Geranium in Copenhagen takes World’s Best Restaurant for 2022 as Italy and Spain rise in the rankings

Chefs, restaurateurs and food journalists gathered in London last night to celebrate the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards 2022. The ceremony, hosted by Academy Award-nominee and gourmet Stanley Tucci honoured gastronomic excellence from 24 territories across five continents, before naming Copenhagen’s Geranium as the world’s best restaurant as well as the best in Europe.

Taking over the number one position from Noma, Geranium, led by chef Rasmus Kofoed, was voted number two last year. The venue’s mission is to create food that awakens the senses, and chef Kofoed’s meticulous cooking has won accolades and fans worldwide. Geranium is joined in the top three by Central in Lima (number two) and Disfrutar in Barcelona (number three).

The best performing countries are Italy and Spain, both featuring six entries each. Uliassi (number 12) in Senigallia, Italy is the winner of the Highest New Entry Award in recognition of the restaurant’s contemporary cuisine inspired by the traditions of the Adriatic Coast.

South America continues to make culinary waves, as Central in Lima is ranked second in the list and the best in South America, with the continent boasting eight restaurants overall, including new entry Mayta (32^nd place) in Lima and Oteque (47^th) in Rio de Janeiro. Asia follows with seven restaurants in the ranking, with new entries Sorn in Bangkok (number 39) and La Cime, Osaka (number 41). The best restaurant in Asia is Den in Tokyo (rated 20^th), while list debutant Fyn in Cape Town (37^th) is crowned the best restaurant in Africa. Pujol (number five) in Mexico City takes the best restaurant in North America spot for the third time.

William Drew, director of content for 50 Best, comments: “We are delighted to announce the 2022 list and to celebrate Geranium as the new number one. Rasmus Kofoed, Søren Ledet and their team have created an unforgettable dining experience, taking seasonal cooking to superlative heights and delivering precise, beautiful and elegant food that combines art and flavour alongside a groundbreaking drinks programme. Geranium has cemented its status as a global culinary destination and a much-deserved winner of the coveted World’s Best Restaurant title. It is also very exciting to recognise this diverse list of restaurants spread across five continents and to see this vibrant culinary community coming together to celebrate in London.”  

The Art of Hospitality Award is presented to Atomix, a 14-seat tasting menu restaurant set around a single U-shaped counter in New York, run by husband and wife team Junghyun “JP” and Ellia Park. With JP leading the kitchen and Ellia the front of house, the duo deliver a standout culinary experience, offering innovative Korean cuisine and impeccable service to international visitors and New Yorkers alike.

René Frank of Coda, Berlin, is the recipient of the World’s Best Pastry Chef award. The renowned pastry chef leads Germany’s first and only specialist high-end dessert restaurant. Frank’s innovative and memorable creations, with a basis in traditional techniques, have attracted an ever-growing fanbase, as well as helping to build the chef’s reputation internationally.

Introduced as a new award for 2022, the World’s Best Sommelier title is awarded to Josep Roca, sommelier and co-owner of El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain. Roca is a world-renowned sommelier, whose talent exemplifies excellence within wine and food and whose passion is captivating. El Celler de Can Roca, which Josep runs with his brothers Joan and Jordi, now sits in the Best of the Best hall of fame, having won the World’s Best Restaurant title in both 2013 and 2015.

Further new entries include: Alchemist (18) and Jordnær (38), both in Copenhagen; The Jane (23) in Antwerp; Le Clarence (28) in Paris; St Hubertus (29) in San Cassiano, Italy; and Ikoyi (49) in London.

Nobelhart & Schmutzig (number 17) is awarded the Villa Massa Highest Climber Award, after the Berlin restaurant climbed 28 places since the publication of the 2021 list. Proud of its “vocally local” philosophy, Nobelhart & Schmutzig sets its focus firmly on its producers, resulting in high demand for its ten-course signature menu.

Jorge Vallejo, chef-owner of Quintonil (number 9) in Mexico City, wins the Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award. Voted on by his peers – the world’s leading chefs – this accolade goes to a chef who has had a significant influence on the culinary community.

Aponiente in the south-west of Spain takes home the Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award. This award is independently audited by the Sustainable Restaurant Association, which rates establishments that self-nominate for the award based on a wide range of criteria, including environmental and social responsibility.

The evening also celebrated those honoured with pre-announced special awards. These included the Champions of Change winners: Dieuveil Malonga, Koh Seng Choon and duo Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina; Leonor Espinosa, winner of the World’s Best Female Chef award; social entrepreneur Wawira Njiru, winner of the Icon award; and Marseille restaurant AM par Alexandre Mazzia, winner of the American Express One to Watch award.

The 50 Best ceremony, held at the historic Old Billingsgate Market in the City of London, marked the 20^th year of the prestigious global gastronomic ranking, and the return to the British capital after seven years.

The voting process

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 list is voted for by 1,080 international restaurant industry experts and well-travelled gourmets who make up the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy. The gender-balanced Academy comprises 27 separate regions around the world, each of which has 40 members, including a chairperson. No sponsor from the event has any influence over the voting process. The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is independently adjudicated by professional services consultancy Deloitte. This adjudication ensures that the integrity and authenticity of the voting process and the resulting list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 is protected. 

