Welcome!

Welcome to the Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards application portal! This website will be used to process all applications for the 2026 Restaurant Awards.

If you are applying for the first time or are using a different email address than last year to apply for a renewal, please create an account below.

If you applied last year, you can use the same login credentials to apply again this year.

This account is separate from a winespectator.com reader/member account. This account is only for the Restaurant Awards application. 

Learn more about the benefits of a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award here. 

Important Dates

The submission window this year is from January 13th - March 13th, 2026. If you need more time than this to apply, please let us know at restaurantawards@mshanken.com. 

Application Fee

• Early Bird: $595 (applications submitted on or before February 13th)
• Standard: $745 (submitted February 14th or later)
• Payment: We accept credit/debit cards, checks (make checks payable to M. Shanken Communications), and wire transfers.

Application Requirements

• Digital copies of your wine list and dinner menus.
• A form of payment for the entry fee. 
• A one-page cover letter describing your storage conditions, inventory, pricing, and any other information you feel is relevant to your wine program. This cover letter must be in English (optional).
• Three images of the restaurant (optional).
• Headshot of the restaurant's wine director or sommelier (optional).
• Mail-In Option: While we prefer fully digital payment and materials, you can also mail in checks and menus after submitting your application online. Please send materials to the address below:

Wine Spectator
Restaurant Awards
825 8th Ave, 33rd Fl.
New York, NY 10019

Contact Us

For any questions or concerns, please go to our FAQ page or email us at restaurantawards@mshanken.com.