In the lead up to the reveal of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 list, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, in London on Monday 18th July, 50 Best unveils which restaurants have been ranked between No.51 and No.100.
Featuring venues from 22 destinations, including brand-new appearances from the Middle East, the 51-100 list showcases 50 highly commended restaurants from all corners of the globe. Ready your knife and fork with this photo-led countdown of some of the world’s best dining experiences
No.100 Wing – NEW ENTRY
Hong Kong
@wingrestaurant_hk
While Wing is a new restaurant on Hong Kong’s dining scene (having opened in 2021), chef Vicky Cheng of Vea fame has long been exposed to the international limelight. Located on the first floor of its sister restaurant and laid out as a mosaic of private dining rooms, Wing allows the classically trained chef to experiment with his Chinese x French cuisine. Expect sharp technique and contemporary flourishes on the seasonal tasting menu, exemplified in dishes such as chargrilled honey glazed wagyu beef, drunken wild sea snail and abalone with Yunnan chilli. Meals here are best enjoyed by groups of four or more.
No.99 Flocons de Sel – NEW ENTRY
Megève
@floconsdesel
Perched high on the French-Swiss border, Flocons de Sel is a true celebration of its Alpine setting. With a choice of five dishes in the ‘Promenade’ menu, or eight in ‘Randonné’, each selection of dishes reads like a mountain walk. Acclaimed chef Emmanuel Renaut pulls out all the stops with his combinations of local ingredients and presents the likes of artichoke and black truffle; langoustines with lemon, caviar and grapefruit; and pike and monkfish biscuit. The experience is complete with breath-taking panoramas of the mountain vista.
No.98 Tantris
Munich
@tantris_maison_culinaire
Visit Tantris in its monolithic, brutalist building and you’re likely to be catapulted back to the Seventies. With much of its décor in situ from the original 1971 launch and a deep-red glow permeating the dining room, not much has changed in the half-century since the restaurant opened; but that’s part of the charm. Under the gaze of chef Benjamin Chmura, the culinary institution serves western European plates, which at any one time might include red mullet with artichoke and olives; asparagus with smoked eel; or veal’s head with sweetbreads and capers.
No.97 Benu
San Francisco
@benu_sf
Riffing between Korean, Cantonese and contemporary American culinary traditions, Benu is becoming a mainstay on 50 Best lists. Chef Corey Lee has been at the helm since 2010, after his tenure as head chef at the Best of the Best restaurant, The French Laundry. Benu epitomises the idea of friendly fine dining with its convivial Californian dining room and serene courtyard. Aside from a few longstanding favourites – don’t miss the 1,000-year-old quail’s egg with ginger and cabbage – the menu changes regularly. Diners are kept on their toes with tantalising flavours from giant squid or braised beef rib to fried rabbit or white asparagus with spicy pollock roe.
No.96 Maní
São Paulo
@manimanioca
Located in the trendy Pinheiros neighbourhood of São Paulo, Maní oozes charm and warmth from every corner of the room – and indeed its terrace. The restaurant takes inspiration from organic ingredients mixed with childhood nostalgia resulting in a vibrant and provoking tasting menu. For an authentic taste of Brazil, opt for the vatapá (a typical stew) with lobster, chicken and green papaya or the tomato and jaboticaba (a Brazilian fruit similar to a grape). Throughout her illustrious career, chef Helena Rizzo has been recognised as both Latin America’s Best Female Chef and The World’s Best Female Chef.
No.95 Meta – NEW ENTRY
Singapore
@metasingapore
Korean chef Sun Kim’s resumé reads like a passport to some of the world’s most interesting and diverse gastronomic landscapes. After honing his skills in Sydney and Singapore, where he trained under chef Tetsuya Wakuda, Kim established Meta in 2015. Take a seat in the open, welcoming dining room or a coveted space at the counter, where you can watch your desserts being plated. The seasonally dependent tasting menu features a plethora of Korean dishes such as gyeran-jjim (steamed eggs) with uni, cabbage and kimchi, or jumbo prawns alongside white asparagus and Oscietra caviar.
