hof van Cleve | Kruishoutem | Belgium | Floris Van Der Veken | Flemish - French |
| 16 | Pic | Valence | France | Anne-Sophie Pic | Contemporary French |
| 17 | Dal Pescatore | Canneto Sull'oglio | Italy | Nadia & Giovanni Santini | Italian |
| 18 | La Table d'AkiHiro | Paris | France | Akihiro Horikoshi | French |
| 19 | Da Vittorio | Brusaporto | Italy | Enrico & Roberto Cerea | Contemporary Italian |
| 20 | Søllerød Kro | Holte | Denmark | Jakob de Neergaard | Contemporary European |
| 21 | The Restaurant - Heiko Nieder | Zürich | Switzerland | Heiko Nieder | Contemporary French |
| 22 | Le Clarence | Paris | France | Christophe Pele | Contemporary French |
| 23 | Patrick Guilbaud | Dublin | Ireland | Guillaume Lebrun | Irish - French |
| 24 | Les Prés d'Eugénie Michel Guérard | Eugenie-les-Bains | France | Hugo Souchet | French |
| 25 | La Table d'Olivier Nasti | Kayserberg | France | Olivier Nasti | French |
| 26 | Le Cinq | Paris | France | Christian Le Squer | French |
| 27 | Olo | Helsinki | Finland | Jari Vesivalo | Scandinavian |
| 28 | Le 1947 | Courchevel | France | Yannick Alleno | Contemporary French |
| 29 | Kei | Paris | France | Keo Kobayashi | Contemporary French |
| 30 | Restaurant Bareiss | Baiersbronn | Germany | Claus-Peter Lumpp | French |
| 31 | The Ritz | London | United Kingdom | John Williams | French |
| 32 | Villa Feltrinelli | Gargnano | Italy | Stefano Baiocco | Contemporary Italian |
| 33 | Seta | Milan | Italy | Antonio Guida | Modern Italian |
| 34 | Atrio | Cáceres | Spain | Toño Pérez | Contemporary Spanish |
| 35 | Alléno Paris at Pavillon Ledoyen | Paris | France | Yannick Alleno | Contemporary French |
| 36 | Waldhotel Sonnora | Dreis | Germany | Clemens Rambichler | French - German |
| 37 | La Villa Madie | Cassis | France | Dimitri Droisneau | Modern French |
| 38 | Oustaù de Baumanière | Les Baux | France | Glenn Viel | French - Provençal |
| 39 | Schanz | Piesport | Germany | Thomas Schanz | French - Mediterranean |
| 40 | Pierre Gagnaire | Paris | France | Pierre Gagnaire | French |
| 41 | La Pergola | Rome | Italy | Heinz Beck | Italian |
| 42 | Restaurant Guy Savoy | Paris | France | Guy Savoy | French |
| 43 | Côte St-Jacques | Joigny | France | Jean-Michel Lorain & Alexandre Bondoux | French |
| 44 | Clos des Sens | Annecy | France | Franck Derouet | French |
| 45 | La Table du Castellet | Le Castellet | France | Christophe Bacquié | Contemporary French |
| 46 | La Bouitte | St. Martin-de-Bellevue | France | René et Maxime Meilleur | French |
| 47 | Le Petit Nice | Marseille | France | Gérald Passédat | French Seafood |
| 48 | La Mere Brazier | Lyon | France | Mathieu Viannay | French |
| 49 | Il luogo di Aimo e Nadia | Milan | Italy | Fabio Pisani and Alessandro Negrini | Contemporary Italian |
| 50 | Tantris DNA | Munich | Germany | Benjamin Chimura | French |
| 51 | Bras | Lagioule | France | Sébastien Bras | Contemporary French |
| 52 | Cenador de Amós | Villaverde de Pontones | Spain | Jesús Sánchez | Contemporary Spanish |
| 53 | L'Assiette Champenoise | Reims | France | Arnaud Lallement | Contemporary French |
| 54 | Le Gabriel | Paris | France | Jérôme Banctel | French |
| 55 | Anne-Sophie Pic au Beau Rivage | Lausanne | Switzerland | Thierry Buffeteau | Contemporary French |
| 56 | Aqua (Closed) | Wolfsburg | Germany | Sven Elverfeld | Contemporary German |
