World’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2023 Unveiled

The top spot at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards was awarded to Lima, the capital city of Peru and a renowned gastronomic hub.

With four Lima-based restaurants making the list, including Central at No. 1, Maido at No. 6, Kjolle at No. 28, and Mayta at No. 47, it scored more rankings in the top 50 than any other city.

Kjolle made its debut on the top 50 list this year.

Central, a fine dining establishment led by chefs Virgilio Martinez and Pía Léon, has been offering Peruvian cuisine for 15 years. Central takes diners on a journey through 15 diverse Peruvian ecosystems, ranging from the Pacific Ocean floor to the Andes’ highest peaks.

Kjolle is Léon’s independent venture. Central is also the first restaurant in South America to earn the coveted “World’s Best” title.

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The awards ceremony, considered the Oscars of fine dining, took place at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain, which is a set of futuristic spaces designed by architect Santiago Calatrava.

Spain had a strong showing in this year’s awards, with six Spanish establishments making it to the top 50 list. Disfrutar in Barcelona, which ranked No. 2, was among them. Diverxo in Madrid and Asador Etxebarri in Atxondo in the Basque region secured the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively, for Spain.

In Europe, Italy and France also had commendable showings with five Italian and four French restaurants making it to the top 50 list. London saw an impressive three restaurants emerge among the top 50 in England.

From the United States, two New York restaurants have made it to the top 50, with Atomix moving up to the No. 8 spot from last year’s No.33 and earning the title of the Highest Climber as well as Best Restaurant in North America. Long-standing favorite Le Bernardin, led by chef Éric Ripert, also secured a place in the top 50 at No. 44.

Over in Asia, Bangkok is the city to keep an eye on, as two restaurants make an appearance on the list for the first time, with both making it to the top 20: Le Du at No. 15 and Gaggan Anand at No. 17.

Two restaurants in Turkiye are listed in the Top 100. Neolokal ranked 63rd, Turk Fatih Tutak ranked 66th. Both restaurants are located in Istanbul.

Overall, the top 50 features restaurants from 24 territories across five continents, with 12 new entries making their debut this year.