James Beard Awards 2026 Name Best New Bar and Restaurant
James Beard Awards 2026 honor Providence bar LOMA and New York's Lei as the year's best new venues. See who else took home top titles and read more.
Prajakta Sanjay Warwadkar 
CHICAGO, June 16, 2026 — The James Beard Awards 2026 handed their two most closely watched debut titles to opposite ends of the East Coast, naming Providence cocktail bar LOMA the Best New Bar and New York's Lei the Best New Restaurant. The James Beard Foundation announced the winners on Monday, June 15, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The dual wins put Rhode Island and New York at the center of this year's dining conversation, since both honorees run rooms that seat fewer than 30 guests. The James Beard Awards 2026 reward small operators alongside the country's largest culinary names.
James Beard Awards 2026 Crown a Small Providence Bar
LOMA, a cocktail bar in the historic Federal Hill neighborhood, took the Best New Bar title in a national category. The room seats fewer than two dozen guests and opened at the end of 2024.
Owners Leishla Maldonado and Osman and Yefri Cortave built the bar around hospitality, hand-cut ice and a rotating lineup of featured spirits, low-alcohol cocktails and zero-proof drinks. Maldonado said the team has "worn every hat imaginable" over the past year while running the business.
LOMA opens Thursday through Sunday and describes its mood as a private home bar in 1960s and 1970s Latin America. Guests can view its current hours and approach on the bar's own site.
Lei Takes Best New Restaurant in New York's Chinatown
The James Beard Foundation named Lei, a 28-seat wine bar in New York's Chinatown, the Best New Restaurant of 2026. The kitchen serves food rooted in Chinese home cooking and splits its menu between warm and cold dishes.
Small plates such as scallop crudo with shiitake and chrysanthemum capers sit beside heartier options like steamed razor clams and sweet and sour beef short ribs. The restaurant pairs the food with a long wine list and accepts reservations up to two weeks ahead.
Home cooks who want to recreate the style can explore a collection of Chinese recipes for everyday meals. Lei publishes its full menu and booking details on its website.
Other Top Winners From the Chicago Ceremony
The Restaurant and Chef Awards drew a crowd of about 2,000 industry figures to the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Judges handed out honors across more than 20 national and regional categories on the night.
Michael Tusk of Quince in San Francisco won Outstanding Chef, while Wild Crumb in Bozeman, Montana, took Outstanding Bakery. Providence in Los Angeles earned the Outstanding Hospitality award, and Kalaya in Philadelphia was named Outstanding Restaurant.
closed a multi-day run of James Beard events in Chicago that also covered media and book honors earlier in the week.
Reporting compiled from the James Beard Foundation's official awards announcement and public statements from the winning establishments. Verified by HospitalityCareerProfile.com.
