Central Restaurant Tops The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023

With the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia as the setting, The World’s 50 Best has unveiled its famous list of the best restaurants in the world. This 2023, Central, located in Lima (Peru), has won first place in the ranking, becoming the first Latin American restaurant to top this desired list.

Behind this restaurant are Virgilio Martínez and his wife Pía León, who together defend a cuisine inspired by Peruvian traditions with a strong commitment to avant-garde techniques. Fire has a special role and a firm commitment to sustainability and local culture. Another of his projects is Mater, a network of ‘know how’ about Peru that is the backbone of the gastronomic proposal of the best restaurant in the world.

After years hovering around the top 10 of the list, reaching second place in the last edition, Central de Virgilio Martínez was the clear favorite to lead the ranking of the best restaurants in the world this 2023. It made its entry in 2013, occupying position 50. The following year, it climbed resoundingly reaching position number 4. Until last year it has fluctuated, but never lowered than sixth position. It has also been chosen five times as the best restaurant in Latin America. Now the rumors have come true and it touches gastronomic heaven.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants gala, considered the Oscars for gastronomy and attended every year by the elite of the gourmet universe, was held in the city of Valencia. Among the sponsors were San Pellegrino, Acqua Panna, the Beronia wine brand or the Iberian house of Cinto Jotas. It was directed by Olivia Freijo and had a strong Spanish representation, both in the ranking of the 50 best restaurants in the world and in the special awards.

Spain: protagonist in the best restaurants in the world

Although it is a controversial list due to the selection criteria, the truth is that Spanish gastronomy tends to do very well. This year there have been 10 restaurants that have a presence on the list. And up to 3 of them have sneaked into the top 10; and 6 in the top 50. As last year, Disfrutar (Barcelona) and DiverXO (Madrid) have been crowned as the Spanish leaders in gastronomy occupying positions 2 and 3. A little further down, we have been able to enjoy the presence of Asador Etxebarri (Atxondo), Elkano (Guetaria), Mugaritz (Errenteria) and Quique Dacosta (Denia).

Although Virgilio Martínez’s Central (Lima) was the great favourite, Disfrutar and Diverxo were also clear candidates to become the best restaurant in the world. In the first, Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch, three Bullinians who continue to make creativity and innovative cooking techniques their roadmap, continue to play with the limits of gastronomy in the purest Adrià style. A festival of textures and subtleties without giving up the demand for flavor, worthy heirs of elBulli. On behalf of the entire team, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch attended.

Dish from the restaurant Enjoy.

On the other hand, Dabiz Muñoz’s restaurant, crowned for the second year in a row as the ‘Best Chef in the World’, achieved the coveted number 3 position. His ingenuity and mastery in combining explosive flavors make Diverxo’s cuisine unique in the world. In his tasting menus, the chef combines the gastronomic memories of his travels with technique and culinary perfection. His flying pigs reach new heights every time and there was Dabiz Muñoz with his inseparable wife Cristina Pedroche, who is very close to giving birth.

Entrance to the Diverxo restaurant with ants and flying pigs.

The big surprise came from New York-based Korean Atomix, which was ranked number 8, up 25 places.

Special Awards at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

In addition to proclaiming the best restaurants in the world, during The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 gala held in Valencia, different characters from the gastronomic universe took the stage for their individual gastronomic work.

The Basque Andoni Luis Aduriz came out to collect the ‘Icon Award 2023’ award, the only one known, for his career. “For 25 years, Andoni has pushed the boundaries of creative gastronomy at Mugaritz, consistently presenting a menu that is sometimes dark, exciting and unexpected, but always exquisitely innovative. He is also one of the most influential and beloved chefs of the 21st century. to date. It is an honor to name him the winner of this year’s Icon Award,” said William Drew, content director for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The award was presented to him by chef Massimo Bottura.

Andoni Luis Aduriz, from the Mugaritz restaurant.

The best sommelier, Miguel Ángel Millán

Also among the Spanish honorees is sommelier Miguel Ángel Millán, who developed a passion for wines while working at the now-closed Jockey in Madrid, then embarked on a journey of learning and discovering the sommelier trade that ultimately led him to Diverxo. Master of charming hospitality and serene knowledge, he follows in the footsteps of Josep Roca to receive the Beronia Award for the Best Sommelier in the World 2023.

Eleven Madison’s Daniel Humm, who is part of the Best of the Bests for his first place in 2017, presented the Hospitality Award to Alchemist (Copenhage).