| 57 | Villa Crespi | Orta San Giulio Novara | Italy | Antonino Cannavacciuolo | Modern Italian |
| 58 | Le Grand Restaurant | Paris | France | Jean-François Piège | Contemporary French |
| 59 | Le Coquilage | Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes | France | Hugo Roellinger | French |
| 60 | Le Pré Catelan | Paris | France | Frédéric Anton | French |
| 61 | Château les Crayères | Reims | France | Christophe Moret | French |
| 62 | Taillevent | Paris | France | Giuliano Sperandio | French |
| 63 | Le Duc | Paris | France | Pascal Hélard | French Seafood |
| 64 | Ma Langue Sourit | Moutfort | Luxembourg | Cyril Molard | Contemporary French |
| 65 | Inter Scaldes (chef change) | Kruiningen | Netherlands | Jeroen Achtien | French |
| 66 | Ciel Bleu | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Arjan Speelman | Contemporary French |
| 67 | Saddle | Madrid | Spain | Thomas Schanz | Modern European |
| 68 | Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | London | United Kingdom | Kim Ratcharoen | Modern French |
| 69 | Hélène Darroze at the Connaught | London | United Kingdom | Marco Zampese | French |
| 70 | Château de la Chèvre d'Or | Eze | France | Tom Meyer | French |
| 71 | Paul Bocuse | Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or | France | Christian Bouvarel | French |
| 72 | L'Atelier Etoile de Joel Robuchon | Paris | France | Eric Bouchenoire & Thierry Karakachian | French |
| 73 | Enoteca Pincchiori | Florence | Italy | Riccardo Monco | Italian - French |
| 74 | Christopher Coutanceau | La Rochelle | France | Christopher Coutanceau | French - Seafood |
| 75 | Kong Hans Kaelder | Copenhagen | Denmark | Mark Lundgaard | Contemporary European |
| 76 | Ocean | Porches | Portugal | Hans Neuner | Contemporary European |
| 77 | Tim Boury | Roeselare | Belgium | Tim Boury | Modern Frlemish |
| 78 | L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon | Paris | France | Axel Manes | French |
| 79 | Savoy | Helsinki | Finland | Helena Puolakka | Contemporary European |
| 80 | Lucas Carton | Paris | France | Hugo Bourny | Contemporary French |
| 81 | Al Sorriso | Soriso | Italy | Luisa Marelli Valazza | Italian |
| 82 | Tour d'Argent | Paris | France | Yannick Franques | French |
| 83 | Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester | London | United Kingdom | Jean-Philippe Blondet | Contemporary French |
| 84 | Auberge du Père Bise | Talloires-Montmin | France | Jean Sulpice | Contemporary French |
| 85 | Alex Dilling at Cafe Royal | London | United Kingdom | Alex Dilling | Modern European |
| 86 | Vila Joya | Albufeira | Portugal | Dieter Koschina | Contemporary European |
| 87 | Lameloise | Chagny | France | Éric Pras | French |
| 88 | Verso | Milan | Italy | Remo & Mario Capitaneo | Mediterranean |
| 89 | Chapter One | Dublin | Ireland | Mikael Viljanen | Modern European |
| 90 | Alain Ducasse au Le Meurice | Paris | France | Amaury Bouhours | Contemporary French |
| 91 | Astrance | Paris | France | Pascal Barbot | Contemporary French |
| 92 | The Cocochine | London | United Kingdom | Larry Jayasekara | Modern European |
| 93 | Il Centro | Priocca | Italy | Elide Mollo | Piemontese |
| 94 | La Cote d'Or | Saulieu | France | Louis-Philippe Vigilant | French |
| 95 | Gidleigh Park | Chagford | United Kingdom | Chris Eden | Modern European |