No.94 Burnt Ends
Singapore
@burntends.sg
Singapore favourite Burnt Ends is dominated by a huge a two-storey brick kiln that touches almost every dish that passes through the kitchen. Designed by chef-owner Dave Pynt, its flames permeate myriad dishes, such as the 75-day dry aged wagyu beef, eel and bone marrow served on sourdough, and the famous pulled-pork sanger. Despite appearances, the menu is far from meat-dominated: those looking for a meat-averse meal can try the delicate egg tart or the crunchy uni slider. A master of his craft, Pynt counts the Basque charcoal griller Victor Arguinzoniz among his early mentors.
No.93 Hertog Jan at Botanic Sanctuary – NEW ENTRY
Antwerp
@hertog_jan_at_botanic
An ode to its predecessor, Hertog Jan in Zedelgem, which closed its doors in 2018, chef Gert de Mangeleer and business partner Joachim Boudens have gone back to the drawing board with this lively and contemporary restaurant in Antwerp. Set in the oasis of calm that is the Botanic Sanctuary, diners can enjoy a fixed menu among the greenhouse, beehives and herb garden. The multi-course menu may feature the ‘caviar explosion’, with smoked sturgeon dashi and salmon trout eggs on crispy sourdough, or langoustine tartare with beetroot and raspberry. De Mangeleer adds a touch of nostalgia in the final course, serving a Brussels waffle inspired by his grandmother.
No.92 Indian Accent
New Delhi
@indianaccent
Indian Accent always impresses with its winning combination of creative modern dishes and warm hospitality. Chef Manish Mehrotra’s tasting menu is a colourful procession of small bites, starring Kashmiri morel with butter rice, malai paneer and squash curry. For dessert, try the soft baked chocolate with fresh berries and basundi (a traditional Indian condensed milk). The degustation offers the full experience, but there’s also a comprehensive à la carte option and a three-course lunch. It’s a bread bonanza at Indian Accent: the dedicated bread bar offers more than eight different types, including a showstopping wild mushroom kulcha drizzled with truffle oil.
No.91 Oriole – NEW ENTRY
Chicago
@oriolechi
Marking its debut on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 51-100 list, Oriole has become an unmissable stop on any gastronomic tour of The Windy City. In a secluded spot in the West Loop neighbourhood, chef Noah Sandoval and his wife Cara have set up shop, presenting a host of global cuisines. Diners enjoy the intimate atmosphere of the low-lit and exposed-brick dining room, while being treated to a parade of delicate small plates: uni crab follows wagyu tartare tempura, then langoustine dumpling with smoked squash. The last word is had by a sphere of juniper and cherry, garnished with lime.
No.90 Wolfgat
Paternoster
@wolfgat
Chef Kobus van der Merwe’s restaurant in beautiful coastal Paternoster in South Africa serves a seven-course menu built on local indigenous ingredients in dishes inspired by the surrounding landscape. With only 20 diners per sitting, the restaurant has an intimate atmosphere and, more importantly, maintains sustainability by keeping it small. Try the Saldanha Bay oyster mushroom for a taste of the oceanic West Coast, or springbok loin with kale and sea lettuce. The old advice not to fill up on bread does not apply here: especially when paired with the signature bokkom butter and wild sage.
No.89 Máximo Bistrot – NEW ENTRY
Mexico City
@maximobistrot
Chef Eduardo García and his wife Gabriela Lopez have celebrated local ingredients at Máximo Bistrot since the restaurant opened in 2011. The winner of the Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award in Latin America’s special edition, Pasado y Futuro in 2021 has always been at the forefront of gastronomic innovation and his dishes are a colourful representation of Mexico City’s sustainable gardens. Fusing classic European techniques with traditional Mexican ingredients, the tasting menu features everything from tostadas with crab and mole, to ravioli stuffed with huitlacoche (a corn-based delicacy) and Creole plum sorbet. To complement the meal, opt for one of the agave-based cocktails.
