A Peruvian spot took No. 1, while five U.S. chefs kept places on the list.
The 2025 recipients of the restaurant world’s most influential global awards, the World’s 50 Best list, were announced Thursday night at a ceremony in Turin, Italy.
Maido became the second restaurant in Lima, Peru, to reach the top spot. Asador Etxebarri in the Basque region of Spain held onto its place at No. 2. Quintonil in Mexico City, DiverXO in Madrid, and Alchemist in Copenhagen filled out the top five.
“We talk a lot about sustainability of the environment, but we rarely talk about human sustainability,” said Mitsuharu Tsumura, Maido’s chef, who has helped redefine the centuries-old Japanese-Peruvian culinary tradition for a modern fine-dining audience. “I think this industry can be an example of how we can bring people together with the power of food.”
Overall, the list continued to recognize restaurants outside of the European fine-dining tradition, with innovative presentations, experimental flavors and hyperlocal ingredients.
The highest-ranking U.S. restaurant was Atomix, which reached No. 6 in 2024 but came in twelfth this year, fresh off winning a James Beard award for outstanding hospitality on Monday.
U.S. restaurants on the “extended” list of 100 included Single Thread in Healdsburg, Calif. (80), Le Bernardin (90) and César (98) in Manhattan (90) and Atelier Crenn in San Francisco (96). Cosme in New York and Smyth in Chicago fell off the list.
Potong, in Bangkok, entered the list at number 13; its chef, Pichaya Soontornyanakij received the controversial “world’s best female chef” award.
The list has been criticized since it was first published in 2002 by Restaurant, a small industry magazine in England. Unlike lists that are reported by publications including The New York Times and Le Monde, or inspected anonymously by an independent entity like the Michelin Guide, the World’s 50 Best list allows its 1100 voters to accept free meals and other perks. The voters are supposed to remain anonymous, but many of the “gastronomic experts” are chefs, food writers and social media influencers who are well known in the food world.
Nonetheless, the list has become a popular tool for gastrotourists. The rapid growth has also led to offshoot lists for Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and, most recently, North America.
El Bulli in Spain (now closed) and Noma, in Copenhagen, took the No. 1 spot so many times that in 2019, a new rule was enacted: Every restaurant that reaches the top of the list becomes ineligible for future awards. They are moved to a “Best of the Best” list, where they remain forever. In the United States, that includes Eleven Madison Park, in Manhattan, and The French Laundry in Napa Valley. The list, in reverse order:
50. Jan, Munich
49. Kol, London
48. Celele, Cartagena
47. Vyn, Simrishamn, Sweden
46. Rosetta, Mexico City
45 L’ Arpège, Paris
44 La Cime, Osaka
43. Uliassi, Senigallia, Italy
42. Belcanto, Lisbon
41. Kadeau, Copenhagen
40. Septime, Paris
39. Mayta, Lima
38. Frantzén, Stockholm
37. Orfali Bros., Dubai
36. Florilege, Tokyo
35 Nusara, Bangkok
34. Enigma, Barcelona (Adria)
33. Steirereck, Vienna
32. Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy
31. Le Calandre, Padua, Italy
30. Le Du, Bangkok
29. Mingles, Seoul
27. Trèsind Studio, Dubai
26. Merito, Lima
25. Odette, Singapore
24. Elkano, Getaria
23. Borago, Santiago
22. Sühring, Bangkok
21. Narisawa, Tokyo
20. Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler, Brunico, Italy
19. The Chairman, Hong Kong
18. Reale, Castel del Sangro, Italy
17. Sorn, Bangkok
16. Lido 84, Lake Garda, Italy
15. Ikoyi, London
14. Plenitude, Paris
13. Potong, Bangkok
12. Atomix, New York
11. Wing, Hong Kong
10. Don Julio, Buenos Aires
9. Kjolle, Lima
8. Table by Bruno Verjus, Paris
7. Sézanne, Tokyo
6. Gaggan, Bangkok
5. Alchemist, Copenhagen
4. DiverXO, Madrid
3. Quintonil, Mexico City
2. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo, Spain