best restaurants

What’s the best restaurant in the world? It’s a great dinner party question, and one that might provoke much discussion – everyone has an opinion on their favorite. But if you want to know what the critics think (and get a decisive answer) then look no further than the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, which has just been released for 2024.  

Introducing the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 

Founded in 2002, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants aims to celebrated the richness and diversity of the world’s culinary landscape. Each year a snapshot of global gastronomy is curated by a panel of 1,080 culinary experts. those on the panel can’t vote for any restaurant they have an economic interest in, and they must have eaten at restaurants that won their votes in the previous 19 months. As a go-to for the best culinary destinations as well as the latest gastronomic trends across the globe, the World’s 50 Best Restauratns is one of the best. 

The highest ranking restaurants in each continent were given a special mention. The best restaurant in Africa was La Colombe. Atomix was the highest ranking restaurant in North America, and the highest ranking restaurant in Asia was Gaggan. The best restaurant in South America for 2024 is Maido. And the best restaurant in Europe, and the winner of The World’s Best Restaurant in 2024, is Disfrutar in Barcelona.  

Below, we’ve chosen five restaurants in countries you can travel to with Luxury Gold. If gastronomic experiences are at the top of your travel list, consider extending your stay in these countries on your Luxury Gold journey – though, needless to say, with an accolade like this make sure you reserve a table well in advance!  

Disfruta 

Barcelona, Spain

 

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Taking the top spot and now the best restaurant in the world is Barcelona’s Disfrutar. It seems as though its fate was always intertwined with the award, as its three owners, Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas, met at the legendary El Bulli which reached No.1 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants five times. Disfrutar opened in 2014 in the Eixample district of Barcelona, serving food in a light-drenched, white-washed dining room and sun-dappled terrace at the rear. 

Choose from two parallel menus on offer, both with around 30 courses. The Classic option is a greatest hits album featuring the chefs’ favorite dishes from the last decade, where you can catch the famously indulgent caviar-filled Panchino doughnut, or the brilliant frozen gazpacho sandwich. On the other hand, the Festival menu is the latest manifestation of the team’s unbounded creativity, always backed with meticulous culinary research. 

What did the judges say? 

“The combination of brilliantly imaginative dishes, unsurpassed technical mastery and playful presentation results in the dining experience of a lifetime, as full of surprises as it is memories. Table theatre and interaction are frequent, executed with a blend of professionalism and humour. Disfrutar remains at the forefront of gastronomic thinking, creating an experience as fun as it is inspired.” 

Our 13-day Spain & Portugal in Style journey embarks from Barcelona. Why not arrive a day early and experience one of the world’s best restaurants for yourself on a luxury Spain vacation? 

Table by Bruno Verjus 

Paris, France 

 

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Taking third place is Table (pronounced a la Française), opened by Bruno Verjus 10 years ago following a career as a journalist, food writer and blogger. The space features a wave-designed counter with private nooks and an open kitchen, allowing guests to follow every gesture and plating, including the “Colours of the Day” – a daily dish of seasonal herbs and vegetables. With an ever-changing seasonal menu, diners can watch as founder Verjus serves green asparagus poached with seaweed or prepares lobster with sugar snap peas, nettle, and caper remoulade. Friendly service and fabulous wine support the incredible food, and Table achieved the rare feat of entering the top 10 on its first appearance in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2023, climbing even higher in 2024. 

Our Luxury France guided tours end in Paris, so you can catch Verjus working his magic at Table on your Luxury Gold journey. 

Maido 

Lima, Peru 

 

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Maido is an elegant restaurant found in Lima’s trendy Miraflores neighborhood. It’s been making waves since respected chef Mitsuharu ‘Micha’ Tsumura opened it in 2009, combining Japanese techniques with Peruvian ingredients into Nikkei cuisine. Guests can choose from either a tasting or à la carte menu. Make sure to look our for delicacies like The Triple, a combination of avocado, eggs, tomato and chashu (braised pork belly); and caracoles al sillao (soy sauce), sea snails, with yellow chili foam and Nikkei sauce. Not only has the restaurant scooped up 5th place, but chef Micha also took home the Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award, a peer-voted accolade honoring chefs who make a positive contribution to the global culinary scene each year. 

Our Luxury Treasures of the Incas tour starts and ends in Lima, so why not visit Maido on your trip with Luxury Gold? 

