Top Tables is an institution. There’s no reason to change it. But we did. Why? Because it’s fun.

The foodie scene has changed since Top Tables first began decades ago. It’s bigger, it’s faster, and, yeah, maybe even a little messier. We’ve weathered coups and pandemics and even that weird period where everyone was really into cronuts for like six months.

So, as we once again come together to celebrate the future of food in this city, we think it’s time to change. There’s a greater need than ever to explain and simplify.

As ever, Top Tables is decided by this city’s journalists, bloggers, influencers, and diners in the know—a select group of independent thinkers who put food first. This year, we’ve had more participants than ever. But we’ve also done something a little different.

Rather than rattling off 100 of the city’s best restaurants, BK Magazine has instituted a cuisine section based on a ranked voting system with selections from chefs around the city and, as ever, our own staff here at BK—from Indian and Chinese to French and Mediterranean.

For Thai food, there’s such a wealth of options and styles (as well as so many venues that don’t fit comfortably into any category) that we decided to break it down this year into a top 15. Similarly, for new restaurants, we’re giving a selection to 10 new spots.

The idea behind these changes is to create something that’s less of a list and more of a guide. Breaking food down into numbers is always a messy business, so we hope this will be an informative, fun way to look at the city moving forward.

We hope our readers will find these changes a little more exciting, and we’re proud to give a voice to restaurants that might not otherwise get a mention. It’s 2026. The world is weird.