No.88 Mishiguene – NEW ENTRY
Buenos Aires
@mishigueneba
Chef Tomas Kalika’s eclectic experience with Middle Eastern, Russian, Polish and Moroccan flavour profiles comes to the fore at Mishiguene. Meaning ‘crazy’ in Yiddish, the Buenos Aires-based restaurant honours the city’s Jewish diaspora. Contemporary reinventions of Ashenazi and Sephardic dishes are the order of the day: try the watermelon and cucumber fatoush (a salad traditionally made with tomatoes, pine nuts and radishes) or the restaurant’s classic babaganoush – a colourful melange of wood-smoked aubergine seasoned with lime, toasted almonds tomato coulis and tahini. Top tip is to book for a Friday night, when the restaurant team celebrates Shabbat with song, dance and live music.
No.87 Orfali Bros Bistro – NEW ENTRY
Dubai
@orfalibros_bistro
Founded by three food-loving Syrian brothers, Orfali Bros Bistro is a true dedication to global cuisine. Mohammad, Wasim and Omar have devised a menu of their favourite dishes, organised by temperature and all featuring a certain nostalgia and whimsy. Standout plates include the vegetable-inspired ‘Roots of my Backyard Forest’ featuring labneh, walnut muhammara, carrot and nasturtium, and ‘Come with me to Aleppo’, blending wagyu beef, sour cherry tomato sauce, parsley and cinnamon. A new entry to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 51-100 list, the restaurant made its debut in the 50 Best family at the inaugural Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2022.
No.86 Mikla
Istanbul
@miklarestaurant
Come to Mikla for the best-in-Istanbul views; stay for the visionary interpretations of traditional Turkish plates. Brainchild of Turkish-Scandinavian chef Mehmet Gürs, the daily-changing menu focuses on ‘noble’ Anatolian produce: octopus with almonds, fish roe and pickled green beans may be found alongside grilled sea bass with lemon balm and courgette. The Bosphorus River below is as free flowing as Mikla’s wine programme, where a comprehensive list is designed to complement the variety of plates in both the à la carte and tasting menu options. As this one-of-a-kind gastronomic experience takes place on a sunlit rooftop in the heart of Istanbul, the restaurant features the best view for miles around.
No.85 Raan Jay Fai – NEW ENTRY
Bangkok
@jayfaibangkok
The chef, the woman, the legend, Supinya ‘Jay Fai’ Junsuta, has been serving iconic Thai dishes on her corner of Bangkok for over 40 years. Alongside the restaurant’s hyper-casual street food style (retained from its humble origins as a hawker stall) and Jay Fai’s trademark goggles to protect her eyes from the smoking wok, much remains the same – especially the quality of the food. Don’t miss the favourites: pad kee mao talay – seafood with drunken noodles, or the khai jiao poo – the famous omelette, crispy on the outside and packed with succulent crab meat. Every diner puts their faith in the capable hands of the chef-proprietor, whose wok tosses each and every dish that passes through the kitchen.
No.84 Gimlet at Cavendish House – NEW ENTRY
Melbourne
@gimlet.melbourne
Proudly representing Australia on this year’s 51-100 list, the new entry by chef Andrew McConnell has only recently opened its doors to full capacity. Inspired by the glamour of 20th-century Chicago, Gimlet at Cavenish House is grand and contemporary, with intimate booths set in an elegant dining room. The à la carte menu retains all the hallmarks of a McConnell classic, featuring the likes of dry-aged Muscovy duck breast with Corella pear and liquorice, and grass-fed tomahawk cooked over coals. Stay for dessert to sample the quince choux pastry with hazelnut praline gelato.
No.83 El Chato
Bogotá
@elchato_rest
Found on one of the bustling streets in Colombia’s capital city of Bogotá, chef Alvaro Clavijo’s restaurant El Chato features some of the best produce the biodiverse country has to offer. Take a seat at one of the wooden tables for an excellent view of the comprehensive spice library and open kitchen, where Clavijo’s team plates up a host of dishes. Look out for the Pacific prawns with portobello mushrooms, red bell pepper bisque and pickled green papaya, or the pasta dish with Arracacha caramel foam, mature goat cheese and sacha ipchi (a mountainous variety of peanut).
