World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023: Central in Lima Takes The Top Spot

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The recent World’s 50 Best Restaurants held in Valencia, Spain had quite the shake-up with Central from Lima, Peru taking the first spot, the first restaurant from Latin America to take top the list. Here’s a breakdown.

“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, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. 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.” — William Drew, Director of Content for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Best Restaurant In The World 2023: Central in Lima, Peru

Cental headed by Virgilio Martinez takes the top spot, making it the first time a restaurant outside Europe and the USA coming in at number one. The restaurant, which is also Best Restaurant in Latin America, is known for their cerebral approach to using locavorism and in preservation of heirloom ingredients.

Restaurants in Asia Representation: 7 in top 50, 13 in top 100

This year there’s a total of 20 restaurants in Asia placing in the top 100, including Le Du (No. 15), the first time a Thai cuisine restaurant has reached such heights, although not the highest an Asian restaurant in Asia has reached, previously being Indian cuisine Gaggan at No. 4 in 2019. The highest restaurant from Asia however goes to French restaurant Odette in Singapore.

World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023

  1. Central, Lima, Peru
  2. Disfrutar, Barcelona, Spain
  3. Diverxo, Madrid, Spain
  4. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo, Spain
  5. Alchemist, Copenhagen, Denmark
  6. Maido, Lima, Peru
  7. Lido 84, Gardone Riviera, Italy
  8. Atomix, New York, USA
  9. Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico
  10. Table by Bruno Verjus, Paris, France
  11. Trèsind Studio, Dubai, UAE
  12. A Casa do Porco, São Paulo, Brazil
  13. Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico
  14. Odette, Singapore
  15. Le Du, Bangkok, Thailand
  16. Reale, Castel di Sangro, Italy
  17. Gaggan Anand, Bangkok, Thailand
  18. Steirereck, Vienna, Austria
  19. Don Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  20. Quique Dacosta, Denia, Spain
  21. Den, Tokyo, Japan
  22. Elkano, Getaria, Spain
  23. Kol, London, UK
  24. Septime, Paris, France
  25. Belcanto, Lisbon, Portugal
  26. Schloss Schauenstein, Fürstenau, Germany
  27. Florilège, Tokyo, Japan
  28. Kjolle, Lima, Peru
  29. Boragó, Santiago, Chile
  30. Frantzén, Stockholm, Sweden
  31. Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain
  32. Hiša Franko, Kobarid, Slovenia
  33. El Chato, Bogotá, Colombia
  34. Uliassi, Senigallia, Italy
  35. Ikoyi, London, UK
  36. Plénitude, Paris, France
  37. Sézanne, Tokyo, Japan
  38. The Clove Club, London, UK
  39. The Jane, Antwerp, Belgium
  40. Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin, Germany
  41. Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy
  42. Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy
  43. Leo, Bogotá, Colombia
  44. Le Bernardin, New York, USA
  45. Nobelhart & Schmutzig, Berlin, Germany
  46. Orfali Bros Bistro, Dubai, UAE
  47. Mayta, Lima, Peru
  48. La Grenouillère, La Madeleine-sous-Montreuil, France
  49. Rosetta, Mexico City, Mexico
  50. The Chairman, Hong Kong, China
  51. Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
  52. Hof Van Cleve, Kruishoutem, Belgium
  53. Brat, London, UK
  54. Alcalde, Guadalajara, Mexico
  55. Ernst, Berlin, Germany
  56. Sorn, Bangkok, Thailand
  57. Jordnær, Copenhagen, Denmark
  58. Lasai, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
  59. Mérito, Lima, Peru
  60. La Cime, Osaka, Japan
  61. Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, New York, USA
  62. Arpège, Paris, France
  63. Neolokal, Istanbul, Turkey
  64. Aponiente, El Puerto de Santa María, Spain
  65. Burnt Ends, Singapore
  66. Turk Fatih Tutak, Istanbul, Turkey
  67. Le Clarence, Paris, France
  68. SingleThread, Healdsburg, USA
  69. Zén, Singapore
  70. Sud 777, Mexico City, Mexico
  71. Core by Clare Smyth, London, UK
  72. Sühring, Bangkok, Thailand
  73. Cosme, New York, USA
  74. Nusara, Bangkok, Thailand
  75. Fyn, Cape Town, South Africa
  76. Oteque, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  77. Tantris, Munich, Germany
  78. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, Paris, France
  79. Nuema, Quito, Ecuador
  80. Flocons de Sel, Megève, France
  81. Azurmendi, Larrabetzu, Spain
  82. Enigma, Barcelona, Spain
  83. Sazenka, Tokyo, Japan
  84. Meta, Singapore
  85. Enrico Bartolini, Milan, Italy
  86. Lyle’s, London, UK
  87. Ossiano, Dubai, UAE
  88. Potong, Bangkok, Thailand
  89. Mingles, Seoul, South Korea
  90. Wing, Hong Kong, China
  91. Kadeau, Copenhagen, Denmark
  92. Neighborhood, Hong Kong, China
  93. Kei, Paris, France
  94. La Colombe, Cape Town, South Africa
  95. Ceto, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France
  96. Ricard Camarena Restaurant, Valencia, Spain
  97. Labyrinth, Singapore
  98. Saison, San Francisco, USA
  99. Fu He Hui, Shanghai, China
  100. Maito, Panama City, Panama 

Best Restaurant in the World: Central, Lima, Peru
Best Restaurant in Europe: Disfrutar, Barcelona, Spain
Best Restaurant in North America: Atomix, New York, USA
Best Restaurant in South America: Central, Lima, Peru
Best Restaurant in Asia: Odette, Singapore
Best Restaurant in Middle East & Africa: Trèsind Studio, Dubai, UAE 

World’s Best Pastry Chef Award: Pía Salazar of Nuema, Quito, Ecuador
Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award: Atomix, New York, USA
Beronia World’s Best Sommelier Awards: Miguel Ángel Millán, Diverxo, Madrid, Spain
Aspire Lifestyles Highest New Entry Award: Uliassi, Senigallia, Italy
Villa Massa Highest Climber Award: Alchemist, Copenhagen, Denmark
Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award: Julien Royer of Odette, Singapore
Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award: Fyn, Cape Town, South Africa
American Express One To Watch Award: Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi, New York, USA
Icon Award: Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain
World’s Best Female Chef Award: Elena Reygadas of Rosetta, Mexico City, Mexico
Champions Of Change Award: Nora Fitzgerald Belahcen, founder of Amal, and Othón Nolasco and Damián Diaz of food-security project No Us Without You LA. 

Best Of The Best

  • 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)

For our thoughts on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, see Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.
For our thoughts on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, see The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
For all 50 Best related content, see 50 Best.

Nicholas Ng

Nicholas Ng is a restaurant critic and drinks writer and is the editor of independent publication Food For Thought. He has been a freelance journalist for the 15 years and has previously worked as a lawyer and in digital marketing. He currently is the Principal Consultant of A Thought Full Consultancy, a food and beverage marketing consultancy.

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