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 apanel 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 journey embarks from Barcelona. Why not arrive a day early and experience the world’s best restaurant for yourself?
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 foundin Refshaleøen, a relatively remote part of Copenhagen. Enter through two-tonne-heavy bronze doors whichautomatically 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 inCopenhagen, 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 onthe terrace overlooking the lake. Expect to be warmly welcomed by Giancarlo’s exceptional service, andenjoy 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.
- Disfrutar, Barcelona
- Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo, Spain
- Table by Bruno Verjus, Paris
- Diverxo, Madrid
- Maido, Lima
- Atomix, New York
- Quintonil, Mexico City
- Alchemist, Copenhagen
- Gaggan, Bangkok
- Don Julio, Buenos Aires
- Septime, Paris
- Lido 84, Gardone Riviera
- Trèsind Studio, Dubai
- Quique Dacosta, Dénia
- Sézanne, Tokyo
- Kjolle, Lima
- Kol, London
- Plénitude, Paris
- Reale, Castel di Sangro
- Wing, Hong Kong
- Florilège, Tokyo
- Steirereck, Vienna
- Sühring, Bangkok
- Odette, Singapore
- El Chato, Bogotá
- The Chairman, Hong Kong
- A Casa do Porco, São Paulo
- Elkano, Getaria
- Boragó, Santiago
- Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin
- Belcanto, Lisbon
- Den, Tokyo
- Pujol, Mexico City
- Rosetta, Mexico City
- Frantzen, Stockholm
- The Jane, Antwerp
- Oteque, Rio
- Sorn, Bangkok
- Piazza Duomo, Alba
- Le Du, Bangkok
- Mayta, Lima
- Ikoyi, London
- Nobelhart & Schmutzig, Berlin
- Mingles, Seoul
- Arpege, Paris
- Single Thread, Healdsburg
- Schloss Schauenstein, Fürstenau
- Hisa Franko, Kobarid
- La Colombe, Cape Town
- Uliassi, Senigallia