Alchemist 

Copenhagen, Denmark 

 

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Taking 8th place on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants is Alchemist, a completely immersive and thoroughly unusual restaurant found in Refshaleøen, a relatively remote part of Copenhagen. Enter through two-tonne-heavy bronze doors which automatically swing open, signalling the beginning of what can only be called a show. The theatrical and immersive dining experience, led by Rasmus Munk, takes place under a domed roof with various graphics which change according to the dishes. Expect flavorful food made with exceptional produce, with a side of environmental awareness 

Our 12-day Luxury Scandinavia guided tour begins in Copenhagen, where you can experience this other-worldly restaurant for yourself. 

Don Julio 

Buenos Aires, Argentina 

 

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Taking 10th place is Pablo Rivero’s Don Julio, which he opened during his early 20s in 1999. After 25 years it’s still a family-run affair, showcasing Argentinian cuisine to the world through Rivero’s dedication to organic agriculture and local produce. As it originally opened as a neighborhood parrilla (an Argentinian steakhouse), it’s no surprise that specialty steak is highly prized here, meanwhile executive chef Guido Tassi designs the menu ‘around the seed,’ focusing on seasonal crops. Pair your meal with one of the 14,000 Argentine wine labels in the restaurant’s cellar –  Rivero also took home the Beronia World’s Best Sommelier Award 2024 at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.  

Our 12-day luxury South America tour spends three nights in Buenos Aires – why not book ahead and secure Don Julio for one of your evenings? 

Lido 84 

Gardone Riviera, Italy 

Coming in 12th place on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants is Lido 84, serving quintessentially Italian food with a twist. Years of research into local ingredients, old recipe books, and international cooking techniques, combined with a love for art and a customer-first philosophy, have turned Riccardo and Giancarlo Camanini’s restaurant into a masterpiece. Housed in a former lido, the building was bought and transformed by the Camaninis in 2013 with unparalleled views of Lake Garda. The dining room is decorated with eclectic art pieces, and when the weather is good guests can dine out on the terrace overlooking the lake. Expect to be warmly welcomed by Giancarlo’s exceptional service, and enjoy Riccardo’s exquisite culinary creations. 

Our Luxury Italy guided tour finishes in Venice, just an hour or so from Lake Garda. Why not extend your stay and try this award-winning Italian food for yourself? 

What are the World’s 50 Best Restaurants? 

Find the full list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants below. 

1. Disfrutar, Barcelona
2. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo, Spain
3. Table by Bruno Verjus, Paris
4. Diverxo, Madrid
5. Maido, Lima
6. Atomix, New York
7. Quintonil, Mexico City
8. Alchemist, Copenhagen
9. Gaggan, Bangkok
10. Don Julio, Buenos Aires
11. Septime, Paris
12. Lido 84, Gardone Riviera
13. Trèsind Studio, Dubai
14. Quique Dacosta, Dénia
15. Sézanne, Tokyo
16. Kjolle, Lima
17. Kol, London
18. Plénitude, Paris
19. Reale, Castel di Sangro
20. Wing, Hong Kong
21. Florilège, Tokyo
22. Steirereck, Vienna
23. Sühring, Bangkok
24. Odette, Singapore
25. El Chato, Bogotá
26. The Chairman, Hong Kong
27. A Casa do Porco, São Paulo
28. Elkano, Getaria
29. Boragó, Santiago
30. Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin
31. Belcanto, Lisbon
32. Den, Tokyo
33. Pujol, Mexico City
34. Rosetta, Mexico City
35. Frantzen, Stockholm
36. The Jane, Antwerp
37. Oteque, Rio
38. Sorn, Bangkok
39. Piazza Duomo, Alba
40. Le Du, Bangkok
41. Mayta, Lima
42. Ikoyi, London
43. Nobelhart & Schmutzig, Berlin
44. Mingles, Seoul
45. Arpege, Paris
46. Single Thread, Healdsburg
47. Schloss Schauenstein, Fürstenau
48. Hisa Franko, Kobarid
49. La Colombe, Cape Town
50. Uliassi, Senigallia

In the high-end dining scene, sustainability is now more than a buzzword: it’s a layer of design and operations built into the fabric of a new dining venue, with budding restaurateurs and top chefs alike keen to limit waste and make the most of what’s local and seasonal to them. In fact, the world’s cutting-edge hospitality moguls know that making a restaurant greener can be huge fun, finding innovative ways to channel sustainable power sources, or out-of-the-box ways to use food waste in everything from biofuel to sauces and cordials. 