No.82 Sézanne – NEW ENTRY
Tokyo
@chezcalvert
The latest work from British chef Daniel Calvert, who cut his teeth at some of the top restaurants in the Western Hemisphere – Pied à Terre in London, Per Se in New York and Epicure in Paris – Sézanne arrived on Tokyo’s restaurant scene in 2021 and has already become a firm favourite among the city’s food-lovers. Chef Calvert serves up modern French cuisine laced with Asian influences, with dishes such as asparagus with Hokkaido scallops and caviar and 48-month aged Comté cheese gracing the menu. Named after the town in France’s Champagne region, it pays homage to its origins with a comprehensive range of champagnes and other vintage regional wines.
No.81 Brat
London
@bratrestaurant
It’s seafood supreme at chef Tomos Parry’s London restaurant. Having mastered the art of flame grilling, Parry puts on a daily spread of the UK’s finest meat and fish: sizzling lamb chops, whole turbot and roasted oysters with seaweed and tomato-grilled bread are some of the stars of the show. Inspired by the profound smoky flavours of the Basque Country, Brat’s menu ends with an unmissable trademark burnt cheesecake and rhubarb sauce. Sourcing is taken seriously. Day boats are used for every catch, while wild game comes from local British estates. Add the final touch to your table with a glass of fino or sake.
No.80 AM par Alexandre Mazzia – NEW ENTRY
Marseille
@alexandremazzia
Tucked away on a residential Marseille street, only those in the know bag one of the 24 seats at chef Alexandre Mazzia’s eponymous restaurant. Combining global influences and a distinct taste of the Democratic Republic of Congo where the chef spent his childhood, dishes are complex and profound. Diners are taken on a journey (choose the short- or long-haul version on the boarding-pass style menu) with courgette flowers in a green satay, and saffron beurre blanc with crystallised seaweed and bottarga. Chef Mazzia’s unique approach earns the restaurant the American Express One To Watch Award 2022.
No.79 Estela
New York
@estelanyc
Located in downtown New York, Estela is a classic case of "under promise, over deliver". It’s a boisterous, casual bistro with thoughtful, ultra-serious cooking. Here, chef Ignacio Mattos has perfected a plating style in which one ingredient is effectively hidden underneath another, such as oysters with lime and sea grapes, beef tartare with elderberries and sunchoke, and white peaches served with pecorino and Thai basil. An expert editor, he has an incomparable ability to pare dishes down to two or three essential elements, which are often surprising (see: duck with rhubarb and Szechuan pepper) but always complementary.
No.78 Lasai
Rio de Janeiro
@restaurantelasai
Living up to its name, meaning ‘tranquil’ in the Basque language, Lasai is a combination of world-class cooking from chef Rafa Costa e Silva and a welcoming, informal atmosphere cast by low lights and a solicitous team. The restaurant is set in a historic, century-old house in Rio’s vibrant Botafogo neighbourhood and includes a terrace with a showstopping view of Christ the Redeemer. Ingredients come from the chef’s own farm – which he tends with his wife Malena Cardiel and reflects the best that Brazil has to offer. Lasai’s menu may feature the likes of palm heart ceviche, and banana with bok choy, manioc and sour cream.
No.77 Table by Bruno Verjus – NEW ENTRY
Paris
@bruno_verjus
Food writer turned chef Bruno Verjus has certainly proved that he knows his way around an award-winning kitchen. He opened Table in 2013 in the heart of Paris and delves daily into artisanal produce and global cuisines. On a menu entitled ‘Some colours of the day’, you may find anything form roasted asparagus with vinegar and wild garlic, to candied artichokes with Kalamata olives and lobster caviar. The menu is headed with a quote about feeding the soul, which is exactly how every diner feels after a meal at Table by Bruno Verjus.
No.76 Neighborhood – NEW ENTRY
Hong Kong
@davidtlai
After training in fine dining restaurants in San Francisco, chef David Lai decided to open his own restaurant in the heart of his native Hong Kong. Find Neighborhood hidden down a side street – blink and you’ll miss it – and book in for the incredible French fare and chef Lai’s infallible hospitality. The menu changes according to what’s in season and what is the catch of that particular day, but you may find the likes of fried local cuttlefish with black pudding stuffing, dried permission with homemade bottarga and ham, and charcoal grilled wild duck with trumpet and girolle mushrooms.
