Any doubts that Spain remains the fine dining centre of the world may just have evaporated with the revealing of the World's 50 Best Restaurants for 2024 list.
Six eateries from the European nation made the list – three of them in the top five.
The awards – considered the Oscars of global fine dining – were handed out at a ceremony at the Wynn in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening, with Barcelona's Disfrutar walking away with the top prize. Ranked number two last year, it's owned and run by chefs Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casanas.
The fact that this trio met while working at the legendary El Bulli should provide a few clues as to what diners can expect – imaginative and playful dishes executed with technical mastery, such as the caviar-filled Panchino doughnut, the frozen gazpacho sandwich and squab with kombu spaghetti, almond and grape.
Coming in at number two was Asador Etxebarri of Atxondo, not far from the Spanish port city of Bilbao. Under the leadership of chef Victor Arguinzoniz, it's famed for offering unbeatable barbecue that lets the quality of the ingredients shine, such as a red Palamós prawn that's simply grilled and served on its own.
But you can never count Paris out. The French capital's Table by Bruno Verjus squeezed into third place, while yet another restaurant from Spain – Madrid's Diverxo – took the fourth spot.
Coming in at fifth was Lima's Maido, one of three restaurants from the city to make the list, giving the Peruvian capital's reputation as South America's premier dining destination yet another boost. Mexico was the big winner in North America, earning three restaurants on the list, led by Mexico City eatery Quintonil, which came in seventh.
The rest of the list
Securing six restaurants on the list was enough to make Spain the biggest winner of the night in Vegas. In terms of cities, Paris and Bangkok tied for first, each with four restaurants on the list. Gaggan Anand, at number nine, was the Thai capital's top entry.
As for the event's host country, the US had two restaurants on this year's 50 Best list.
New York City's Atomix came in 6th this year, rising two spots since last year. SingleThread, in the town of Healdsburg in California's Sonoma Valley, landed in 47th place.
Three restaurants from Tokyo were awarded, with eatery Sézanne (voted Asia's best restaurant in 2024) ranking the highest in the Japanese capital, at 15.
Hong Kong saw two of its restaurants hit the list, with both making impressive moves. Wing was the city's highest new entry on the entire list, at 20, while The Chairman was the highest climber, moving from last year's 50th spot into number 26.
The list is compiled based on the votes of the The World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy, which is made up of 1080 international restaurant industry experts including food writers and chefs, in 27 regions around the world.
Restaurants can only win the top prize once, after which they're entered into a separate "Best of the Best" program.
Members of that elite group include Geranium and Noma in Copenhagen, as well as New York's Eleven Madison Park, The Fat Duck near London, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, and Mirazur in Menton, France. Last year's winner, Central of Lima, Peru, now joins them on that list.
The world's 50 best restaurants 2024
- Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain)
- Asador Etxebarri (Atxondo, Spain)
- Table by Bruno Verjus (Paris, France)
- Diverxo (Madrid, Spain)
- Maido (Lima, Peru)
- Atomix (New York City) – Best restaurant in North America
- Quintonil (Mexico City, Mexico)
- Alchemist (Copenhagen, Denmark)
- Gaggan Anand (Bangkok, Thailand)
- Don Julio (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
- Septime (Paris, France)
- Lido 84 (Gardone Riviera, Italy)
- Trèsind Studio (Dubai, UAE)
- Quique Dacosta (Denia, Spain)
- Sézanne (Tokyo, Japan)
- Kjolle (Lima, Peru)
- Kol (London, England)
- Plénitude (Paris, France)
- Reale (Castel di Sangro, Spain)
- Wing (Hong Kong) – Highest New Entry Award
- Florilège (Tokyo, Japan)
- Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)
- Suhring (Bangkok, Thailand)
- Odette (Singapore)
- El Chato (Bogotá, Colombia)
- The Chairman (Hong Kong) - Highest Climber Award
- A Casa do Porco (São Paulo, Brazil)
- Elkano (Getaria, Spain)
- Boragó (Santiago, Chile)
- Restaurant Tim Raue (Berlin, Germany)
- Belcanto (Lisbon, Portugal)
- Den (Tokyo, Japan)
- Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico)
- Rosetta (Mexico City, Mexico)
- Frantzén (Stockholm, Sweden)
- The Jane (Antwerp, Belgium)
- Oteque (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- Sorn (Bangkok, Thailand)
- Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)
- Le Du (Bangkok, Thailand)
- Mayta (Lima, Peru)
- Ikoyi (London, England)
- Nobelhart & Schmutzig (Berlin, Germany)
- Mingles (Seoul, South Korea)
- Arpege (Paris, France)
- SingleThread (Healdsburg, California)
- Schloss Schauenstein (Fürstenau, Switzerland)
- Hiša Franko (Kobarid, Slovenia)
- La Colombe (Cape Town, South Africa)
- Uliassi (Senigallia, Italy).
