Disfrutar in Barcelona has been named the world’s best restaurant. In a lavish ceremony in Las Vegas, the restaurant, described as featuring an “elaborate brand of molecular cuisine packed with pomp and circ*mstance”, capped an exceptional year for Spain, with three of its restaurants finishing in the top four.
In last year’s event, three of the top four were also from Spain, marking the continued shift in global fine dining from Denmark – the country’s highest placing this year was Copenhagen’s Alchemist in eighth – to Iberia.
Asador Etxebarri in the Basque Country came second. The restaurant is noted for its unrepentant commitment to live-fire cooking, even in desserts, including a reduced milk ice cream. Madrid’s Diverxo, described as “hedonistic”, “creative” and “unpredictable”, came fourth.
Table by Bruno Verjus in Paris picked up third spot, while Maido in Lima, South America’s fine dining capital and the home of last year’s winner, rounded off the top five. The awards came the same week a poll commissioned by the French tourist board found Spanish cuisine favoured over French by international holidaymakers.
It was a relatively poor year for the United Kingdom, with just two restaurants finishing in the top 50, down from three last year. Kol in Marylebone, run by Mexican chef Santiago Lastra, jumped from 23rd to 17th, making it the highest British restaurant in an awards some consider to be the highest accolade in global gastronomy. “The achievement belongs to our brilliant team first and foremost,” says Lastra. “And also to Mexico – to its traditions, people, and culture that never ceases to inspire us – and to our farmers and foragers for all the opportunities to explore Britain’s landscape and produce.”
Ikoyi, found on the Strand, dropped seven spots to 42nd. Modern British restaurant The Clove Club, also in London, fell out of the top 50. British restaurants rarely trouble the upper echelons of the awards, with no winners since Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in 2005.
William Drew, the director of content for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, described Disfrutar, which also holds three Michelin stars, as an “iconoclastic” restaurant. “The team, led by Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas, has shown extraordinary dedication to its craft, amazing and delighting diners with every dish on its extensive menu.” Disfrutar’s tasting menu of around 30 dishes costs £247, and has been described as “avant garde”. Star dishes have included crispy egg yolk with mushroom gelatin, a panchino doughnut with creamy beluga caviar, and a frozen gazpacho sandwich.
The restaurant was founded in 2014 and is helmed by three former El Bulli employees. The legendary restaurant was once considered the home of modernist fine dining, winning the first iteration of the World’s 50 Best in 2002 and picking up four more titles, while finishing in the top three for the first nine years before closing in 2011.
In 2019, the World’s 50 Best changed its rules so former winners were no longer eligible and, since then, the previous year’s runner up has finished top more often than not. Disfrutar came second last year.
Elsewhere, Nobelhart & Schmutzig in Berlin, which came 43rd, won the sustainable restaurant awards for its “unerring advocacy for better agricultural policies and the voices of producers” and a “brutally local” ethos. Pablo Rivero, sommelier and owner of Don Julio in Buenos Aires (10th) was named best sommelier, while Australian chef Neil Perry picked up a lifetime achievement award in recognition of his 45-year career, including restaurants like Rockpool Bar & Grill in Melbourne and Margaret in Double Bay, a suburb of Sydney.
Although there were 26 territories and five continents represented, in what Drew called “a truly global list… demonstrating that the appetite for diversity and excellence in hospitality shows no sign of waning”, the awards still centred largely on Europe, South America and parts of Asia (mostly Japan, Hong Kong and Bangkok). There was only one African restaurant in the top 50, La Colombe in Cape Town, which blends French and Asian cuisines, finishing in 49th. No restaurants from South Asia made the list and with 24 entrants, Europe achieved just under half of the top 50.
The United States received just two entrants, with New York’s Atomix jumping two spots to sixth, while Single Thread in Healdsburg, California, came 46th. France had four in the top 50, all in Paris, with Spain achieving five in total, more than any other individual country.
In an industry dominated by men, Janaína Torres of A Casa Do Porco in São Paulo, which finished 27th, down from 12th last year, picked up the best female chef award. The Telegraph has described the restaurant in downtown São Paulo as looking “more dive bar than fine-dining”, having a reasonably priced tasting menu (around £40), and a mouthwatering pork-centred menu. Other prizes included “champions of change”, awarded for social enterprises. Jessica Rosval and Caroline Caporossi of Roots, in Modena, a restaurant that trains migrant women, was recognised, as was João Diamante of Diamantes Na Cozinha in Rio de Janeiro. The culinary initiative helps create opportunities for young people in vulnerable situations in the city.
Five British restaurants made the extended 51-100 list, released prior to last night’s ceremony. They were Core by Clare Smyth, Mountain, Lyle’s, The Clove Club and Brat, all in London, suggesting the awards voters, made up of over 1,000 “international restaurant industry experts and well-travelled gourmets”, have paid little attention to the provinces, where some of Britain’s best cooking is taking place.
