Italians are known to be hearty eaters, and for those who love discovering new culinary addresses during a journey, exciting updates arrive. The eighth edition of TheFork Awards 2026, the recognition organized by TheFork in collaboration with Identità Golose, which honors the best new openings and management in Italian dining, has come to a close.
The final ceremony took place on October 27 at the Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber in Milan, during an evening hosted by Cristina Parodi. The restaurants in competition were selected by 74 internationally renowned chefs, while the public determined the winners of the People’s Choice Award through an online vote that gathered nearly 30,000 preferences.
The result is a new map of taste that threads through Italy, from large cities to small villages, among gourmet restaurants, contemporary taverns, and innovative culinary projects.
The Regions with the Most New Restaurants
To claim the most prestigious recognition, the national People’s Choice Award, was 142 Restaurant in Milan, which also won the North Italy prize. Located on Corso Colombo, in the Navigli area, the venue is led by young chef Federico Zappalà, with Sandra Ciciriello assisting in front-of-house management. The culinary offering focused on Milan’s excellence emphasizes seasonality, the quality of ingredients, and a contemporary cooking approach that highlights seafood products in particular. It is a place that changes its face during the day, shifting from the informal atmosphere of a bistro to a more refined gastronomic experience.
For the Central Italy prize went to Antesi, the restaurant of Belmond Villa San Michele in Fiesole, on the hills surrounding Florence. Guided by chef Alessandro Cozzolino, it offers a high-end dining experience inside a suggestive fifteenth-century loggia, where the Tuscan landscape meets contemporary culinary research.
The recognition for the South and Islands went to Baccanti in Matera, led by patron Sergio Guanti and chef Nicola Popolizio. Situated in the heart of the famous Sassi, the restaurant interprets Lucanian tradition through local ingredients, seasonal preparations and innovative pairings. An experience that blends the pleasure of dining with the allure of one of the region’s most distinctive locales in Basilicata.
Here are the winners:
- 142 Restaurant, Milan – National winner and North Italy winner;
- Antesi, Fiesole (Florence) – Best in Central Italy;
- Baccanti, Matera – Best in South and Islands;
- Nomos Ante, Rome – Future Visions Award;
- Tarassaco Ristorante, Bientina (Pisa) – Best Service Award;
- Thelema, Gaggiano (Milan) – Creators’ Choice Award;
- Albura Bistrot, Avezzano (L’Aquila) – New Generation Mention;
- Capuccina, Cureggio (Novara) – New Generation Mention;
- Fonderia, Palermo – New Generation Mention;
- Sextantio, Santo Stefano di Sessanio (L’Aquila) – New Generation Mention;
- Somnium, Eboli (Salerno) – New Generation Mention;
- Thelema, Gaggiano (Milano) – New Generation Mention.
The Other Restaurants Honored at TheFork Awards 2026
Beyond the main accolades, during the evening several special prizes were awarded to celebrate innovation, hospitality, and the ability to tell the story of contemporary cuisine. The Future Visions Award was claimed by Nomos Ante of Rome, led by chef Giulio Zoli. The recognition highlights a gastronomic project capable of experimenting with new languages and imagining the future of dining.
The Best Service Award went to Tarassaco Ristorante of Bientina, in the province of Pisa, where the emphasis on hospitality and guest care stands as one of the defining elements of the experience. On the outskirts of Milan, within the Parco Agricolo Sud area, Thelema of Gaggiano captured the Creators’ Choice Award, awarded by a panel of content creators for its ability to communicate its gastronomic identity through social media.
There was also a focus on new generations with the New Generation mentions, awarded by the Italian Association of Taste Ambassadors. Among the selected restaurants are Albura Bistrot in Avezzano, Capuccina in Cureggio, Fonderia in Palermo, Sextantio in Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Somnium in Eboli, and the same Thelema of Gaggiano.
The New Trends in the Italian Dining Scene
The snapshot provided by TheFork Awards not only reveals which new restaurants to try, but also shows how the way of living dining in Italy is changing, today rewarding quality and the uniqueness of the overall experience.
Fine dining continues to play a significant role, but alongside haute cuisine there is growing weight on contemporary taverns, where recipes and local products are reinterpreted in a more informal and accessible format. It is a trend that puts identity, research, and the relationship with the territory at the center, without necessarily requiring the ritual of traditional gourmet dining. Furthermore, more and more hybrid formats are emerging, capable of combining diverse experiences under one roof, such as a bistrot, wine bar, cocktail bar and meat-focused offerings coexisting in spaces designed for an audience seeking less rigid culinary experiences.