Sustainable fine dining is one of the most progressive categories of all, with luxury consumers eager to spend on lavish dinners they can feel good about.

Fyn, Cape Town

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South African pioneer Fyn won this year’s Flor de Caña Award for sustainability in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. With a name inspired by the country’s national fynbos flower (pronounced “Fayn”), Peter Tempelhoff’s restaurant employs hyper-local ingredients and uses Japanese techniques to make delicate creations; the team pays close attention to foraged local wonders like kelp, sea lettuce and dune spinach, as well as partnering with the country’s most ethical producers and fishermen for meat and fish. 

More than half of the menu is vegetarian or vegan-friendly, and staff are trained in foraging and careful water management to avoid waste. There’s a social enterprise element, too: they work with a Cape Town initiative to train up young chefs from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Experience South Africa in gourmet style on Luxury Gold’s 9-Day Spectacular South Africa journey

nôl, Tokyo

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This moodily-lit, chef’s table style restaurant was awarded the Michelin Green Star this year, taking Tokyo’s Green Star restaurants to 11 ‒ the most sustainable fine dining restaurants in a single city. Chef Tatsuya Noda refers to the dining room as a “kitchen space”, creating dishes passed down through his family, such as his grandmother’s home pickles and his mother’s roasted rice, for just a small group of diners. 

Noda’s “Garbage Soup” was singled out by Michelin as an exceptional waste-preventing dish; another low-waste initiative includes creating dishes from sturgeon fish, which are usually discarded after their caviar is removed.

Immerse yourself in Japan’s time-honored traditions on Luxury Gold’s 11-Day Majestic Japan journey.

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Apricity, London

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Vegans will feel right at home at this soothing, light-filled space in London’s Mayfair, with veg-stacked dishes like butterhead lettuce with cultured miso aioli and crispy kale and celeriac orzotto with confit chestnut gracing the a la carte menu. 

Awarded a Michelin Green Star in 2023, Chantelle Nicholson and team have also won Innovator of the Year at the National Restaurant Awards and a Grosvenor Sustainability Award for its circular economy values. Pared-back, distressed walls are pepped up with hanging plants and trendily upcycled furniture and fixtures: recycled tiles and chairs made from old Coca-Cola bottles, saving them from going to landfill.

London’s calling on Luxury Gold’s 10-Day British Royale journey 

Toyo Eatery, Philippines

Winner of the Flor de Caña sustainability award 2023 in the 50 Best Restaurants in Asia, this Manila restaurant does everything it can to champion Filipino people and their produce. Shockingly for a Filipino eatery, there’s no beef on the menu ‒ owners Jordy and May Navarra deemed cattle farming methods too harmful to the environment, and, though they serve other meats, there’s an entirely vegan tasting menu option. 

Every ingredient here is local, organic and traceable ‒ think black rice, coconut, banana and taro ‒ making sure local workers benefit from the supply chain; and the team has bought forest and farmland with an aim to become zero-waste by 2025, growing their own produce using any food waste as compost. 

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Aponiente, Cadiz, Spain

Seafood lovers should sail, paddle or swim to this waterside spot in southwestern Spain, where chef Ángel León is on a mission to showcase the marine ingredients we don’t typically see on a Michelin-level plate. Abundantly available fish like mackerel and hake crop up on his menus, but also sea urchin, tuna milt, deep sea algae and sardine scales ‒ plus inventive moments like “sea bacon” made from thinly sliced sea bass. It’s an approach that’s earned him three Michelin stars and the 2022 Flor de Caña award for sustainable fine dining. Set inside an old tidal mill with a newer, wow-factor building attached, this is a real sensory experience.

Taste Spanish passion on Luxury Gold’s 13-Day Spain & Portugal in Style journey 

Locavore, Bali

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Simple, polished wooden tables, a charcoal-grey bar and a high, barn-like ceiling set the scene for Locavore, a champion of Indonesian produce and cooking. Set in the island’s spiritual old capital, Ubud, it was named both Asia’s Most Sustainable Restaurant and Indonesia’s best restaurant overall in 2019. It’s a showcase for all things Balinese: 95% of ingredients are sourced within the island, from coffee to beef and salt, while crockery and ceramics are all made locally by artisans. They have a vegetarian and non-vegetarian tasting menu, with quirky and intriguing dish names like “Who says lobsters don’t like chocolate?” Dishes might include prawn ceviche with plenty of garden herbs and spices, or roasted bone marrow in a pandan broth.