Best of the best

Those in the elite group of number-one-ranked restaurants (listed below) have more than proved their worth and will now be forever honoured as iconic dining destinations in the Best of the Best hall of fame. The chefs and restaurateurs who have led their restaurants to the pinnacle of the list have expressed their desire to invest in the future of the sector and give back to the food world through new projects and initiatives. The following restaurants have been named number one in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants since the list’s inception and were therefore not eligible for voting in 2022 and beyond: 

• El Bulli (2002, 2006-2009)
• The French Laundry (2003-2004)
• The Fat Duck (2005)
• Noma (2010-2012, 2014 and 2021 because of the new location)
• El Celler de Can Roca (2013, 2015)
• Osteria Francescana (2016, 2018)
• Eleven Madison Park (2017)
• Mirazur (2019)

The food desk
Photos: Filippo L’Astorina

The 50 Best lists 2022: 1-50 and 51-100

Ranking	Establishment	City	Country
1	Geranium	Copenhagen	Denmark
2	Central	Lima	Peru
3	Disfrutar	Barcelona	Spain
4	Diverxo	Madrid	Spain
5	Pujol	Mexico City	Mexico
6	Asador Etxebarri	Atxondo	Spain
7	A Casa do Porco	São Paulo	Brazil
8	Lido 84	Gardone Riviera	Italy
9	Quintonil	Mexico City	Mexico
10	Le Calandre	Rubano	Italy
11	Maido	Lima, Peru	Peru
12	Uliassi	Senigallia	Italy
13	Steirereck	Vienna	Austria
14	Don Julio	Buenos Aires	Argentina
15	Reale	Castel di Sangro	Italy
16	Elkano	Getaria	Spain
17	Nobelhart & Schmutzig	Berlin	Germany
18	Alchemist	Copenhagen	Denmark
19	Piazza Duomo	Alba	Italy
20	Den	Tokyo	Japan
21	Mugaritz	San Sebastian	Spain
22	Septime	Paris	France
23	The Jane	Antwerp	Belgium
24	The Chairman	Hong Kong	Hong Kong
25	Frantzén	Stockholm	Sweden
26	Restaurant Tim Raue	Berlin	Germany
27	Hof Van Cleve	Kruishoutem	Belgium
28	Le Clarence	Paris	France
29	St. Hubertus	San Cassiano	Italy
30	Florilège	Tokyo	Japan
31	Arpège	Paris	France
32	Mayta	Lima, Peru	Peru
33	Atomix	New York	USA
34	Hiša Franko	Kobarid	Slovenia
35	The Clove Club	London	UK
36	Odette	Singapore	Singapore
37	Fyn	Cape Town	South Africa
38	Jordnær	Copenhagen	Denmark
39	Sorn	Bangkok	Thailand
40	Schloss Schauenstein	Fürstenau	Switzerland
41	La Cime	Osaka	Japan
42	Quique Dacosta	Denia	Spain
43	Boragó	Santiago	Chile
44	Le Bernardin	New York	USA
45	Narisawa	Tokyo	Japan
46	Belcanto	Lisbon	Portugal
47	Oteque	Rio de Janeiro	Brazil
48	Leo	Bogotá	Colombia
49	Ikoyi	London	UK
50	SingleThread	Healdsburg	USA
51	Alcalde	Guadalajara	Mexico
52	Sud 777	Mexico City	Mexico
53	D.O.M.	São Paulo	Brazil
54	Lyle’s	London	UK
55	Azurmendi	Larrabetzu	Spain
56	La Colombe	Cape Town	South Africa
57	Trèsind Studio	Dubai	UAE
58	Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen	Paris	France
59	Sazenka	Tokyo	Japan
60	Rosetta	Mexico City	Mexico
61	La Grenouillère	La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil	France
62	Ernst	Berlin	Germany
63	Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare	New York	USA
64	Fu He Hui	Shanghai	China
65	Le Du	Bangkok	Thailand
66	Sühring	Bangkok	Thailand
67	Evvai	São Paulo	Brazil
68	Kjolle	Lima	Peru
69	Cosme	New York	USA
70	Zén	Singapore	Singapore
71	Mingles	Seoul	South Korea
72	Atelier Crenn	San Francisco	USA
73	Kol	London	UK
74	Blue Hill at Stone Barns	Pocantico Hills	USA
75	Samrub Samrub Thai	Bangkok	Thailand
76	Neighborhood	Hong Kong	Hong Kong
77	Table by Bruno Verjus	Paris	France
78	Lasai	Rio de Janeiro	Brazil
79	Estela	New York	USA
80	AM par Alexandre Mazzia	Marseille	France
81	Brat	London	UK
82	Sézanne	Tokyo	Japan
83	El Chato	Bogotá	Colombia
84	Gimlet at Cavendish House	Melbourne	Australia
85	Raan Jay Fai	Bangkok	Thailand
86	Mikla	Istanbul	Turkey
87	Orfali Bros Bistro	Dubai	UAE
88	Mishiguene	Buenos Aires	Argentina
89	Máximo Bistrot	Mexico City	Mexico
90	Wolfgat	Paternoster	South Africa
91	Oriole	Chicago	USA
92	Indian Accent	New Delhi	India
93	Hertog Jan at Botanic Sanctuary	Antwerp	Belgium
94	Burnt Ends	Singapore	Singapore
95	Meta	Singapore	Singapore
96	Maní	São Paulo	Brazil
97	Benu	San Francisco	USA
98	Tantris	Munich	Germany
99	Flocons de Sel	Megève	France
100	Wing	Hong Kong	Hong Kong

The food desk