World's 50 Best Restaurants 2021: The Complete Ranking

Noma holds three Michelin stars, four World's 50 Best number-one rankings, a La Liste score of 91; the evidence for booking is clear if you can secure a table. Reservations operate Tuesday through Friday only and fill near-instantly when they open. Plan months ahead, commit to the tasting-menu format, treat this as the anchor of your Copenhagen trip rather than a spontaneous addition.

Denmark's only three-Michelin-star restaurant and the No. 1 on the World's 50 Best list in 2022, Geranium is the benchmark for serious dining in Copenhagen. The menu runs 80% plant-based, the wine list spans over 6,000 selections, the eighth-floor setting above Parken stadium is unlike any other fine-dining room in Scandinavia. Book months ahead.

Ranked #2 in the World's 50 Best (2024) and named Best Restaurant in Europe for 2025, Asador Etxebarri is a strong yes; if you can get a table. Chef Victor Arguinzoniz's fire-cooking in a rural Basque valley requires months of advance planning, but for food and travel enthusiasts willing to make the trip, it sits at the top of Spain's fine dining hierarchy. Lunch only, Tuesday to Sunday.

Central in Barranco holds the #1 spot on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list for 2023 and has ranked in the top six every year since 2017. The tasting menu moves course by course through Peru's ecosystems, from Pacific coast to high Andes. Book three to four months out minimum; this is a near-impossible table, the wait is justified.

Book Disfrutar if the trip can revolve around a high-concept progressive tasting menu and a difficult Barcelona reservation. The €€€€ price tier is justified by major recognition, including Michelin 3 Stars and World's 50 Best Restaurants #1, but the format suits committed food travelers more than mixed groups seeking an easy celebratory dinner.

Frantzén sits at the high-control end of Stockholm dining, where Nordic ingredients, French technique and Asian references are folded into a choreographed townhouse format. Björn Frantzén's training at Edsbacka Krog, Chez Nico and L'Arpège gives the restaurant its technical grammar, but the larger story is Stockholm's shift from spare New Nordic minimalism toward immersive, multi-room fine dining.

Named the World's Best Restaurant 2025 and a perennial Top 10 fixture at the World's 50 Best, Maido is Lima's hardest table to book and, for Nikkei cuisine, its most compelling. Chef Mitsuharu Tsumura's tasting menu draws on seasonal Peruvian ingredients; increasingly Amazonian; executed with Japanese precision. Book 2 to 3 months out minimum, treat this as a full-evening commitment.

Odette is a high-commitment Singapore booking for diners who want formal French Contemporary cooking, a calm occasion room, serious recognition behind the experience. It is worth prioritizing for a special occasion or food-and-wine-focused dinner, but less suited to casual groups or anyone looking for flexibility.

Pujol is the splurge choice in Mexico City for a serious Mexican tasting-menu dinner, especially for anniversaries, client meals, destination-dining trips. Choose it over more flexible peers when recognition, polish, chef-driven structure matter more than ease, speed, or value.

The Chairman is the Hong Kong Cantonese booking to prioritise when the meal itself matters more than scene or flexibility. Lunch is the sharper value play for focused diners, while dinner works better for a special occasion built around the table. Cross-shop Sun Tung Lok for a same-tier Cantonese fallback or Above & Beyond for a more occasion-led setting.

Den is the Tokyo booking to chase when creative Japanese cooking matters more than formal luxury. Aim for lunch if the trip is food-led and schedule-sensitive; choose dinner when the meal is the occasion. It suits couples, solo diners, small groups who are comfortable with a set-format experience.

Austria's most decorated restaurant by a wide margin; three Michelin stars, a top-25 World's 50 Best ranking, a La Liste score of 98 points. Getting a table is genuinely hard (book four to six weeks out minimum), but Steirereck im Stadtpark justifies every effort with research-driven Austrian cuisine, an extraordinary wine programme, service that makes three-star dining feel welcoming rather than forbidding.