| 96 | La Madernassa | Guarene | Italy | Giuseppe D'Errico | Italian |
| 97 | Georges Blanc | Vonnas | France | Frédéric Blanc | French |
| 98 | Stucki - Tanja Grandits | Basel | Switzerland | Tanja Grandits | Contemporary French |
| 99 | Au Crocodile | Strasbourg | France | Ludovic Kientz | French - Alsatian |
| 100 | Maxime Frédéric at Louis Vuitton | Paris | France | Maxime Frédéric | French |
| 101 | Michel Trama | Puymirol | France | Michel Trama | French |
| 102 | Via Veneto | Barcelona | Spain | David Andrés | European |
| 103 | Anne de Bretagne | La Plaine-sur-Mer | France | Mathieu Guibert | French |
| 104 | Silvio Nickol | Vienna | Austria | Silvio Nickol | Contemporary European |
| 105 | Romano | Viareggio | Italy | Andrea Papa | Italian Seafood |
| 106 | Zalacain | Madrid | Spain | Íñigo Urrechu | French-Basque |
| 107 | The Samuel | Copenhagen | Denmark | Jonathan K. Berntsen | Modern European |
| 108 | Brooklands | London | United Kingdom | Francesco Dibenedetto | Contemporary French |
| 109 | Abbruzzino Ristorante (Closed) | Cava-cuculera Nobile | Italy | Antonio Abbruzzino | Calabrian |
| 110 | Villa Archange | Le Cannet | France | Bruno Oger | Contemporary French |
| 111 | Villa Maiella | Guardiagrele | Italy | Arcangelo Tinari | Italian |
| 112 | Le Montrachet | Beaune | France | Luc Filoé | French |
| 113 | Andrew Fairlie | Auchterarder | United Kingdom | Stephen McLaughlin | Contemporary Scottish |
| 114 | Substance | Paris | France | Matthias Marc | Modern French |
| 115 | Operakällaren | Stockholm | Sweden | Emanuel Tärnqvist | Swedish |
| 116 | es:senz | Grassau | Germany | Edip Sigl | French |
| 117 | Acquolina | Rome | Italy | Daniele Lippi | Italian - Mediterranean |
| 118 | Pavyllon | Paris | France | Yannick Alléno | Modern French |
| 119 | Comme Chez Soi | Brussels | Belgium | Lionel Rigolet | French - Belgian |
| 120 | Sketch Lecture Room | London | United Kingdom | Daniel Stucki | Contemporary French |
| 121 | Il Pagliaccio | Rome | Italy | Anthony Genovese | Contemporary Italian |
| 122 | L'Orangerie | Paris | France | Alan Taudon | French |
| 123 | Widder Bar & Restaurant | Zürich | Switzerland | Stefan Heilemann | Modern European |
| 124 | Hostellerie Jérôme | La Turbie | France | Bruno Cirino | French |
| 125 | Pavyllon (New) | Monte Carlo | Monaco | Guilaume Bellayer | Contemporary French |
| 126 | All'Enoteca | Canale | Italy | Davide Palluda | Contemporary Italian |
| 127 | Apicius | Paris | France | Mathieu Pacaud | French |
| 128 | Aroma | Rome | Italy | Giuseppe Di Iorio | Contemporary Italian |
| 129 | Spondi | Athens | Greece | Angelos Lantos | Contemporary Greek |
| 130 | Lorenzo | Forte dei Marmi | Italy | Gioacchino Pontrelli | Italian Seafood |
| 131 | Fuor d'Acqua | Florence | Italy | Various | Seafood |
| 132 | Le George at the Four Seasons | Paris | France | Simone Zanoni | Mediterranean |
| 133 | Le Jules Verne | Paris | France | Frédéric Anton | French |
| 134 | Ecco | Champfer | Switzerland | Rolf Fliegauf | Italian |
| 135 | Le Neuvième Art | Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert | France | Christophe Roure | Contemporary French |
| 136 | L'Oiseau Blanc | Paris | France | David Bizet | Contemporary French |
| 137 | La Ciau del Tornavento | Treiso | Italy | Maurilio Garola | Piemontese |