The ‘Chef’s Choice Award’ was presented by the unrepeatable Joan Roca, from El Celler de Can Roca, and he presented it to Julien Royer from the Odette restaurant in Singapore, which ranks 14th.

Fyn, in Cape Town, won the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award; Table by Bruno Verjus (No.10), from Paris, took home the Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by Aspire Lifestyles; while the Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award went to Julien Royer, from Odette, Singapore.

The complete list of the ’50 best restaurants in the world’

1. Central (Lima)
2. Enjoy (Barcelona)
3. DiverXO (Madrid)
4. Etxebarri Grill (Atxondo)
5. Alchemist (Copenhagen)
6. Maido (Lime)
7. Lido 84 (Gardone Riviera)
8. Atomix (New York)
9. Quintonil (Mexico City)
10. Table by Bruno Verjus (Paris)
11. Tresind Studio (Dubai)
12. A Casa do Porco (São Paulo)
13. Pujol (Mexico City)
14. Odette (Singapore)
15. Ledu (Bangkok)
16. Reale (Castel di Sangro)
17.Gaggan Anand (Bangkok)
18. Steirereck (Vienna)
19. Don Julio (Buenos Aires)
twenty. Quique Dacosta (Denia)
21.Den (Tokyo)
22. Elkano (Getaria)
23. Kol (London)
24. Septime (Paris)
25. Belcanto (Lisbon)
26. Schloss Schauenstein (Fürstenau)
27. Florilege (Tokyo)
28. Kjolle (Lime)
29. Borago (Santiago, Chile)
30. Frantzen (Stockholm)
31. Mugaritz (San Sebastian)
32. Hisa Franko (Kobarid)
33. El Chato (Bogotá)
34. Uliassi (Senigallia)
35. Ikoyi (London)
36. Plenitude (Paris)
37. Sezanne (Tokyo)
38. The Clove Club (London)
39. The Jane (Antwerp)
40. Restaurant Tim Raue (Berlin)
41. Le Calandre (Rubano)
42. Piazza Duomo (Dawn)
43. Leo (Bogotá)
44. Le Bernardin (New York)
45. Nobelhart & Schmutzig (Berlin)
46. ​​Orfali Bros Bistro (Dubai)
47. Mayta (Lime)
48. La Grenouillere (La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil)
49. Rosetta (Mexico City)
50. The Chairman (Hong Kong)

A few weeks ago we also knew the continuation of this gastronomic ranking. Among them are Aponiente by Ángel León (64), Azurmendi by Eneko Atxa (81), Enigma by Albert Adrià (82) and Ricard Camarena by the chef himself (96). This is the complete list with the best restaurants in the world from 51 to 100:

51. Narisawa (Tokyo)
52. Hof Van Cleve (Kruishoutem)
53. Brat (London)
54. Mayor (Guadalajara)
55. Ernst (Berlin)
56.Sorn (Bangkok)
57. Jordnæ (Copenhagen)
58. Lasai (Rio de Janeiro)
59. Merit (Lime)
60. The Peak (Osaka)
61. Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare (New York)
62. Arpege (Paris)
63. Neolokal (Istanbul)
64. Aponiente (El Puerto de Santa María)
65. Burnt Ends (Singapore)
66. Turk Fatih Tutak (Istanbul)
67. Le Clarence (Paris)
68.SingleThread (Healdsburg)
69. Zen (Singapore)
70. Sud 777 (Mexico City)
71. Core by Clare Smyth (London)
72. Suhring (Bangkok)
73. Cosmas (New York)
74. Nusara (Bangkok)
75. Fyn (Cape Town)
76. Oteque (Rio de Janeiro
77. Tantris (Munich)
78. Alléno (Paris au Pavillon Ledoye, Paris)
79. Nuema (Quito)
80. Flocons de Sel (Megeve)
81. Azurmendi (Larrabetzu)
82. Enigma (Barcelona)
83. Sazenka (Tokyo)
84. Goal (Singapore)
85. Enrico Bartolini (Milan)
86. Lyle’s (London)
87. Ossiano (Dubai)
88. Potong (Bangkok)
89. Mingles (Seoul)
90.Wing (Hong Kong)
91. Kadeau (Copenhagen)
92.Neighborhood (Hong Kong)
93. Kei (Paris)
94. La Colombe (Cape Town)
95. Keto (Roquebrune-Cap-Martin)
96. Ricard Camarena (Valencia)
97. Labyrinth (Singapore)
98. Season (San Francisco)
99. Fu He Hui (Shanghai)
100. Maito (Panama City)