Don Julio holds a Michelin star and ranked #10 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2024; the most credentialed steak reservation in Buenos Aires. Expect dry-aged Angus and Hereford from the restaurant's own farm, a 60,000-bottle cellar, a near-impossible booking window. Reserve two months out or queue close to opening time.

Mugaritz is worth booking if you want the Basque Country's experimental side rather than a safe luxury meal. The €€€€ format, major awards profile, Errenteria location make it a destination choice, but it suits curious diners better than groups seeking classic celebration comfort.

Lido 84 is one of the hardest restaurant reservations in Europe and, at World's 50 Best No.12 with a Michelin star, one of the most decorated. Chef Riccardo Camanini's progressive Italian tasting menus are served in a converted lakeside lido on Lake Garda, with terrace tables directly over the water. Book months ahead or don't count on getting in.

Aitor Arregi's 62-year-old asador grills turbot, hake, sea bream over wood, serving only what Getaria's fishermen judge fresh enough that morning. The tasting menu is a parade of whole fish boned tableside, minimal seasoning, no substitutions. Lunch books months ahead; dinner runs Friday and Saturday only. One Michelin star, three Guía Repsol Soles, a spot on the World's 50 Best list make this one of the hardest tables in Basque Country.

A Casa do Porco is the most decorated value-for-money restaurant in São Paulo; a World's 50 Best Top 100 entry and Michelin Bib Gourmand at $$ pricing. Chef Jefferson Rueda's pork-focused menu rotates seasonally and runs both tasting and à la carte formats. Book weeks in advance; walk-ins are not realistic.

Piazza Duomo holds three Michelin stars, a World's 50 Best #39 ranking (2024), and one of the most plant-driven tasting menus in Italy. Chef Enrico Crippa runs four menus including a midweek lunch format for a lower-commitment entry point. Booking is near impossible without months of advance planning; but for a special occasion in the Langhe, no other table comes close.

Narisawa is a strong Tokyo special-occasion pick when you want French-innovative cooking with major recognition rather than a sushi-counter format. At ¥¥¥¥, it makes sense for anniversaries, date nights, polished business meals; choose lunch for a calmer food-focused booking and dinner when the meal is the main event.

DiverXO is David Muñoz's three-Michelin-star flagship in Madrid, ranked #4 in the World's 50 Best (2024) and 98 points on La Liste (2026). The single "Flying Pigs Cuisine" tasting menu blends Asian technique with Spanish ingredients in deliberately provocative combinations. Booking difficulty is near-impossible; reserve three to four months out, only come if you're ready for a long, high-energy evening with no à la carte option.

Hiša Franko holds three Michelin stars and ranked #69 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants (2025), making it the most decorated restaurant in Slovenia and one of the most compelling cases for destination dining in Central Europe. Ana Roš's hyper-local tasting menu, sourced entirely from the Soča Valley, is best experienced with an overnight stay in one of the 10 on-site rooms. Book months in advance.

Cosme holds a firm place among New York City's most globally recognised modern Mexican restaurants, with seven consecutive years on the World's 50 Best list. The a la carte format, dark and energetic room, rotating seasonal menu reward multiple visits. Book as far ahead as possible; reservations are near impossible at short notice.

Arpège is the strongest case in Paris for a milestone dinner built around vegetables. Alain Passard's three-Michelin-star kitchen sources daily from three biodynamic farms, the menu shifts with the seasons; meaning no two visits are identical. At €€€€, it is worth booking if this specific philosophy excites you; if you need protein at the centre of the plate, look elsewhere.

Septime delivers Michelin-starred seasonal French cooking at €85 lunch / €135 dinner, a price point that undercuts most peers by 30–40%. Chef Bertrand Grébaut's produce-forward tasting menus and natural wine list have kept the neo-industrial dining room on the World's 50 Best list for over a decade. Reservations open exactly three weeks ahead and vanish in minutes.

