After losing the number one spot to Bangkok in 2023, Tokyo has reclaimed its crown as the city with the top eatery in the region at the annual Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Awards, which were announced in Seoul, South Korea this week.
Sézanne, which has made a name for itself by offering finely crafted neo-French cuisine featuring the top-quality ingredients Japan is famed for, walked away with the top prize.
Located in the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi and helmed by English chef Daniel Calvert, the restaurant was named after a town in France's Champagne region.
Sézanne's rise has been quick. It was ranked number two last year, debuting on the list in 2022 at the number 17 spot.
Calvert was on hand to collect the award in person but said he almost missed the event, albeit for a very good reason.
"My wife just had a baby, actually, so I wasn't going to come this week," he said while accepting the award with a laugh.
"Thank you to everybody who dined with us, who voted for us, who visited last year and supported us. Not only last year but the many, many years since I've been in Asia, which was 2016. So I never ever thought we'd be on this stage right now."
Another Tokyo eatery that serves French-inspired cuisine, Floriege, rose five places to score the number two spot on the 2023 list. Bangkok's Gaggan Annand, run by the legendary Kolkata-born chef of the same name, was ranked number three this year, climbing two spots.
Rounding out the top five were two restaurants in Hong Kong. Coming in at fourth was The Chairman, which was voted No. 1 in 2021, and Wing, which had the most dramatic rise of the night, moving up an impressive 32 spots since last year to grab fifth place. (Scroll down for the full list.)
Which city has the most restaurants on the list?
The list – part of the global "World's 50 Best" brand – is compiled by the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Academy, which is made up of more than 300 food critics, writers, chefs and restaurateurs, all selected for their knowledge of Asia's restaurant scene.
Though Singapore didn't have any restaurants in the top five, nine of its venues made the top 50 list – more than any other city. Among them was newcomer Seroja (No.31), which was the highest new entry of the night.
Bangkok had eight restaurants on the 2024 list. In addition to Gaggan Anand at number three, top eateries on the list in the Thai capital included Nusara by chef Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn, which earned the No.6, spot, followed by Sühring (No.7), which climbed 15 spots this year.
Last year's number one restaurant in Asia, Le Du – also run by chef Ton, in Bangkok – fell to No.12 this year.
Other special awards recognized at the event included the "One to Watch" trophy, handed to Beijing's Lamdre restaurant, which is "pioneering thoughtful, plant-driven eating in China's capital."
The "Asia's Best Female Chef" award went to Pichaya 'Pam' Soontornyanakij, owner of Bangkok restaurant Potong, which came in at 17 on this year's list.
Two other Bangkok restaurants were singled out: The Sustainable Restaurant Award was given to Haoma and chef Ton's Nusara, this year's number six on the list, earned the Art of Hospitality Award.
Mineko Kato of restaurant Faro in Tokyo won the Asia's Best Pastry Chef award and Kevin Lu of Logy, in Taipei, was voted Asia's Best Sommelier. Sung Anh of Seoul's Mosu, credited with pioneering a new wave of Korean fusion gastronomy, was given the "Chef's Choice" award, while Danny Yip of Hong Kong's legendary The Chairman received the "Icon Award."
Asia’s 50 best restaurants for 2024 – The full list
- Sezanne (Tokyo)
- Florilege (Tokyo)
- Gaggan Anand (Bangkok)
- The Chairman (Hong Kong)
- Wing (Hong Kong)
- Nusara (Bangkok)
- Suhring (Bangkok)
- Den (Tokyo)
- La Cime (Osaka)
- Odette (Singapore)
- Sorn (Bangkok)
- Le Du (Bangkok)
- Mingles (Seoul)
- Narisawa (Tokyo)
- Burnt Ends (Singapore)
- Neighborhood (Hong Kong)
- Potong (Bangkok)
- 7th Door (Seoul)
- Fu He Hui (Shanghai)
- Euphoria (Singapore)
- Onjium (Seoul)
- Logy, Taipei
- Masque (Mumbai)
- Toyo Eatery (Manila)
- Born (Singapore)
- Indian Accent (New Delhi)
- Mono (Hong Kong)
- Meta (Singapore)
- Samrub Samrub Thai (Bangkok)
- Labyrinth (Singapore)
- Seroja (Singapore)
- Caprice (Hong Kong)
- JL Studio (Taichung, Taiwan)
- Mume (Taipei)
- Villa Aida (Wakayama, Japan)
- Ling Long (Shanghai)
- Ando (Hong Kong)
- Les Amis (Singapore)
- Sazenka (Tokyo)
- 102 House (Shanghai)
- Mosu (Seoul)
- Baan Tepa (Bangkok)
- Lolla (Singapore)
- Avartana (Chennai, India)
- Goh (Fukuoka, Japan)
- August (Jakarta)
- Cenci (Kyoto, Japan)
- Anan Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
- Chef Tam’s Seasons (Macao)
- Meet the Bund (Shanghai)
