VALENCIA: Central, the flagship Lima restaurant of chefs Virgilio Martinez and Pía León was crowned the top restaurant in the World taking over from last year’s winner Geranium in Copenhagen which now goes to the Best of the Best hall of fame and makes it no longer eligible to compete for the list next year.
But that is not bad news for the Peruvian gastronomy power couple who also have a second restaurant in the top 50 position at 28. For many years, Central has hovered in the top positions of the list but never made it until this year to the top.
It placed second last year, confirming the recent practice that second-placed restaurants end up winning the award the year later. Central is an ode to Peru, with a menu that celebrates the unique biodiversity of the country’s indigenous ingredients – guided by its research arm, Mater Iniciativa – along with its traditions and history, whilst championing sustainability.
Two Spanish restaurants placed second and third respectively. These are Disfrutar in Barcelona and Diverxo in Madrid. Topping the top five positions were Asador Extebarri also from Spain and Alchemist in Copenhagen.
William Drew, Director of Content for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, comments: “It gives me great pleasure to share the list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 and celebrate the fantastic achievement of Central as the new No.1. Virgilio Martinez, Pía León and the whole Central team have truly paved the way in celebrating indigenous ingredients through their innovative dishes and warm hospitality. Their commitment to research, respect for their country’s heritage and promotion of Peru’s unique biodiversity is unmatched, and we’re honoured to name Central as The World’s Best Restaurant, This year’s list continues to show the breadth of culinary talent across the globe, and we look forward to seeing how it evolves even further in 2024 and beyond.”
Europe remains the power house with 27 restaurants in the top 50 positions. 6 placed in the top 10 including Lido 84 which climbed to 7th place.
This is the first time South America has a restaurant in the number 1 position. However, it also strengthened its position boasting nine restaurants including Maido in 6th place as well as two new entries Pía León’s Kjolle, (No.28) in Lima and El Chato (No.33) in Bogotá.
Asia follows with seven restaurants on the list, including Singapore’s Odette named The Best Restaurant in Asia (No.14) along with new entries Le Du (No.15) and Gaggan Anand (No.17) in Bangkok and Sézanne, Tokyo (No.37). Two Dubai restaurants make the list for the very first time, with Trèsind Studio (No.11) named The Best Restaurant in Middle East & Africa, ahead of Orfali Bros Bistro(No.46).
The Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award waspresented to Copenhagen’s Alchemist (No.5). An almost mystical dining experience in a remote, industrial corner of the city, an evening here is divided into several ‘acts’ where guests of head chef Rasmus Munk and his team are led through different locations, types of art and storytelling moments, alongside exquisite food born from Munk’s obsessive search for the finest ingredients.
Pía Salazar of Nuema, Quito, was the recipient of The World’s Best Pastry Chef Award, Already crowned Latin America’s Best Pastry Chef 2022, the Cuenca-born chef is helping put Ecuador on the culinary map with her experimental creations, turning fruit and vegetables into sweet masterpieces, like coconut with umami-rich yeast and black garlic, or leek and vanilla with cedrón, a herb resembling lemon verbena.
Tthe World’s Best Sommelier Award was presented to Miguel Ángel Millán, sommelier of Madrid’s Diverxo.
The winner of the Highest New Entry Award is Table by Bruno Verjus (No.10). The self-taught French chef serves simple, seasonal, no-fuss cuisine at this Paris restaurant, which has developed a loyal following among the city’s gourmands and is rapidly becoming an international dining destination.
Atomix (No.8) was awarded the Highest Climber Award and named The Best Restaurant in North America, after the New York favourite climbed 25 places from its position in last year’s ranking. The intimate 14-seat tasting menu restaurant from husband-and-wife team Junghyun ‘JP’ and Ellia Park won the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award as part of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 and its progressive and distinctive Korean food has been widely acclaimed.
Julien Royer of Odette (No.14) in Singapore won the Chefs’ Choice Award. Voted for the world’s leading chefs, this special prize is awarded to a chef who has had a significant positive influence on the culinary community. Royer’s restaurant, Odette, in the city’s National Gallery, is also named The Best Restaurant in Asia 2023.