White Rabbit is Moscow's most internationally decorated restaurant, holding a World's 50 Best Top 25 placement and an 88.5-point La Liste score. Chef Vladimir Mukhin's tasting menu moves through historic Russian ingredients; sea buckthorn, Borodinsky bread, swan liver; in a glass dome above the city. Book four to six weeks out minimum; demand is consistent and walk-ins are not realistic.

Le Calandre is worth planning around if you want a serious progressive Italian meal in Rubano with major international recognition and Massimiliano Alajmo's creative cooking at the center. Lunch is the smarter choice for food-led travelers because it gives the meal more space in the day; dinner works better when the restaurant is the sole evening plan.

Quintonil is a serious Mexico City splurge for diners who want contemporary Mexican cooking with major award credentials and a polished Polanco setting. Book lunch if the meal is the priority and dinner if the occasion needs a more formal rhythm; either way, treat the reservation as a primary trip anchor, not a last-minute add-on.

Three Michelin stars, a No. 7 ranking in Opinionated About Dining's North America list, nearly 20 courses of Corey Lee's technically precise Asian-inflected cooking make Benu one of the most credentialed tables in the country. Book at least six to eight weeks out; closer to three months for a weekend date. The quiet, contemplative room suits serious food travellers over groups seeking a convivial night out.

Three Michelin stars and a World's 50 Best top-20 ranking make Reale one of the most credentialled restaurants in Italy. Set in a 16th-century monastery in remote Abruzzo, Niko Romito's research-driven, minimalist cooking demands a dedicated trip and months of advance planning. Book if precision and restraint at the highest level are what you are after.

The most credentialed restaurant in Moscow; World's 50 Best top-30 and La Liste-recognised; Twins Garden delivers modern European cooking and a 1,400-selection wine list at a level that justifies the $$$ price tag. Book weeks ahead: availability is near impossible. If you are serious about food in Russia, this is the reservation to chase.

Restaurant Tim Raue holds two Michelin stars and a consistent World's 50 Best ranking for Asian-influenced tasting menus that combine Japanese, Thai, Chinese technique. This is not conventional Chinese fine dining; expect high acidity, pronounced spice, zero gluten, sugar, or lactose. Book weeks ahead; tables are difficult to secure and the format does not accommodate walk-ins.

Two Michelin stars and World's 50 Best #86 anchor Isaac McHale's ingredient-led tasting menus (£185–£235) in a stripped-back Shoreditch room. Book 60–90 days ahead for the hyper-seasonal British cooking that uses every part of the ingredient; prawn heads, sardine bones, pulled pork in tacos; with minimal fine-dining formality.

Burnt Ends is a strong priority booking in Singapore if you want a high-energy, fire-led meal rather than another quiet fine-dining room. The price tier makes sense for diners who value chef-driven barbecue, serious wine recognition, a visible kitchen rhythm; it is less ideal for a calm, low-risk occasion.

Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet is the hardest restaurant reservation in Shanghai and one of the most awarded in Asia, ranked #1 in Opinionated About Dining's Top Restaurants in Asia (2023) and a World's 50 Best fixture for seven years. Ten seats, a secret address, a fixed multi-course tasting menu, a fully controlled sensory environment make this the right booking only if you are specifically after immersive format dining at the top of the market.

Hof van Cleve is one of Belgium's most decorated dining addresses: two Michelin stars, a La Liste score of 96.5, six appearances in the World's 50 Best. Chef Floris Van der Veken's plant-forward tasting menu has earned 5 We're Smart Radishes with high distinction. Book well ahead; this is Near Impossible to reserve; and plan for a €€€€ evening in the Flemish Ardennes.

Book Single Thread Farm for a serious Healdsburg tasting-menu night, especially if Japanese-progressive technique and wine depth are the point of the trip. The $$$$ price tier is easier to justify for milestone dinners than casual wine-country meals, the reservation should be treated as the anchor of the itinerary.

Boragó is Santiago's most internationally recognised restaurant and the strongest case for booking a tasting menu in Chile. Chef Rodolfo Guzmán's Endémica menu draws on over 200 native producers across the country, earning consistent placement in the World's 50 Best (#29 in 2024) and a #3 OAD ranking in South America. Book well ahead; this fills fast.

