A Peruvian restaurant was crowned for the second time as Maido was named The World’s Best Restaurant 2025 in a gala ceremony in Turin, Italy.
Last night, Turin, the handsome capital of Piemonte, hosted The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2025. The city rolled out a plush red carpet for chefs, restaurateurs and industry professionals who gathered from all over the globe to celebrate gastronomy, hospitality, culinary creativity and innovation, as well as the restaurant community at large. It’s a yearly conclave that can be likened to a class reunion, a feast of friendship, lubricated by food and drink.
The ceremony took place at the Lingotto Fiere, part of the iconic former Fiat factory, where the glitzy countdown to The World’s Best Restaurant was punctuated by individual awards and preceded by a series of events. Among them were the thought-leadership forum #50Best Talks, exploring pertinent topics affecting the hospitality sector today; the exclusive, but open to the public, 50 Best Signature Sessions, a series of collaborative dinners that pair 50 Best chefs with renowned local talent; and a generous Chefs’ Feast for the acclaimed cooks and their closest collaborators.
As per usual, there was some high-octane mingling before the audience and the chefs – all draped in red scarves – were invited to take their seats leading up to the big moment when restaurants from 22 territories across five continents were fêted.
Lima brought home its second win (Central was No.1 in 2023) as Maido was crowned The World’s Best Restaurant 2025. Helmed by Chef Mitsuharu Tsumura and his partners, César Choi and Marjorie Flores, the haute but relaxed eatery (No.5 in 2024) also received recognition as the Best Restaurant in South America.
Located in the Miraflores neighborhood, 15-year-old Maido occupies a corner building whose hidden, second floor dining room is adorned with a spectacular rope installation that cascades from a high ceiling. Here, Peruvian-Japanese Nikkei cuisine is taken to the next level with razor-sharp Japanese techniques, equal parts lush and luxe Peruvian ingredients, artful plating, and warm service.
“I’m very grateful for the recognition. It has been a long race to get to where we are today. A rewarding race, but also a stressful one when you’re endlessly aiming for the top. Finally, it’s over. Now I feel like I have a newfound freedom, which will allow me to focus on more creativity,” said Chef Micha, as he is known in among friends and colleagues.
Asador Etxebarri, in Spain’s Basque Country remained at No.2, Quintonil in Mexico City rose to third place, while DiverXO in Madrid and Alchemist in Copenhagen rounded out the top 5.
Ten restaurants made their debut on the Top 50 list this year, including Potong (No. 13) and Nusara (No. 35) in Bangkok; Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler (No. 20) in Brunico, Italy; Mérito (No. 26) in Lima; Lasai (No. 28) in Rio de Janeiro; Enigma (No. 34) in Barcelona; Kadeau (No. 41) in Copenhagen; Vyn (No. 47) in Skillinge, Sweden; Celele (No. 48) in Cartagena, and Restaurant Jan (No. 50) in Munich, demonstrating the ranking’s growing global reach in celebrating the world’s finest dining destinations.
A further four restaurants reentered the 1-50 ranking: Narisawa (No. 21) in Tokyo; Le Calandre (No. 31) in Rubano, Italy; Orfali Bros (No. 37) in Dubai and La Cime (No. 44) in Osaka.
Those in the elite group of No.1 ranked restaurants (listed below) have earned their exemplary reputations time and again and will be forever honored as iconic dining destinations in the Best of the Best “Hall of Fame.” The chefs and restaurateurs who have led these restaurants to the pinnacle have expressed their desire to invest in the future of the sector and “give back” to the food world through new projects and innovation. The following restaurants have been previously named No.1 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and were therefore ineligible in 2025:
· El Bulli (2002, 2006-2009)
· The French Laundry (2003-2004)
· The Fat Duck (2005)
· Noma (original location – 2010-2012, 2014)
· El Celler de Can Roca (2013, 2015)
· Osteria Francescana (2016, 2018)
· Eleven Madison Park (2017)
· Mirazur (2019)
· Noma (current location – 2021)
· Geranium (2022)
· Central (2023)
· Disfrutar (2024)
The World’s Best Female Chef 2025 is Bangkok-based Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakij, who mines her Thai-Chinese heritage for edible treasures at Potong, a jewel-box of a restaurant in a historic building that was once her grandfather’s herbal medicine shop. Potong was ranked No.13 and also received the Highest New Entry Award.
