The World’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony celebrated its annual event, honouring the finest eateries worldwide on 20 June, in Valencia. Central, located in Lima, Peru, emerged victorious and claimed the prestigious title of the world’s best restaurant for 2023. The rankings are determined by a panel of experts following specific guidelines. Panel members cannot vote for any restaurant they have a financial interest in, and they must have dined at the establishments they vote for within the previous 19 months.
Central, Lima, Peru. Picture: Central gallery
Notably, restaurants that have previously secured the top spot are ineligible to win again and instead earn a spot on the coveted ‘Best of the Best’ list. This year, the 2022 winner, Geranium, made it onto the ‘Best of the Best’ list, creating an opportunity for Central to claim the crown.
Apart from Central’s win, several other notable awards were announced. Tatiana, a New York establishment owned by Kwame Onwuachi, received the Resy One To Watch Award for 2023. Elena Reygadas of Rosetta in Mexico City was named The World’s Best Female Chef for the year. The 2023 Icon Award was bestowed upon Basque chef Andoni Luis Aduriz. Pia Salazar, the pastry chef at Nuema in Quito, Ecuador, won The World’s Best Pastry Chef’s Award. Julien Royer, the skilled chef of Odette in Singapore, was honoured with the Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award.
The list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2023 includes a diverse selection of fine establishments from around the globe. The top spot aside, some of the prominent restaurants on the list are Disfrutar in Barcelona, Spain at the second position and DiverXO in Madrid, Spain at the third position. The highest-ranking restaurant in each continent was recognized as well, with Tresind Studio in Dubai taking the title for Africa and the Middle East, Pujol in Mexico City for North America, Odette in Singapore for Asia, and Disfrutar from Barcelona for Europe. Central in Lima, Peru, once again shone as the best restaurant in South America.
The UK had three entries in the list, with Ikyoi in St. James, Kol in Marylebone, and The Clove Club in Shoreditch representing the culinary excellence of London.
The ceremony marked the 21st birthday of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and the event took place in Valencia. Since its inception in 2002, the list has been compiled through votes from global experts, recognizing the remarkable achievements of the restaurant industry.
The Highest Climber Award, awarded to the restaurant that has made the most significant climb in rankings since the previous list, went to Atomix in New York, securing the number 8 spot.
The final list was as follows:
50. The Chairman, Hong Kong49. Rosetta, Mexico City, Mexico48. La Grenouillère, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France47. Mayta, Lima, Peru46. Orfali Bros Bistro, Dubai, UAE45. Nobelhart & Schmutzig, Berlin, Germany44. Le Bernardin, New York, USA43. Leo, Bogata, Colombia42. Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy41. Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy40. Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin, Germany39. The Jane, Antwerp, Belgium38. The Clove Club, London, UK37. Sezanne, Tokyo, Japan36. Plenitude, Paris, France35. Ikoyi, London, UK34. Uliassi, Senigallia, Italy33. El Chato, Bogota, Colombia32. Hiša Franko, Kobarid, Slovenia31. Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain30. Frantzen, Stockholm, Sweden29. Boragó, Santiago, Chile28. Kjolle, Lima, Peru27. Florilege, Tokyo, Japan26. Schloss Schanuenstein, Fürstenau, Switzerland25. Belcanto, Lisbon, Portugal24. Septime, Paris, France23. Kol, London, UK22. Elkano, Getaria, Spain21. Den, Tokyo, Japan20. Restaurante Quique Dacosta, Alicante, Spain19. Don Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina18. Steirereck, Vienna, Austria17. Gaggan Anand, Bangkok, Thailand16. Reale, Castel del Sangro, Italy15. Le Du, Bangkok, Thailand14. Odette, Singapore13. Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico12. A Casa do Porco, São Paulo, Brazil11. Tresind Studio, Dubai, UAE10. Table, Paris, France9. Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico8. Atomix, New York7. Lido 84, Gardone Riviera, Italy6. Maido, Lima, Peru5. Alechmist, Copenhagen, Denmark4. Asador Extebarri, Bizkaia, Spain3. DiverXO, Madrid, Spain2. Disfrutar, Barcelona, Spain1. Central, Lima, Peru
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