No.75 Samrub Samrub Thai – NEW ENTRY
Bangkok
@samrubsamrubthai
It’s a husband-and-wife team running the show at one of Bangkok’s up-and-coming restaurants. Chef Prin Polsuk, the husband and head chef, learnt his craft working under the legendary David Thompson and is knowledgeable about all things Thai cuisine. His wife, Thanyaporn “Mint” Jarukittikun expertly handles the front of house and co-directs the transient menus. Hyper-seasonality is the order of the day. Try the seaweed salad with pickled fish and mussels, or the caramelised sticky rice pudding with watermelon seeds. A notable mainstay dish is the quintessential stir fry dish, Regency Kapow, served with a dash of sweet and smoky pineapple brandy.
No.74 Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Pocantico Hills
@bluehillfarm
Inimitable chef Dan Barber has always been committed to gastronomic excellence, and his restaurant in the Hudson Valley countryside proves to be no exception. Thirty miles north of Manhattan, Barber serves a beautiful 30-course tasting menu centred around the produce from his farmstead. Throughout 2021, the restaurant pivoted to a chef-in-residence programme, with a new chef each month invited to interpret the local landscape through the lens of their indigenous cuisine. Visit the Cafeteria at Stone Barns for a more casual meal and learn about Barber’s ongoing agricultural research.
No.73 Kol – NEW ENTRY
London
@kol.restaurant
Powerhouse young chef Santiago Lastra has been catapulted to global acclaim with the success of his west London-based restaurant, Kol. Nicknamed the ‘nomadic chef’ by his peers, Lastra travelled for four years before setting up his restaurant, hopping between some of the world’s first-class gastronomic venues, including running the Mexico pop-up outpost of Noma. After falling in love with the versatility of Mexican cuisine, Lastra applied the techniques he grew up with to British produce. Today’s menu takes diners on a tour of central America in dishes such as whole grilled octopus, bone marrow, potato and seaweed macha, and a wagyu taco with cascabel chili and rose wine.
No.72 Atelier Crenn
San Francisco
@atelier.crenn
Perched on a steep hillside in Cow Hollow, San Francisco, Atelier Crenn is a serene escape from the city. Complementing the calm interior and cosy dining room is Dominique Crenn’s elegant cuisine, inspired by her childhood and artist father. No two meals here will ever be the same. The tasting menu takes diners on a journey through the time and space, featuring king crab with seaweed, Shiso tempura, abalone, cabbage and smoked mussel, or black cod, vin jaune and farm vegetables. A pioneering chef in more ways than one – given her women’s rights activism and campaigns for the LGBTQ+ community, Crenn was the deserving winner of the Icon Award in 2021.
No.71 Mingles
Seoul
@mingleseoul
Korean chef Mingoo Kang has offered one of Seoul’s top gastronomic experiences since his restaurant Mingles opened in the city in 2014. Inspired by flavours and techniques from Hong Kong and Europe, Kang heroes local ingredients like Hanwoo (Korean beef) with cabbage and soybean soup, and doenjang crème brûlée. Signature main courses include bansang, a Korean plate with rice, soup, kimchi and jang sauce. Enjoying its spacious home in the buzzy Cheongdam-dong neighbourhood, to which it relocated in 2019, the restaurant presents a relaxed and elegant atmosphere, with its bright and spacious interior.
No.70 Zén – NEW ENTRY
Singapore
@restaurantzen.sgp
Sister venue to the vaunted Stockholm restaurant Frantzén, the Singaporean iteration, Zén, is no less impressive. Scottish-born executive chef Tristin Farmer, who trained at restaurants led by Gordon Ramsey and Jason Atherton in London, presents a procession of exquisite dishes that hero the produce of the region. Molluscs sit alongside artichoke barigoule, ginger and nasturtium, while scallops accompany Amalfi lemon, truffle dashi and black radish. Look out for the signature French toast – a Zén favourite – with blue mussel, caviar and wasabi. Opt for the wine pairing for the chance to sample an array of Japanese sake, or the stellar juice pairings if you’d rather swerve the booze.
