This Restaurant Is Now the Best in the World

After publishing its annual list last June, the World’s 50 Best Awards is back, announcing its winners in Singapore on June 25. Taking the number one spot? Mirazur in Menton, France.

A three-Michelin star restaurant, Mirazur is run by Argentinean chef Mauro Colagreco, who grows much of the restaurant’s produce in his own backyard. Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and just steps from the Italian border, the restaurant—which was named the third-best in the world in 2018—produces Côte d’Azur flavors: think salt-crusted red beetroot, and oyster with tapioca, shallot cream, and pear.

René Redzepi’s Noma restaurant, which took second place, was a favorite to win the top prize, despite having already won it four previous times, and despite a new-as-of-this-year rule stipulating that previous winners are no longer eligible for the top 50 list; instead, they’ve been moved to a new “Best of the Best” list. (This rule eliminated past winners like Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, and El Celler De Can Roca in Girona, Spain, from the 50 Best.)

Photo by Ditte Isager

Chalk it up to technicalities: Because Noma was closed for a year and reopened in a new location, it was thus allowed to be in contention. The fact that it ranked so highly, again, is of little surprise: Noma 2.0 earned rave reviews for its 20-course seafood meals from New York Times critic Pete Wells, and Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema wrote that the restaurant’s sea snail broth and kelp ice cream tasted like “food of the future.”

In addition to touting a more diverse winners’ list, the World’s 50 Best organization this year has also committed to a 50/50 gender balance in its voting academy, reports Eater. The list has been criticized in the past for its diversity problem, with little representation from women and few non-Western restaurants, but a release from the organization said this year’s rankings “has a strong female presence.” San Francisco fine dining star Dominique Crenn, who has in the past criticized the list for its gender inequality, saw her restaurant, Atelier Crenn, land at number 35. Slovenian restaurant Hiša Franko, which is run by chef Ana Ros, who won the “best female chef” award in 2017, took 38th place.

In addition to Mirazur, another France-based restaurant, Arpège, made the top 10, ringing in at number 8. Denmark, Spain, and Peru also had two restaurants each in the top 10. Gaggan, in Bangkok, Thailand, is the highest-ranking Asia-based restaurant on the list at 4, and Enrique Olvera’s Mexico City-based Pujol, at 12, is the highest-ranking North American restaurant.

Photo courtesy ATM Group

The announcement of the top 50 restaurants is a culmination of awards from the organization, which also recognized Jessica Préalpato of Paris restaurant Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée as the world’s best pastry chef and Daniela Soto-Innes of New York City’s Cosme as the best female chef last week. Cosme, which is ranked number 23 in the world, is also the highest-ranked U.S. restaurant on the list.

The full list of the best restaurants in the world—from 1 to 120—appears below. Where are you eating tonight?

Photo by Evan Sung

2. Mirazur (Menton, France)
3. Noma (Copengagen, Denmark)
4. Asador Etxebarri (Atxondo, Spain)
5. Gaggan (Bangkok, Thailand)
6. Geranium (Copenhagen, Denmark)
7. Central (Lima, Peru)
8. Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain)
9. Arpège (Paris, France)
10. Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain)
11. Maido (Lima, Peru)
12. Den (Tokyo, Japan)
13. Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico)
14. White Rabbit (Moscow, Russia)
15. Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Spain)
16. Septime (Paris, France)
17. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (Paris, France)
18. Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)
19. Odette (Singapore)
20. Twins Garden (Moscow, Russia)
21. Tickets (Barcelona, Spain)
22. Frantzén (Stockholm, Sweden)
23. Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)
24. Cosme (New York City, USA)
25. Quintonil (Mexico City, Mexico)
26. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris, France)
27. Boragó (Santiago, Chile)
28. The Clove Club (London, United Kingdom)
29. Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantico Hills, USA)
30. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)
31. Elkano (Getaria, Spain)
32. Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)
33. Nerua (Bilbao, Spain)
34. Lyle’s (London, United Kingdom)
35. Don Julio (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
36. Atelier Crenn (San Francisco, USA)
37. Le Bernardin (New York City, USA)
38. Alinea (Chicago, USA)
39. Hiša Franko (Kobarid, Slovenia)
40. A Casa do Porco (São Paulo, Brazil)
41. Restaurant Tim Raue (Berlin, Germany)
42. The Chairman (Hong Kong)
43. Belcanto (Lisbon, Portugal)
44. Hof Van Cleve (Kruishoutem, Belgium)
45. Test Kitchen (Cape Town, South Africa)
46. Sühring (Bangkok, Thailand)
47. De Librije (Zwolle, Netherlands)
48. Benu (San Francisco, USA)
49. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet (Shanghai, China)
50. Leo (Bogotá, Colombia)
51. Schloss Schauenstein (Fürstenau, Switzerland)
52. Reale, Castel del Sangro, Italy
53. Mikla, Istanbul
54. Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain
55. D.O.M., Sao Paolo
56. Maeemo, Oslo
57. Relae, Copenhagen
58. Nobelhart and Schmutzig, Berlin
59. Sud 777, Mexico City
60. Burnt Ends, Singapore
61. Indian Accent, New Delhi
62. Uliassi, Senigallia, Italy
63. Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo
64. Florilege, Tokyo
65. The Ledbury, London
66. Selfie, Moscow
67. Core by Clare Smyth, London
68. Astrid y Gaston, Lima
69. Faviken, Jarpen, Sweden
70. Nahm, Bangkok
71. Saison, San Francisco
72. SingleThread, Healdsburg, USA
73. Aqua, Wolsfburg, Germany
74. Mani, Sao Paolo
75. Lasai, Rio de Janiero
76. DiverXo, Madrid
77. Momofuku Ko, New York
78. Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, New York
79. Lido 84, Gardone, Riviera, Italy
80. Mingles, Seoul
81. Estela, New York
82. Quique Dacosta, Denia, Spain
83. Enigma, Barcelona
84. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London
85. Attica, Melbourne
86. Amass, Copenhagen
87. Tegui, Buenos Aires, Argentina
88. Martin Berasategui, Lasate-Oria, Spain
89. Lun King Heen, Hong Kong
90. 108, Copenhagen
91. Alo, Toronto
92. Sushi Saito, Tokyo
93. Harvest, St. Petersburg
94. La Cime, Osaka, Japan
95. Aponiente, El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain
96. Gaa, Bankok
97. Belon, Hong Kong
98. Vendome, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
99. Anne-Sophie Pic, Valence, France
100. The Jane, Antwerp, Belgium
101. Oteque, Rio de Janeiro
102. Brae, Birregurra, Australia
103. Amber, Hong Kong
104. Jade Dragon, Macao
105. Cococo, St. Petersburg
106. Kadeau, Copenhagen
107. Restaurant David Toutain, Paris
108. Il Ristorante Luca Fantin, Tokyo
109. L’Astrance, Paris
110. Alcalde, Guadalajara, Mexico
111. Neolokal, Istanbul
112. Chambre Separee, Ghent, Belgium
113. St. John, London
114. Vea, Hong Kong
115. La Colombe, Cape Town
116. Per Se, New York
117. St. Hubertus, San Cassiano, Italy
118. Epicure, Paris
119. Ernst, Berlin
120. Atomix, New York
121. Sugalabo, Tokyo

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