India climbs Asia’s list
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 included two Indian entries: Masque in Mumbai placed 15th and Naar in Himachal Pradesh landed 30th — notable signals for India’s rising regional profile (gqindia.com). Those placements underscore growing recognition of both city and remote‑region dining in the Asian rankings (gqindia.com).
Masque was awarded the Art of Hospitality Award 2026, a pre-announced prize voted on by more than 350 members of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy. (hotelierindia.com)) The restaurant was founded in 2016 by entrepreneur Aditi Dugar and operates from a restored textile mill in Mumbai, offering a research-driven, 10-course seasonal tasting menu that sources hyperlocal ingredients from across India. (einpresswire.com)) Head chef Varun Totlani, who trained at the Culinary Academy of India and the Culinary Institute of America, rose through Masque’s kitchen after joining as a commis and now leads the restaurant’s innovation and sourcing programmes. (travelandleisureasia.com)) Naar is a Himalayan destination restaurant set in the village of Darwa near Kasauli that opened to the public on 24 November and operates as an intimate, roughly 20-seat tasting‑menu venue perched atop the Amaya estate. (theworlds50best.com)) Chef Prateek Sadhu, Naar’s founder, previously worked at Masque and at Per Se in New York and has explicitly built Naar around “Himalayan‑forward” ingredients and wood‑fire techniques to spotlight mountain producers. (eatgosee.com)) Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 expanded its geographic scope: the 1–50 list spans 17 cities and includes Kasauli among three cities (Kasauli, Penang and Ubud) appearing on the top‑50 list for the first time. (prnewswire.com))