No.69 Cosme
New York
@gggarnica
Cosme has remained a mainstay on New York’s restaurant scene since opening in 2014. With chef Gustavo Garnica – who has 50 Best heavyweights Narisawa, Frantzén, and Osteria Francescana on his CV – holding the reins in the kitchen, diners can expect a cornucopia of Latin-inspired dishes. Select from the likes of burrata with epazote (a Mexican variety of tea) and pine nuts, or the soft-shell crab, morita chillis and avocado, for a taste of Garnica’s childhood. The desserts, including a chocolate flan with tonka bean and black sesame tamal with caramel and palanqueta (a crunchy peanut brittle) are similarly beautifully conceptualised bites.
No.68 Kjolle
Lima
@kjollerest
In 2018, celebrated chef Pía León branched out with her own restaurant, Kjolle, which is situated in the same complex as the list-topping Central, led by León and her husband and co-owner, Virgilio Martínez. As bright and colourful as the flower that gives the restaurant its name, the restaurant’s offering – from drinks, to food and décor – is vibrant and lively. The nine-course tasting menu may include the likes of river shrimp with coconut and strawberry, beef cheeks with purple cabbage, or sea bass, clams and quinoa leaf. The open-plan dining room offers full view of León and her team in the kitchen, with all furnishings made from 100% Peruvian materials.
No.67 Evvai – NEW ENTRY
São Paulo
@evvai_sp
Chef Luiz Filipe Souza coined the phrase ‘Oriundi’ cuisine at Evvai. The Italian word refers to the global diaspora of Italian descendants – and is brought to live in the kitchen with immigrant-inspired dishes tinged with flavours from Brazil. Mini tortellini stuffed with crab is a must-try, along with the linguini with pea sauce and sea urchin. Diners may choose between the five- or nine-course tasting menu, or opt for à la carte, which features Italian-style snacks, antipasti, pasta, meat and fish. There’s a superb wine list and classic and creative cocktails such as negronis or chai-infused gin.
No.66 Sühring
Bangkok
@Suhring
Twin brothers Thomas and Mathias Sühring bring a fresh outlook to the dining scene in Bangkok. At their eponymous restaurant, a parade of German-cuisine-influenced light bites take centre stage. The tasting menu offers dishes like the ethereal Himmel und Erde (Heaven and Earth) of mackerel, apple and black pudding, and roasted pigeon with salsify, quinoa and coffee and, if you’re lucky, will finish with a mouth-watering dish of raspberry, caramelised beetroot and dry yoghurt. Take a seat near the kitchen to enjoy the bustling atmosphere, or for a tranquil setting, the ‘Glass House’ provides diners with a beautiful garden view.
No.65 Le Du
Bangkok
@ledubkk
Talented chef Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn is at the helm in Le Du’s kitchen. As the title might suggest (Le Du is derived from the Thai word for season), local ingredients are the name of the game here. While the offering changes every few months, there is one signature dish that you’ll always find on the menu: khao kluk kapi, splayed river prawn served with shrimp paste-laced brown rice risotto. Besides a lifelong passion for gastronomy, Chef Tassanakajohn also has a penchant for wine. The entrepreneurial cook also commands the Mayrai Pad Thai wine bar, which leans over the Chao Phraya River.
No.64 Fu He Hui
Shanghai
@fuhehui
Dinner at this tasting-menu-only restaurant is an education in China’s diverse vegetables and fungi, some of which you are very unlikely to have encountered before. Chef Tony Lu takes diners through standout dishes such as brasenia (aquatic plant) with tofu, kelp and soy jelly, and the ‘lotus pond’, a preparation with lily bulbs, guanyin leaves and goji berries assembled to look like a lagoon. The restaurant is split into multiple private rooms, two VIP rooms and a main dining room, all spread over the large three-storey space in Shanghai’s friendly Changning District.
