About once a year, the lists of the best new restaurants in the world begin to emerge. While those in the restaurant industry know that deciding such a thing is near impossible, it’s interesting to see what types of food and aesthetics some of the leading magazine editors deem worthy of “best in class.”
For one year, Condé Nast Traveler editors traveled the globe in search of the best new restaurants and came up with their 29th edition of the Hot List. While these 34 restaurants span the world, from Hyderabad, India, to St. Moritz, Switzerland, our list focuses on those closest to home, from Miami to Chicago. All in all, eight restaurants from the U.S. made the World’s Best list in 2025.
Let’s see what sets them apart from the rest.
Acamaya in New Orleans
Acamaya, a modern Mexican restaurant, is the creation of chef Ana Castro and her sister, Lydia. Praises started almost immediately when it opened in July 2024. Instead of the gumbo and jambalayas New Orleans is known for, Castor serves the freshest seafood with lots of chilis and a dash of lime. Her unique flavors are evident in the arroz negro, a dish combining wine, shallots, lemon, mussels, and squid with huitlacoche, a wild, rare corn fungus.
According to a review by Paul Oswell, the restaurant “exudes authenticity,” taking diners to Mexico City, her native country. Authenticity is a common ingredient in these world-class restaurants—places that combine the aesthetics and cuisine of their chosen region.
Bungalow in New York City
Bungalow represents India and all its many regions, as well as the cuisines that derive from each. The offerings include reimagined classics from its 28 states. The Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna is particularly fond of nostalgic Indian cuisine and has created an atmosphere reminiscent of vintage clubhouses, unique spaces designed for socializing, networking, and camaraderie.
Its website introduction says it all: “An invitation to experience the rich history, culture and exceptional cuisine of India.” Some favorite dishes are Old Delhi Chole, Lamb Seekh Kabab, and Eggplant Bharta.
Dogon by Kwame Onwuachi in Washington, D.C.
Named after the Dogon people, a group indigenous to the western African nation of Mali, chef Kwame Onwuachi provides guests with food derived from a sense of place and history, including Nigeria, Louisiana, and Little Caribbean in New York City. The menu incorporates Afro-Caribbean cuisine with items like Hamachi Guisado, Hoe Crab, BBQ Greens, Bone Marrow, and Curry Branzino. Praised by food critics, Dogon is considered a “must-visit” in D.C.
Il Carciofo in Chicago
Il Carciofo means “The Artichoke” in Italian. Of course, these aren’t just any artichokes. Chef Joe Flamm fell in love with Roman cuisine almost 10 years ago. Finding a place on Fulton in Chicago that reminded him of Rome inspired him to recreate the cuisine he fell in love with.
These artichokes are imported from Rome and served alongside al taglio, a Roman-style pizza. You’ll also find dishes like Ravioli Triangoli with braised rabbit, carrot, and ramp pesto, and Tonnarelli with pork cheek, artichoke, and Pecorino Romano.
Flamm is the Top Chef season 15 winner and owner of Rose Mary, an Italian Croatian restaurant and a West Loop hot spot.
Kaia in Boston
Another restaurant that aligns its aesthetics perfectly with the cuisine, Kaia takes you to the Aegean Sea through all your senses. Travel to Greece in sight and taste, where the spirit of the Greek Isles runs deep. The innovative approach to Greek cuisine comes from Culinary Director Brendan Pelley and Executive Chef Felipe Goncalves. Authentic and genuine, the menu includes wines from Aegean vineyards and whole fish sourced fresh daily.
Le Veau d’Or in New York City
The New York Times shared this restaurant’s backstory. Robert Gerber, the writer, Andy Warhol, needs no introduction, and James Mellon Curley, a wealthy socialite, dined at Le Veau d’Or in the 1970s. The restaurant, which opened in 1937, also drew the likes of Orson Welles and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
Chefs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr reopened this classic French restaurant in 2025, hoping to draw in former regulars and new fans. Apparently, it’s working.
Classic French food is served in a three-course prix fixe, including dishes like frog’s legs, pommes soufflés, goujonettes, and tripes à la mode. Recreating the feeling of dining in a little bistro in Paris, tables fill up fast.
Vinai in Minneapolis
The website describes it perfectly: “VINAI—a restaurant to illuminate Hmong food, history, and connection.” A James Beard Foundation Best New Restaurant Semifinalist 2025, chef Yia Vang named it after the Thai refugee camp where he was born. Truly authentic, it honors America’s largest Hmong population in the Twin Cities. But it’s about more than bringing familiar flavors and authentic food to those who would recognize it. It’s also about community and letting everyone experience a cuisine they may never have tried. Here, you’ll find Hilltribe grilled chicken, grilled lamb heart, fried catfish, and shrimp cucumber ceviche.
Sunny’s in Miami
What started as a pandemic pop-up is now a 220-seat restaurant with outdoor seating around the massive banyan tree where their pop-up first began. Sunny’s is found in a 13,000 square-foot midcentury modern space that consists of an art deco bar, a terrace, and two dining rooms. In addition to incredible food, you’ll find over 145 martinis.
One review described the entrance as “modern and deceptive as you flow into a culinary indoor-outdoor jungle in the Little River warehouse district in Miami.” Created by owner Will Thompson and chef-partner Carey Hynes, the menu incorporates steaks cooked over a live oak fire, fresh Dorade sautéed with a caper vinaigrette sauce, and blue crab agnolotti.
So, what does it take to make the world’s best restaurant list? Authenticity, extraordinary food, and aesthetics that align.
