Bom Gourmet turns flavor into a destination

With public nominations open, Bom Gourmet 2026 expands Paraná’s food map and highlights how dining drives tourism across the state.

The 16th edition of the Bom Gourmet Awards officially begins on May 4 with the opening of the public nomination phase for the Specialties stage. Presented by Gold Casa da Gastronomia and sponsored by Tramontina Hospitality, this year’s edition arrives with a broader message: “Flavor Is the Destination.”

The phrase points to a shift that many cities already feel in practice. A strong restaurant scene no longer matters only to locals. It shapes travel plans, creates reasons to stay longer and turns specific addresses into part of the experience of visiting a place. “Quando falamos que o sabor é o destino, estamos falando sobre lugares e experiências que justificam o deslocamento e entram no roteiro de quem quer saborear o melhor que o mercado da gastronomia de um local oferece”, says Andréa Sorgenfrei, CEO of Bom Gourmet.

That idea also helps explain the award’s structure. The process combines public participation, invited jurors from different parts of Paraná and a panel of specialists. Rather than relying on a single judging model, Bom Gourmet uses different forms of evaluation depending on the category. “O prêmio é estruturado com diferentes tipos de júris, os quais se aplicam a variadas categorias, dependendo da especificidade de cada uma. No fim, uma etapa complementa a outra e assim fazemos um guia gastronômico amplo e democrático”, explains Caroline Olinda, Head of Bom Gourmet.

How the voting works

The Specialties stage is the part most directly shaped by the public. It takes place exclusively on the award’s official website, where people can nominate their favorite establishments. After that, the five most nominated names in each category move on to the final vote. To protect the integrity of the process, each entry is tied to a unique CPF and email, and the system is fully audited.

According to Caroline Olinda, that public-facing stage has been refined year after year. The goal is to keep participation broad while making the results more reliable and representative. “Essa etapa de participação direta do público vem sendo aprimorada ao longo dos anos para assegurar cada vez mais um processo justo e representativo da percepção do público”, she says.

The result is a model that treats popularity as one part of a larger picture. That matters because Bom Gourmet has increasingly positioned itself not just as an awards event, but as a practical guide to what the state is eating, valuing and recommending.

The state beyond the capital

This year, one of the biggest moves is the stronger focus on cities outside Curitiba. The interior stage will feature a single category, “Must-Visit Places,” and will run from May 25 to June 14. During that window, the public will be able to nominate up to ten establishments across different areas of Paraná.

The most frequently mentioned names will form each city’s Top 10. That gives the award a more direct read on the places that locals return to and visitors should not miss. It also reinforces the campaign’s core idea: food can define a route just as much as a landmark, a festival or a landscape.

The same statewide logic appears in the ranking of the 30 Best Restaurants in Paraná, now in its third year. That list is decided by invited jurors, each of whom names five restaurants in order of preference. Three must be in the region where the juror lives, while the other two must be in other Paraná cities. “É mais um passo do Prêmio Bom Gourmet para destacar e reconhecer a riqueza gastronômica do nosso estado”, says Caroline.

Curated categories and social reach

The awards also include the Bom Gourmet Committee, made up of the brand’s columnists, who evaluate careers, trends and emerging talent. In 2026, that group will meet twice, on May 7 and June 8, to deliberate on categories that call for a more specialized perspective.

There are also special categories such as Ambientação by Artesian, alongside social-impact efforts like the collection of tax receipts for Hospital Erasto Gaertner. Partnerships with Delivery by iFood, Sabor do Bairro by Tribuna and Sabores do Paraná by Clube da Alice broaden the project’s scope and connect the award to different parts of the dining ecosystem.

In total, the 2026 edition brings together 70 categories and more than 420 mapped establishments. Those results will feed the Guia Bom Gourmet, which will have 10,000 printed copies distributed at strategic points, as well as a digital version. The publication aims to work less like a souvenir and more like a usable map of where Paraná’s food scene is strongest, most diverse and most memorable.

The final image the organization wants to leave is clear. “Considerando que o sabor é o destino, podemos dizer que o Guia Bom Gourmet é o GPS que vai te levar aos melhores da gastronomia. Estamos prontos para começar a construir esse mapa”, concludes Andréa Sorgenfrei.

Event Info

• Bom Gourmet Awards 2026
• Nominations (Curitiba and metro area): May 4 to May 24
• Nominations and voting (interior of Paraná): May 25 to June 14
• Voting (Curitiba and metro area): June 15 to July 5
• Technical judging stages: May 7 to June 10
• Awards event: August 4, at Centro de Eventos Positivo, in Parque Barigui
• Guide release: August 2026