The winners in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants have been announced at an awards ceremony in Spain, with Peruvian restaurant Central taking the coveted top spot in the 2023 list.

Central is an ode to Peru, with a menu that celebrates the unique biodiversity of the country’s indigenous ingredients – guided by its research arm, Mater Iniciativa – along with its traditions and history, whilst championing sustainability.

It is the flagship Lima restaurant of chefs Virgilio Martinez and Pía León, and in 2022 it placed second, behind Geranium in Copenhagen, which is now elevated to the Best of the Best hall of fame with other previous No. 1 ranked restaurants and no longer eligible for voting.

The Top 10 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023

1. Central, Lima, Peru

2. Disfrutar, Barcelona

3. Diverxo, Madrid

4. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo, Spain

5. Alchemist, Copenhagen

6. Maido, Lima, Peru

7. Lido 84, Gardone Riviera, Italy

8. Atomix, New York

9. Quintonil, Mexico City

10. Table by Bruno Verjus, Paris 

The full list is available on the website at theworlds50best.com.

Other major awards included The World's Best Sommelier Award, which was presented to Miguel Ángel Millán, sommelier of Madrid’s Diverxo. He expertly curates pairings to match chef Dabiz Muñoz’s ever- changing menu and takes the restaurant’s beverage programme to an exceptionally high level, establishing himself as one of the most important sommeliers on the international restaurant scene.

The Sustainable Restaurant Award was given to Cape Town’s Fyn (No.75), where founding chef Peter Tempelhoff’s mission is to blur boundaries by interpreting South Africa through techniques largely rooted in Japanese cooking. This award is independently audited by the Sustainable Restaurant Association, which rates establishments based on a wide range of criteria, including environmental and social responsibility, community involvement and staff welfare.

W: theworlds50best.com.