Florilège is worth chasing for a serious Tokyo French celebration, especially if ingredient-led cooking matters more than hotel-style ceremony. The recognition profile supports the splurge, but the booking is difficult and the fit is narrower than a casual French night. Cross-shop UNE PINCÉE for value or Les Saisons for a more formal luxury setting.

Sühring is the Bangkok splurge to book when German fine dining is the point, not just another luxury tasting menu. It makes the strongest sense for milestone dinners and food-focused travelers; cross-shop Villa Frantzén for Scandinavian cuisine, Savelberg for French Contemporary, or Keller and Clara if value matters more than the highest price tier.

Yannick Alléno's three-Michelin-star flagship delivers tasting-menu precision built around his sauce-extraction technique, housed in a neoclassical pavilion near the Champs-Élysées. The room runs quiet and formal, the progression demands focus, the €€€€ price justifies itself only if you value methodical exploration over ingredient spectacle. Book three to four months ahead; if unavailable, Le Gabriel or Blanc offer comparable technique with better odds.

Belcanto holds two Michelin stars and ranked #31 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2024; it is the most credentialled table in Lisbon. Chef José Avillez runs both a tasting menu and à la carte from a 45-seat room in Chiado. Book six to eight weeks out minimum; this one is near-impossible to secure at short notice.

Atomix is worth pursuing for diners who want a serious modern Korean tasting-menu experience in New York City and are comfortable with a high-price, high-commitment evening. The strongest case is for food-focused pairs or small groups who value structure, service depth, a clear culinary point of view over flexibility.

Le Bernardin is worth the splurge when the brief is polished French seafood, calm Midtown formality, a meal built for celebration rather than spectacle. It is less useful for diners chasing a lively room or broad menu flexibility, but for a focused seafood dinner at $$$$, it remains a serious New York booking.

Nobelhart & Schmutzig holds a Michelin star and ranks #59 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants (2025), with a wine list that has earned consecutive Star Wine List top rankings since 2021. The ten-course set menu is built entirely on ingredients from Berlin and its surrounding regions. Book four to six weeks ahead minimum; midweek sittings run less expensive than weekends.

Leo is Bogota's most internationally credentialed restaurant, ranking #76 in the World's 50 Best (2025) after six consecutive years on the list. Chef Leonor Espinosa's Ciclo-Biome tasting menu works through Colombia's regional ecosystems using indigenous ingredients rarely seen elsewhere. Booking is extremely difficult; start well before your travel dates; but for a food-focused traveler, this is the table that justifies the effort.

Norway's only three-Michelin-star restaurant and the clearest argument for fine dining in Oslo. Maaemo's 20-course menu of organic Norwegian ingredients; ranked #24 in OAD Europe 2025 and 95 points on La Liste 2026; justifies its €€€€ price for a special occasion. Book two to three months ahead minimum; availability is near-impossible and fills fast.

Atelier Crenn is a high-commitment San Francisco splurge for diners who want modern French fine dining as the main event. The case for booking is strongest for a focused table of two, a milestone dinner, or a repeat visit where the format still feels worth the premium; otherwise, cross-shop nearby $$$$ peers with more flexible cuisine profiles.

Azurmendi holds three Michelin stars and a La Liste score of 98 points, with Eneko Atxa's single tasting menu (Adarrak) moving through the property itself before arriving at the dining room. Book two to three months out minimum; Saturday dinner fills first. The wine list, focused on limited-production labels, is one of the stronger arguments for choosing Azurmendi over comparable three-star alternatives in northern Spain.

Wolfgat in Paternoster is one of South Africa's most compelling destination restaurants; a World's 50 Best ranked (2021, #50) coastal cottage kitchen built around foraged West Coast ingredients. Booking is near impossible without months of lead time, the two-and-a-half-hour drive from Cape Town demands commitment. For food-focused travellers, it is worth both.