| 138 | Le Parc - Franck Putelat | Carcassonne | France | Franck Putelat | French |
| 139 | Guido | Serralunga d'Alba | Italy | Ugo Alciati | Piemontese |
| 140 | Gravetye Manor | East Grinsted | United Kingdom | George Blogg | Contemporary European |
| 141 | Yoann Conte | Veyrier-Du-Lac | France | Yoann Conte | Contemporary French |
| 142 | Miramar | Marseille | France | Christian Buffa | French Seafood |
| 143 | Mosconi | Luxembourg City | Luxembourg | Illario Mosconi | Italian |
| 144 | Takao Takano | Lyon | France | Takao Takano | Contemporary French |
| 145 | Gaestehaus Klaus Erfort | Saarbrücken | Germany | Klaus Effort | Contemporary French |
| 146 | Da Vittorio St. Moritz | St. Moritz | Switzerland | Paolo Rota | Italian Seafood |
| 147 | Maison Ruggieri | Paris | France | Martino Ruggieri | Modern French |
| 148 | Hameau Albert 1er | Chamonix-Mont Blanc | France | Damien Leveau | French |
| 149 | L'Atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel | Arles | France | Jean-Luc Rabanel | Contemporary French |
| 150 | INEO | Rome | Italy | Heros De Agostinis | Contemporary Italian |
| 151 | Pavyllon (New) | London | United Kingdom | Benjamin Ferra y Castell | Contemporary French |
| 152* | Le Relais Plaza (New) | Paris | France | Jean Imbert | Contemporary French |
| 153* | Texture (New) | Copenhagen | Denmark | Karim Khouani | Contemporary French |
| 154* | Blanc Shinichi Sato (New) | Paris | France | Shinichi Sato | Contemporary French |
| 155* | Zur Wolfshöhle (New) | Freiburg | Germany | Martin Fauster | German-Austrian |
| 156* | Hostellerie de l'Abbaye de la Celle (New) | La Celle en Provence | France | Benoit Witz | Contemporary French |
| 157* | Salotto Portinari Bistrot di Vito Mollica (New) | Florence | Italy | Vito Mollica | Tuscan |
| 158* | Blue Bay (New) | Monte Carlo | Monaco | Marcel Ravin | French-West Indian |
| 159* | Eden Kitchen Zurich (New) | Zürich | Switzerland | Marco Ortolani | Contemporary Italian |
| 160* | Le Pavillon des Boulevards (New) | Bordeaux | France | Thomas Morel | Contemporary French |
| 161* | Petrossian Gourmet (New) | Paris | France | Various | Caviar |
| 162* | White 1921 Saint-Tropez (New) | St. Tropez | France | Arnaud Dockele | Contemporary French |
| 163* | Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay (New) | London | United Kingdom | James Sharp | French Seafood |
| 164* | Grotta Palazzese (New) | Polignano-sur-Mare | Italy | Martino Ruggieri | Apulian |
| 165* | Louis (New) | Saarlouis | Germany | Martin Stopp | Modern European |
| 166* | Lalique (New) | Bommes | France | Jérôme Schilling | French |
| 167* | Benjamin Schmitt Restaurant (New) | Paris | France | Benjaminn Schmitt | Contemporary French |
| 168* | Il Flauto di Pan (New) | Ravello | Italy | Lorenzo Montoro | Contemporary Italian |
| 169* | Le Train Bleu par Michel Rostang (New) | Paris | France | Jean-Pierre Hocquet, | French |
| 170* | Les Belles Perdrix de Troplong Mondot (New) | Saint-Émilion | France | David Charier | French |
| 171* | D'Eugénie à Emilie (New) | Baudour | Belgium | Eric Fernez | French |
| 172* | Le Jardin de France (New) | Baden-Baden | Germany | Various | French |
| 173* | L'Amandier (New) | Genval | Belgium | Martin Volkaerts: | Belgium |
| 174* | Stable (New) | Edegem | Belgium | Njegos Kalicanin | Modern European |