No.63 Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare
New York
@chefstableatbf
Inside New York’s bustling Brooklyn Fare market, chef César Ramírez enchants diners at Chef’s Table with a seasonal tasting menu inspired by Japanese cuisine. The communal counter, which has the capacity for only 18 seats, groans under a seafood and shellfish-focused selection that may feature Hokkaido uni with shaved black truffle, or a grilled Miyazaki wagyu beef. The entrance is well-concealed, at the back of a greengrocer, but is well-worth the effort it takes to track it down.
No.62 Ernst
Berlin
@ernst.berlin
Poised in Berlin’s rough-around-the-edges Wedding area, Ernst is the kind of place where you’ve got to plan ahead to secure a spot at the 12-seat counter. The stainless-steel door gives little away, but ring the bell and you’ll find a counter encircling an open kitchen, promising front-row seats to the mesmerising culinary show du jour. A less-is-more ethos graces both the industrial space and Canadian chef Dylan Watson-Brawn’s 25-course menu. Pristine, ever-evolving plates with Japanese undertones are rendered from Berlin’s produce in a proclamation of gastronomic love. Grilled cucumber with jellied apple vinegar, charcoal-cooked red mullet and smoked goat’s cream with green fig are exemplary.
No.61 La Grenouillère
La Madelaine–sous–Montreuil
@lagrenouillere_
First-time diners could almost mistake Alexandre Gauthier’s restaurant for a modern art gallery with its stainless-steel furnishings, bright lights and large open kitchen. The French chef has been dropping jaws, physically and metaphorically, since he took over his father’s restaurant in northern France in 2003. Gauthier spins every element of the ingredients he uses into gold. If it’s on, always order the langoustine, served with crispy claw, aspic jelly tail and dumplings. Look out for the eclectic pairing of mullet, fermented turnips and whole milk blinis. The inspiration for each of his dishes is rooted strongly in the surrounding Calais region and the Côte d’Opale, which Gauthier’s family calls home.
No.60 Rosetta – NEW ENTRY
Mexico City
@restauranterosetta
Chef Elena Reygadas oversees the action at Rosetta, a cheerful restaurant in the heart of the Mexican capital. Set in a welcoming townhouse in the artistic Roma district, Rosetta offers exquisite hand-made pasta dishes, including a colourful potato gnocchi with turnip flowers, broccolini and anchovies, and a ravioli with ricotta, fennel and tarragon. Reygadas sources the majority of her ingredients from small-scale Mexican producers and heroes local ingredients. Try the huachinango, a classic fish dish from Veracruz, served with tamarind, peppermint and coconut.
No.59 Sazenka
Tokyo
@sazenka
Chef Tomoya Kawada cooks Chinese cuisine infused with a Japanese sensibility, rooted in the two countries’ shared culture of tea drinking. His elegant restaurant, located inside a former diplomat’s residence in Tokyo’s upmarket Minami-Azabu district, has just 12 seats, plus two private rooms. The menu changes regularly, but at any one time might feature dishes such as simmered and dried abalone, jellyfish and sudachi (a green citrus fruit native to Japan), or Qingtang noodle soup. Young pigeon cooked two ways has become a signature, which elicits Chinese techniques for the legs but with breast meat grilled over Japanese charcoal.
No.58 Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen
Paris
@allenoparis_
The culinary narrative of Pavillon Ledoyen, one of Paris’s most prestigious restaurants, goes back to the 1700s. Yannick Alléno’s arrival at the helm in 2014 marked a new chapter, with his extravagant dishes telling a vibrant tale of modern French cuisine. Dishes draw on global influence, best seen in the twice-fermented almond shells, served with an Oscietra caviar jelly and sour cream. Seafood often leads from the front, best seen in the langoustine dish, topped with Choron sauce and served alongside porcini and chanterelle mushrooms. Save room for dessert – you won’t want to miss the apple with cognac and vanilla.