Saint Peter, Sydney

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Another fish fanatic, Josh Niland, is the brains behind this Sydney destination restaurant; his brand of sustainable fine dining is using available and plentiful fish (working carefully with local fishermen) and the shelf life of each fish to serve them at the perfect time, minimizing waste.  Like Spain’s Ángel León, Niland makes use of the offal or less-loved parts of the fish, from crispy skin crackers to fish-liver pates, with bones used to make stock and “fish-eye chips” just one signature snack. The trendy, modern restaurant has exposed brick walls and a long marble counter, with plenty of exciting Australian wines on the menu.

Dine down-under on Luxury Gold’s 13-Day Inspiring Australia journey

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Amber, Hong Kong

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Michelin green-starred since 2022, as well coming out on top in 2022’s Food Made Good sustainability awards, Amber is a Hong Kong institution. You’ll find it in the city’s Mandarin Oriental hotel, a striking white-and-pine dining room with fluid-looking gold light fixtures and dainty ceramics. All seafood here is sourced sustainably, with fair-trade policies on tea, coffee, chocolate and vanilla; meanwhile only ethical egg and meat producers are used, and no dairy products are featured on the menu, to eliminate any carbon emitted by dairy production. There’s also a strict 35:65 ratio of animal products to plant-based products when it comes to ingredients.

Tèrra, Copenhagen

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Named for mother earth, this high-end Italian in Denmark’s capital was awarded a Michelin green star in 2021. A zero-waste kitchen, its menu is largely based on seasonal vegetables and fruit, topped up with seasonal and ethically-sourced meat and fish here and there. Dishes might include “Celeriac and mussels”, with the root vegetable forming an oyster-like shell, creative bite-sized snacks made from offcuts, kombucha or cookies made from coffee grounds, and foraged flavors like sea kale and violets. A pared-back dining room of stone walls and simple seating puts the focus on the dishes, served New-Nordic style, like little works of art.

Experience Danish Fine Dining on Luxury Gold’s 12-Day Timeless Scandinavia journey

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Restaurante Manu, Curitiba, Brazil

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This exciting destination venue in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná won the most sustainable restaurant award at Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants awards earlier this year. An impressive 80% of its suppliers come from within a 300km radius, while the chefs actively connect with family farming businesses and smallholdings to support the local community. They’re obsessed with biodiversity, nurturing local species and even keeping their own beehives; curious combinations might include seared fish with bacon and caramel, or lamb with seafood and custard apple.  Even more feelgood? The team feeds the homeless, distributing 400 healthy meals per week to unhoused residents in Curitiba.

Experience Brazilian cuisine on Luxury Gold’s 12-Day Classic South America journey 

Harbor House Inn, California

Perched on the wild California coastline of Mendocino, Harbor House is a beacon of sustainable American cooking. Chef Matthew Kammerer was awarded a Michelin green star in 2020, while the restaurant holds a rarefied two stars from the foodie guide; 90% of his ingredients come from local sources, including their own cattle ranch and kitchen garden. Porcini mushrooms are foraged from nearby woodland and lichen from the clifftops, and the building itself is 100% powered by sustainable energy, including solar and geothermal. Little details make it charming: fryer oil is turned into candles for the tables, for example. Even more soul-soothing is the wild sea view from the classic wood-paneled dining room.

The sound of silver cutlery chiming against porcelain plates. The satisfying ‘clink’ of glasses, each holding a wine expertly tailored to each course. And, last but not least, the tingle of sugar on the tongue during the first bite of dessert: the feelings a fine meal evokes are second to none. But can you guess the country with the most Michelin stars?

It is the country that devised the entire Michelin concept: France. The first Michelin Guide was published in 1900 as an aid for French leisure drivers on long journeys – and as a way to get them to wear their wheels out faster, so they’d require more Michelin products.

