CENTRAL IN LIMA IS NAMED NO.1 IN THE LIST OF THE WORLD'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS 2023

• Central in Lima is named The World's Best Restaurant 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna
• Announced this evening at an awards ceremony in Valencia, the 2023 list includes restaurants from 24 territories in five continents worldwide and introduces 12 restaurants making their debut
• Pía Salazar of Nuema, Quito, receives The World's Best Pastry Chef Award, sponsored by Sosa
• The Beronia World's Best Sommelier Award is presented to Miguel Ángel Millán of Diverxo, Madrid
• Fyn in Cape Town wins the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award
• Table by Bruno Verjus (No.10) in Paris takes homes the Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by Aspire Lifestyles
• Atomix (No.8) is awarded the Villa Massa Highest Climber Award, as the New York restaurant climbs 25 places from the 2022 list              
• Alchemist (No.5) in Copenhagen wins the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award
• Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award goes to Julien Royer of Odette, Singapore

VALENCIA, Spain, June 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The world of gastronomy came together in Valencia, Spain, tonight to celebrate The World's 50 Best Restaurants awards 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, with Lima's Central named The World's Best Restaurant 2023, as well as The Best Restaurant in South America 2023. The awards ceremony, held at the city's Les Arts Opera House, honours the pinnacle of gastronomic talent from 24 territories across five continents.

For the full 1-50 list, please see the attached graphic or see the bottom of this release.

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Central, the flagship Lima restaurant of chefs Virgilio Martinez and Pía León, is crowned in the No.1 position, taking over from the 2022 winner, Geranium, Copenhagen, which is now elevated to the Best of the Best hall of fame.

Placed at No.2 in the 2022 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. Central is followed by Disfrutar (No.2) in Barcelona and Diverxo (No.3) in Madrid.

William Drew, Director of Content for The World's 50 Best Restaurants, comments: "It gives me great pleasure to share the list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2023 and celebrate the fantastic achievement of Central as the new No.1. Virgilio Martinez, Pía León and the whole Central team have truly paved the way in celebrating indigenous ingredients through their innovative dishes and warm hospitality. Their commitment to research, respect for their country's heritage and promotion of Peru's unique biodiversity is unmatched, and we're honoured to name Central as The World's Best Restaurant, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. This year's list continues to show the breadth of culinary talent across the globe, and we look forward to seeing how it evolves even further in 2024 and beyond."  

South America further strengthens its position in global gastronomy, with the continent boasting nine restaurants overall including two new entries: Pía León's Kjolle, (No.28) in Lima and El Chato (No.33) in Bogotá. Asia follows with seven restaurants on the list, including Singapore's Odette named The Best Restaurant in Asia (No.14) along with new entries Le Du (No.15) and Gaggan Anand (No.17) in Bangkok and Sézanne, Tokyo (No.37). Two Dubai restaurants make the list for the very first time, with Trèsind Studio (No.11) named The Best Restaurant in Middle East & Africa, ahead of Orfali Bros Bistro (No.46).

The Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award is presented to Copenhagen's Alchemist (No.5). An almost mystical dining experience in a remote, industrial corner of the city, an evening here is divided into several 'acts' where guests of head chef Rasmus Munk and his team are led through different locations, types of art and storytelling moments, alongside exquisite food born from Munk's obsessive search for the finest ingredients.

Pía Salazar of Nuema, Quito, is the recipient of The World's Best Pastry Chef Award, sponsored by Sosa. Already crowned Latin America's Best Pastry Chef 2022, the Cuenca-born chef is helping put Ecuador on the culinary map with her experimental creations, turning fruit and vegetables into sweet masterpieces, like coconut with umami-rich yeast and black garlic, or leek and vanilla with cedrón, a herb resembling lemon verbena.

In its second year, the Beronia World's Best Sommelier Award is 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 winner of the Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by Aspire Lifestyles, is Table by Bruno Verjus (No.10). The self-taught French chef serves simple, seasonal, no-fuss cuisine at this Paris restaurant, which has developed a loyal following among the city's gourmands and is rapidly becoming an international dining destination.

Atomix (No.8) is awarded the Villa Massa Highest Climber Award and named The Best Restaurant in North America, after the New York favourite climbed 25 places from its position in last year's ranking. The intimate 14-seat tasting menu restaurant from husband-and-wife team Junghyun 'JP' and Ellia Park won the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award as part of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2022 and its progressive and distinctive Korean food has been widely acclaimed.

Julien Royer of Odette (No.14) in Singapore wins the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award. Voted for the world's leading chefs, this special prize is awarded to a chef who has had a significant positive influence on the culinary community. Royer's restaurant, Odette, in the city's National Gallery, is also named The Best Restaurant in Asia 2023.

The Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award is this year bestowed on 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.