No.57 Trèsind Studio – NEW ENTRY
Dubai
@tresindstudio
Chef Himanshu Saini presents some of the best examples of authentic Indian fine dining that you’ll find outside out of the subcontinent. Watch out for the theatrical ghee roasted crab, burnt cinnamon and curry leaf tempura, and the Tandoori chicken dumpling in curry broth. Dining here should be treated as a marathon not a sprint because the tasting menu may feature as many as 16 dishes. A new entry to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 51-100 list, Trèsind Studio has already claimed an accolade in another of the 50 Best awards programmes: the Art of Hospitality Award at Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022.
No.56 La Colombe
Cape Town
@lacolombeCT
Atop the mountain slopes of the Cape Peninsula, the grounds of Silvermist organic wine estate harbour destination restaurant La Colombe. With a treehouse-like setting, with a large glass ceiling that allows light to stream in, the dining room is minimalist and muted, allowing James Gaag’s theatrical dishes to sing. Smoked tomato, aubergine and pine nut, and petit poussin with crayfish and miso corn are stalwarts on the Chef’s Experience multi-course menu. The venue also has an iconic sister location called La Petite Colombe in Franschhoek.
No.55 Azurmendi
Larrabetzu
@azurmendi_atxa
Undisputedly one of the most beautiful restaurants in Spain, walking into Azurmendi is almost like walking into chef Eneko Atxa’s home. On arrival, the Spanish chef and his team guide you through the striking space, while you enjoy a truly original gastronomic experience. The tasting menu is a treat for all the senses and is split into lyrically named sections, such as the ‘Welcome Picnic’, ‘The Greenhouse’ and ‘The Truffle’s Table’. Standout plates include the smoked salmon roe and nori, and the roasted lobster with grilled pepper juice and purple onion.
No.54 Lyle's
London
@lyleslondon
Take a trip down trendy Shoreditch High Street in East London and you’ll find Lyle’s, the brainchild of celebrated chef James Lowe. Found in the renovated Tea Building, where Lipton tea was once manufactured, the restaurant gives a distinct utilitarian vibe with its reclaimed British oak and walnut and brutalist concrete floors. Attention to detail starts at origin and working with producers is key: fish arrives fresh from Cornwall in the South West of the UK each day, while every week in summer the Lyle’s team drives to the south coast to pick fruit. The short and sweet daily menu is proudly micro-seasonal, showcasing the best of British produce in dishes such as forerib with flat beans and anchovies.
No.53 D.O.M.
São Paulo
@domrestaurante
Chef Alex Atala never fails to pull out all the stops at D.O.M. Opened in 1999, the restaurant has become a Brazilian culinary institution. Step through the towering front door in leafy downtown São Paulo to sample a jaw-dropping tasting menu, featuring the likes octopus and artichokes, ant, mango and papaya, and for dessert, green fig with gorgonzola and Port. Despite the relaxed atmosphere in the high-ceilinged dining room, the restaurant does hint at a certain grandeur, not least with the meaning behind its enigmatic acronym, ‘Deo Optimo Maximo’, which translates as ‘To God, The Good, The Great’.
No.52 Sud 777
Mexico City
@edgarnunezm
One of Mexico’s prodigal sons, chef Edgar Nuñez toured the globe cooking at some of the world’s finest restaurants – including Noma and El Bulli – before returning home to join Sud 777, a restaurant which applies the techniques he learnt on his travels to Mexico’s humble, indigenous ingredients. The tasting menu changes monthly and takes diners on a tour around his home country, with plates such as oyster with bone marrow and artichoke; black cod with cucumber, coriander and peanut; and a sweet and tangy dragon fruit dish with sage, lemon and gin for dessert.
No.51 Alcalde
Guadalajara
@restalcalde
Chef Francisco ‘Paco’ Ruano’s simple Mexican cooking in a stylish, welcoming setting in Guadalajara makes diners want to return again and again. Alcalde has long since been a mainstay on the Latin America’s 50 Restaurants list and is quickly climbing the ranks on the global stage. Taking influences from his surrounding environment, Ruano presents a menu dominated by local ingredients. Opt for the four- or seven-course tasting menu, or the à la carte, which offers dishes such as pork with mole, melted leek and bok choy, and octopus with Japanese aubergine, sunflower seed sauce and perilla rice.
Recap the list by watching the video:
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