Central wins The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023

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