The World's 50 Best Restaurants

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The World's 50 Best Restaurants is a list produced by the UK media company William Reed, which originally appeared in the British magazine Restaurant in 2002. The list and awards are no longer directly related to Restaurant, though they are owned by the same media company. [1] [2]

Contents

In addition to the main 1–50 ranking, the organisation awards a series of special prizes for individuals and restaurants, including the One To Watch Award, the Icon Award, the Best Female Chef Award [3] and the Chefs' Choice Award, the latter based on votes from the fifty head chefs from the restaurants on the previous year's list. In specific regions the organisation also pre-announces a 51–100 list, showcasing more venues in the area. [4] Often working as a barometer of global gastronomic trends, the list showcases a variety of cuisines from all over the world. [5]

History

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list first appeared as a feature in the British magazine Restaurant in 2002. Shortly afterwards, an awards night was established to celebrate the release of the list. [6] The results are published via the World’s 50 Best Restaurants social media channels and on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants website on the awards night.

The World's 50 Best Restaurants list is the result of a poll of over 1,000 independent experts, who each cast votes for establishments where they have enjoyed their best restaurant experiences. The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy is gender-balanced and contains 27 regions around the world. Each region has a chairperson (Academy Chair), and that chairperson assembles 40 people (including themselves) to vote. This panel is an equal mix of leading chefs and restaurateurs in that region, food journalists and critics, and well-travelled gourmets. Under usual circumstances, at least 25% of the panellists from each region change each year. [7] [8]

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ voting process and results are subject to independent adjudication by Deloitte.

There are no criteria for voting. The organisation allows the 1,080 voters to make up their own minds, and collates their votes to create the list. [6]

Since 2013, William Reed has also published regional restaurant lists Asia's 50 Best Restaurants and Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants, and launched Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants in February 2022. [2]

A rule introduced in 2019 disqualifies previous winners from competing. Noma qualified again in 2021 because it closed in 2016 and reopened in a new location and concept. [9]

Best restaurants

El Bulli ElBulli Ferran Adria.jpg
El Bulli
Noma's former storefront Noma entrance.jpg
Noma's former storefront
World's Best Restaurants
Year1st2nd3rd
2002 [10] Flag of Spain.svg El Bulli Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Gordon Ramsay Flag of the United States.svg The French Laundry
2003 [11] Flag of the United States.svg The French Laundry Flag of Spain.svg El Bulli Flag of Monaco.svg Le Louis XV
2004 [12] Flag of the United States.svg The French Laundry Flag of the United Kingdom.svg The Fat Duck Flag of Spain.svg El Bulli
2005 [13] Flag of the United Kingdom.svg The Fat Duck Flag of Spain.svg El Bulli Flag of the United States.svg The French Laundry
2006 [14] Flag of Spain.svg El Bulli Flag of the United Kingdom.svg The Fat Duck Flag of France.svg Pierre Gagnaire
2007 [15] Flag of Spain.svg El Bulli Flag of the United Kingdom.svg The Fat Duck Flag of France.svg Pierre Gagnaire
2008 [16] Flag of Spain.svg El Bulli Flag of the United Kingdom.svg The Fat Duck Flag of France.svg Pierre Gagnaire
2009 [17] Flag of Spain.svg El Bulli Flag of the United Kingdom.svg The Fat Duck Flag of Denmark.svg Noma
2010 [18] Flag of Denmark.svg Noma Flag of Spain.svg El Bulli Flag of the United Kingdom.svg The Fat Duck
2011 [19] Flag of Denmark.svg Noma Flag of Spain.svg El Celler de Can Roca Flag of Spain.svg Mugaritz
2012 [20] Flag of Denmark.svg Noma Flag of Spain.svg El Celler de Can Roca Flag of Spain.svg Mugaritz
2013 [21] Flag of Spain.svg El Celler de Can Roca Flag of Denmark.svg Noma Flag of Italy.svg Osteria Francescana
2014 [22] Flag of Denmark.svg Noma Flag of Spain.svg El Celler de Can Roca Flag of Italy.svg Osteria Francescana
2015 [23] Flag of Spain.svg El Celler de Can Roca Flag of Italy.svg Osteria Francescana Flag of Denmark.svg Noma
2016 [24] Flag of Italy.svg Osteria Francescana Flag of Spain.svg El Celler de Can Roca Flag of the United States.svg Eleven Madison Park
2017 [25] Flag of the United States.svg Eleven Madison Park Flag of Italy.svg Osteria Francescana Flag of Spain.svg El Celler de Can Roca
2018 [26] Flag of Italy.svg Osteria Francescana Flag of Spain.svg El Celler de Can Roca Flag of France.svg Mirazur
2019 [27] Flag of France.svg Mirazur Flag of Denmark.svg Noma Flag of Spain.svg Asador Etxebarri
2021 [28] Flag of Denmark.svg Noma Flag of Denmark.svg Geranium Flag of Spain.svg Asador Etxebarri
2022 [29] Flag of Denmark.svg Geranium Flag of Peru.svg Central Restaurante Flag of Spain.svg Disfrutar
2023 [30] Flag of Peru.svg Central Restaurante Flag of Spain.svg Disfrutar Flag of Spain.svg DiverXO
2024 [31] Flag of Spain.svg Disfrutar Flag of Spain.svg Asador Etxebarri Flag of France.svg Table by Bruno Verjus
2025 [32] Flag of Peru.svg Maido Flag of Spain.svg Asador Etxebarri Flag of Mexico.svg Quintonil

Best of the Best

As of 19 June 2025 [33]

In 2019, the Best of the Best category was created, a hall of fame for restaurants that have reached the pinnacle of the No.1 position in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. With the creation of this list, No.1 winners are no longer eligible to be voted on new editions of the list.

The new iteration of Noma was eligible for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021 list due to three key changes from the original restaurant: its location, concept and ownership. As such, it was considered a new restaurant and eligible for the No.1 position in 2021. The previous version of Noma topped the 50 Best list on four occasions, in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014.

The following restaurants have been named No.1 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants since the list’s inception and were therefore no longer eligible for voting:

See also

References

  1. "William Reed, what we do". William Reed. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 "TheWorld's 50 Best Restaurants". The World's 50 Best. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  3. "France's Anne-Sophie Pic named World's Best Female Chef". Bog Hospitality. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  4. "51-100". The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  5. "The World's Best Restaurant Is in a Football Stadium". Bloomberg. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  6. 1 2 Collins, Lauren (26 October 2015). "Who's to judge". The New Yorker. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  7. "The Voting System". The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  8. "The Academy". The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  9. "Noma wins world's best restaurant as Denmark claims top two spots". the Guardian. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
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  32. "The World's 50 Best Restaurants | The List and Awards".
  33. "Best of the Best". The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Retrieved 20 June 2023.