The idea was a hit, soon spreading beyond France; in 1910, a guide featuring most of Western Europe was published. 124 years later, the series is still going strong, with international editions and chefs around the world prizing Michelin stars as the highlights of their career. 

France has typically topped the list since the guides were created, and in March 2023 Michelin released its celebrated guide to French restaurants – a detailed homage to the country who has the most Michelin stars in the world. 

Discover more of France’s finest on our Ultimate Southern France itinerary 

France’s finest food

France currently has 630 Michelin star restaurants, and the list from last March awarded many existing establishments their second or third star – plus, it conferred around 40 ambitious restaurants their very first.

Spectacularly situated at the end of a peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic is the aptly-named La Marine, which was awarded its third hard-won Michelin star this year. Chef Alexandre Couillon and his catering expert wife Céline work to create nature-inspired dishes within the rustic confines of an old fishing cottage. Each day, Alexandre wakes up early to buy fish directly from the local market. Sometimes, he can be found foraging in the local marshes for ingredients – the tasting menu changes whimsically to reflect the finest in-season local produce. 

A new two-star for 2023 is L’Amaryllis. Tucked away in a gorgeous Provençal hill village, the tables are within earshot of a tranquil mill stream. The cottage garden provides the earthly ingredients needed in the kitchen, but chef Cédric Burtin likes to keep everything else on the menu under wraps: prepare to see courses labeled simply as ‘River’, ‘Hive’, and ‘Fruit’.

Close to Calais is another culinary gem: the Château de Beaulieu, which also earned its second star this year. Sustainable cooking is integral to its philosophy, as over 30 local producers are used to supply everything from shallots to saffron. 

Rising culinary stars

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Paris is home to its fair share of new Michelin-listed restaurants – it boasts six of the mouthwatering Michelin newcomers in 2023. The food scene in Paris is as diverse as its people, with restaurants ranging from Franco-Japanese to modern Mediterranean.

In 2023, brand-new Maison Ruggieri impressed the Michelin critics with its subtle presentation and seemingly limitless choice: diners can request a particular dish or ingredient when they make their reservation.

Young chef Omar Dhiab, whose eponymous establishment is a stone’s throw from the Louvre, showcases France’s most iconic dishes – think grain-fed duck, toasted brioche and strong coffee – with a modern twist, while Ōrtensia on the banks of the Seine mixes French influences with Japanese presentation; you’ll almost certainly fall for the Gallic sea bream marinated in sake. 

Although plant-based eaters can find it tricky to enjoy France’s meat-and-fish heavy cuisine, newly one-starred Astrance makes it easy: crispy onion tartlets, zingy Thai curries and fruity sweet courses prove hard to resist.   

Dress to impress: here’s how to get ready for a Michelin-star restaurant

In second place: Japan

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While France is the country with the most Michelin stars, Paris is not the city with the most Michelin stars: with a total of 263 listed restaurants, that title goes to Tokyo, Japan. Japanese traditional cuisine (kaiseki) has always placed a strong emphasis on seasonality and immaculate presentation, and Japanese chefs strive to incorporate ancient styles onto modern plates.

In Tokyo, followers of the Michelin star will find everything from two-starred tempura (Japanese deep fried vegetables) to floreal Italian desserts influenced by Japanese Buddhist vegetarian principles. Newcomers include natural (straw and wood-fired) cooking at L’Eterre and the sumptuous sushi bar Hiroo Ishizaka.

Plus, there are now three ramen restaurants with a Michelin star in Tokyo, so those who crave a more discrete and distinctly Japanese dining experience can eat a Michelin meal in close company with hungry Tokyo-dwellers.

Discover more of Asia’s delectable dishes with India’s Michelin-star chefs

Old rival: Italy 

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As the country with the third-most Michelin stars in the world, European neighbors Italy are hot on France’s heels with 385 starred restaurants. Italian cuisine is beloved the world over, with rich sauces, wafer-thin egg pastas and an unfailing dedication to putting love and Italian passion into every dish. Take an al fresco seat in Rome’s three-star La Pergola, and you’ll see why Italy does food like no other: classics like punchy cacio e pepe and Milanese saffron risotto take on a new dimension when your table overlooks such a romantic vista of Rome’s seven hills. For a truly unforgettable experience, consider an Italy luxury tour that includes incredible dining options.

Eat around Europe: explore our guide to the best Michelin-star restaurants in Edinburgh