Central has been unveiled as the world’s best restaurant, topping the list of The 50 World’s Best Restaurants sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, at a ceremony in Valencia, Spain.
Greeted with rapturous applause, Central's Virgilio Martínez and Pía León accepted the award of number one on The World's 50 Best Restaurant list 2023. "It's not about being number one, competing or being the best, it's about what we do every day," Virgilio said. "We're just looking for the truth."
A multiple winner of Latin America's Best Restaurant, Central in Lima, was, according to most, overdue the recognition as the world's best restaurant.
As usual, the awards ceremony was preceded by individual awards in the build-up to tonight’s event as well as the usual 100-51 list of restaurants that didn’t make the top 50.
American-Nigerian chef Kwame Onwuachi was awarded the One to Watch Award 2023 for his work at his New York restaurant Tatiana. The World’s Best Female Chef 2023, was awarded to Elena Reygadas for her work at one of Mexico City’s outstanding restaurants, Rosetta. Basque chef and fearless food innovator Andoni Luis Aduriz was named as winner of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Icon Award 2023.
Some individual awards were given out on the night, including for chef Peter Tempelhoff’s Fyn in Cape Town, South Africa which was awarded the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant award. Pía Salazar of Nuema in Quito, Ecuador was named The World's Best Pastry Chef. Miguel Ángel Millán of Diverxo in Madrid was awarded the Beronia World's Best Sommelier Award. The Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award went to Copenhagen’s Alchemist.
See the full list of the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 1-50, below:
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 (Highest Climber)
9. Quintonil, Mexico City
10. Table by Bruno Verjus, Paris (Highest New Entry)
11. Trèsind Studio, Dubai
12. A Casa do Porco, São Paulo
13. Pujol, Mexico City
14. Odette, Singapore (also Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award)
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, Bogota
34. Uliassi, Senigalia
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, Bogota
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