The Resy One to Watch Award 2025, spotlights a rising star on the global gastronomic stage and went to Khufu’s this year, an elegant restaurant that juxtaposes old and new with minimalist décor and maximalist views of the ancient Giza Pyramid Complex. Here, Executive Chef Mostafa Seifleans uses technical expertise and a passion for rustic culinary practices to create contemporary interpretations of traditional Egyptian cuisine.
Australia’s Mindy Woods, chef-owner of Karkalla On Country, is the recipient of the Champions of Change 2025 award that celebrates individuals driving positive transformation and long-term progress in the food and hospitality sector. Known for her inventive approach to Australian cuisine, Woods brings indigenous and non-indigenous people together through art, food and storytelling, encouraging them to connect with the land and Aboriginal culture at large.
The Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award 2025 is, as the name suggests, an accolade that seeks to help elevate the art of hospitality worldwide. It couldn’t have gone to a more well-deserving restaurant: Hong Kong’s Wing, whose chef-owner, Vicky Cheng, offers a flawless Chinese fine dining experience rooted in heritage and steeped in innovation. His passion for culinary tradition is as bottomless as his quest for perfection; his mission to share and preserve his heritage is mirrored in his meticulous 11-course tasting menu, attentively presented by his amicable service team. The restaurant ranked No.11.
The World’s Best Pastry Chef 2025 is Maxime Frédéric, the Christian Dior of patisserie who works with some of the world’s most luxurious brands. Frédéric, a dedicated craftsman, is the pastry chef at Cheval Blanc and Plénitude (No. 14) while also running Pleincoeur, a neighborhood bakery near his home in Paris’ 17th arrondissement, where the offering is more accessible.
Jumping from #42 to #15, Ikoyi won The Highest Climber Award. It was launched in 2017 by friends Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale, who have crafted a singular style that defies categorization but leans heavily on spices, heat and British produce.
The World's Best Sommelier Award 2025 was presented to Mohamed Benabdallah of Asador Etxebarri in Atxondo, Spain. Benabdallah started his career at lauded Spanish restaurant Quique Dacosta and spent six years diving ever deeper into the world of wines at Mugaritz, also in Basque Country, before joining the team at Asador Etxebarri which sits at No. 2 this year, as it did in 2024.
Power duo Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore received the Woodford Reserve Icon Award 2025 for their culinary excellence and philanthropic endeavors. Their gastronomic prowess goes well beyond their flagship, Osteria Francescana (voted The World’s Best Restaurant in 2016 and 2018), and has allowed them to launch various non-profit initiatives globally, championing sustainability and inclusion, and redefining the role of hospitality in society.
The 50 Best Restaurants Scholarship, in association with Parmigiano Reggiano, was awarded to aspiring Colombian chef Angélica Ortiz, who will have the opportunity to experience two all-expenses-paid internships at leading restaurants in early 2026: El Celler de Can Roca (The World’s Best Restaurant 2013 and 2015) and SingleThread in Healdsburg, USA (No. 80 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025).
Celele in Cartagena was announced the winner of the Sustainable Restaurant Award 2025 and landed at No.48 on the list. The casual, yet refined, eatery has received numerous accolades, among them being No. 6 on the 2024 Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list and the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award as part of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021. Considered sourcing, clever waste reduction and education are key to Celele’s sustainable practices.
The tireless innovator, Albert Adrià, received the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award 2025, the only one selected solely by chefs. He was a mere 16 years old when he joined his brother Ferran at El Bulli and got hands-on experience in every section of the famed restaurant’s kitchen before becoming a pâtissier. Since then, he has launched a slew of avant-garde culinary concepts; today, he focuses solely on his Barcelona restaurant, Enigma (No. 34), and R&D projects with leading food companies.
The list is derived from the votes of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, comprising 1,120 international restaurant industry experts – chefs, food writers, well-traveled gourmets. It’s split into 27 regions around the globe, with each having its own voting panel of 40 members, each of whom vote for their personal, top-ten culinary experiences over the past 18 months.
And while there’s no predetermined checklist of criteria, there are strict voting rules. For instance, the previous year’s winner is not eligible in the annual ranking; instead it enters the Best of the Best, joining legends such as Noma, Central, el Bulli, Geranium, and the No.1 restaurant 2024, Disfrutar. The process is independently reviewed by professional services consultancy Deloitte.
Sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, the World’s 50 best Restaurants list has been published every year since 2002, with the exception of 2020 when Covid-19 severely impacted the industry.