The evening also celebrated those honoured with pre-announced special awards, including the Champions of Change winners Nora Fitzgerald Belahcen, founder of Moroccan social enterprise Amal, and Othón Nolasco and Damián Diaz, the duo behind food-security project No Us Without You LA. Elena Reygadas, winner of The World's Best Female Chef Award, Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz, winner of the Icon Award, and New York restaurant Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi, winner of the Resy One To Watch Award, were presented with their trophies on stage.

The World's 50 Best Restaurants awards 2023, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, held at Valencia's Les Arts Opera House, marks the 21^st year of the prestigious global gastronomic ranking.

The Voting Process

The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2023 list is voted for by 1,080 international restaurant industry experts and well-travelled gourmets who make up The World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy. The gender-balanced Academy comprises 27 separate regions around the world, each of which has 40 members including a chairperson. No sponsor from the event has any influence over the voting process.

Professional services consultancy Deloitte independently adjudicates The World's 50 Best Restaurants list, including the ranking from 51-100. This adjudication ensures that the integrity and authenticity of the voting process and the resulting lists are protected.

Best of the Best

Those in the elite group of No.1 ranked restaurants (listed below) have more than proved their worth and will now be forever honoured as iconic dining destinations in the Best of the Best hall of fame. The chefs and restaurateurs who have led their restaurants to the pinnacle of the list have expressed their desire to invest in the future of the sector and 'give back' to the food world through new projects and initiatives. The following restaurants have been named No.1 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants since the list's inception and were therefore not eligible for voting in 2023 and beyond: 

• El Bulli (2002, 2006-2009)
• The French Laundry (2003-2004)
• The Fat Duck (2005)
• Noma – original location (2010-2012, 2014)
• El Celler de Can Roca (2013, 2015)
• Osteria Francescana (2016, 2018)
• Eleven Madison Park (2017)
• Mirazur (2019)
• Noma – current location (2021)
• Geranium (2022)

EDITOR'S NOTES:

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About The World's 50 Best Restaurants

Since 2002, The World's 50 Best Restaurants has reflected the diversity of the world's culinary landscape. The annual list of the world's most prestigious restaurants provides a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences, in addition to being a barometer for and a pioneer of global gastronomic trends. The 50 Best family also includes Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants, Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, Middle East & North Africa's 50 Best Restaurants, The World's 50 Best Hotels, The World's 50 Best Bars, Asia's 50 Best Bars, North America's 50 Best Bars, 50 Best Discovery and the #50BestTalks series, all of which are owned and run by William Reed. 50 Best aims to bring together communities across the hospitality sector to foster collaboration, inclusivity, diversity and discovery and help drive positive change.

About the host destination: Visit Valencia

Valencia is the third largest city in Spain with more than 800,000 inhabitants. Bathed by the waters of the Mediterranean, it is clean and green, thanks to multiple urban parks, and boasts more than 300 days of sunshine a year. Its rich Mediterranean cuisine is based on local produce from the orchard that surround the city and nourish its markets, bars and restaurants. In addition, Valencia is the birthplace of the most international Spanish dish: paella. It is a perfect city to enjoy at any time of the year thanks to all its Unesco Heritage attractions such as: the Lonja de la Seda, the Tribunal de las Aguas or the Fallas. Valencia is at the forefront of sustainable projects that have earned it several international awards such as European Smart City 2022, as well as European Green Capital 2024.

About the main sponsor: S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna

S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna are the main partners of The World's 50 Best Restaurants and 50 Best for Recovery. S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna are the leading natural mineral waters in the fine dining world. Together they interpret Italian style worldwide as a synthesis of excellence, pleasure and well-being.

Our partners:

• Visit Valencia – Official Host Destination Partner
• S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna – Main Partner & Official Water Partner; sponsor of The World's Best Restaurant
• Estrella Damm – Official Beer Partner; sponsor of the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award
• American Express Resy – Official Credit Card & Booking Platform Partner (Resy); sponsor of the Resy One To Watch Award
• Gin Mare – Official Gin Partner; sponsor of the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award
• Flor de Caña – Official Rum Partner; sponsor of the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award
• Sosa – Official Ingredients Partner; sponsor of The World's Best Pastry Chef Award
• Beronia – Official Wine Partner; sponsor of the Beronia World's Best Sommelier Award
• Aspire Lifestyles – Official Concierge Partner; sponsor of the Highest New Entry Award
• Dassai Sake – Official Sake Partner
• Tequila Ocho – Official Tequila Partner
• illycaffè – Official Coffee Partner
• The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. – Official Whiskey of the World Partner
• Techlam – Official Premium Worktop Partner
• Cinco Jotas – Official Iberico Ham Partner
• Nude Glassware – Official Glassware Partner
• Kaviari – Official Caviar Partner
• Fundador Brandy – Official Brandy Partner
• Villa Massa – Official Limoncello and Amaretto Partner; sponsor of Villa Massa Highest Climber Award
• Culinary Roots Castilla la Mancha – Official Partner
• Asturias – Official Partner
• Jaén Selección – Official Olive Oil Partner

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SOURCE 50 Best