The Sustainable Restaurant Award was this year given to Cape Town’s Fyn(No.75), where founding chef Peter Tempelhoff’s mission is to blur boundaries by interpreting South Africa through techniques largely rooted in Japanese cooking.
The evening also celebrated those honoured with pre-announced special awards, including the Champions of Change winners Nora Fitzgerald Belahcen, founder of Moroccan social enterprise Amal, and Othón Nolasco and Damián Diaz, the duo behind food-security project No Us Without You LA. Elena Reygadas, winner of The World’s Best Female Chef Award, Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz, winner of the Icon Award, and New York restaurant Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi, winner of the Resy One To Watch Award, were presented with their trophies on stage.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards 2023, was held at Valencia’s Les Arts Opera House.
Best of the Best
Those in the elite group of No.1 ranked restaurants (listed below) have more than proved their worth and will now be forever honoured as iconic dining destinations in the Best of the Best hall of fame. The chefs and restaurateurs who have led their restaurants to the pinnacle of the list have expressed their desire to invest in the future of the sector and ‘give back’ to the food world through new projects and initiatives. The following restaurants have been named No.1 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants since the list’s inception and were therefore not eligible for voting in 2023 and beyond:
• El Bulli (2002, 2006-2009)
• The French Laundry (2003-2004)
• The Fat Duck (2005)
• Noma – original location (2010-2012, 2014)
• El Celler de Can Roca (2013, 2015)
• Osteria Francescana (2016, 2018)
• Eleven Madison Park (2017)
• Mirazur (2019)
• Noma – current location (2021)
• Geranium (2022)
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023:
| Position | Restaurant | Location |
| 1 | Central | Lima |
| 2 | Disfrutar | Barcelona |
| 3 | Diverxo | Madrid |
| 4 | Asador Etxebarri | Atxondo |
| 5 | Alchemist | Copenhagen |
| 6 | Maido | Lima |
| 7 | Lido 84 | Gardone Riviera |
| 8 | Atomix | New York |
| 9 | Quintonil | Mexico City |
| 10 | Table by Bruno Verjus | Paris |
| 11 | Trèsind Studio | Dubai |
| 12 | A Casa do Porco | São Paulo |
| 13 | Pujol | Mexico City |
| 14 | Odette | Singapore |
| 15 | Le Du | Bangkok |
| 16 | Reale | Castel di Sangro |
| 17 | Gaggan Anand | Bangkok |
| 18 | Steirereck | Vienna |
| 19 | Don Julio | Buenos Aires |
| 20 | Quique Dacosta | Denia |
| 21 | Den | Tokyo |
| 22 | Elkano | Getaria |
| 23 | Kol | London |
| 24 | Septime | Paris |
| 25 | Belcanto | Lisbon |
| 26 | Schloss Schauenstein | Fürstenau |
| 27 | Florilège | Tokyo |
| 28 | Kjolle | Lima |
| 29 | Boragó | Santiago |
| 30 | Frantzén | Stockholm |
| 31 | Mugaritz | San Sebastian |
| 32 | Hiša Franko | Kobarid |
| 33 | El Chato | Bogotá |
| 34 | Uliassi | Senigallia |
| 35 | Ikoyi | London |
| 36 | Plénitude | Paris |
| 37 | Sézanne | Tokyo |
| 38 | The Clove Club | London |
| 39 | The Jane | Antwerp |
| 40 | Restaurant Tim Raue | Berlin |
| 41 | Le Calandre | Rubano |
| 42 | Piazza Duomo | Alba |
| 43 | Leo | Bogotá |
| 44 | Le Bernardin | New York |
| 45 | Nobelhart & Schmutzig | Berlin |
| 46 | Orfali Bros Bistro | Dubai |
| 47 | Mayta | Lima |
| 48 | La Grenouillère | La Madeleine-sous-Montreuil |
| 49 | Rosetta | Mexico City |
| 50 | The Chairman | Hong Kong |
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