Asador Echebarri in Achondo, Spain is a world-class restaurant.
That’s according to the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, which announced its results Wednesday night in Lima, Peru. Located in the Basque Country, Asador Echebarri, led by chef Vitor Arginsonis, serves grilled dishes such as charred beef chops, fresh mozzarella from the chef’s buffalo, and homemade chorizo.
Bangkok’s Gagan Anand’s Gagan, which combines progressive Indian cuisine with French, Thai and Japanese influences, took second place, while Chef Rasmus Munk’s Alchemist in Copenhagen took third place.
India returned to the top 50 for the first time since 2004, ranking 26th in masks and 49th in NAAR. Mainland China made the list for the first time since 2021, with Shanghai’s Meet the Band in 21st place and Hangzhou’s Lu Yuan in 36th place.
Chef and restaurateur Ferran Adrià achieved worldwide fame for his avant-garde techniques at the now-closed restaurant El Bulli, which won him the Seven Rooms Icon Award. Adria continues to support culinary research and education through the nonprofit El Bulli Foundation.
This umbrella organization is called “The 50,” and it compiles a list of the top-ranked restaurants, bars, hotels, and vineyards in the world or region. Leverage industry networks to rank your facilities.
For years, The 50 has been considered a kingmaker and an opportunity for restaurants and bars around the world. Many chefs and other restaurant industry insiders say being “on the list” makes a big difference in bookings and revenue.
However, scrutiny of the contest has also increased. Ana Roš, the chef at Slovenia’s Hiša Franko, which ranked 60th this year, posted on Instagram that she would not be attending the ceremony in Lima, saying she would rather invest her resources in “the daily work that makes our guests, our team, our producers, and our restaurants better.”
While she emphasized that she enjoyed the “vibrant community” of the Top 50 and made many friends from it, she said: “Over time, however, success within the rankings became increasingly dependent on the visibility of the system itself” and said there was a risk that promoting one’s restaurant could become as important as the work being done within the restaurant.
It seems she wasn’t alone. Many of the world’s top chefs find it difficult to balance awards and lists with their restaurant jobs.
“Guides and lists are shaping the industry they claim to value,” Ivan Brehm, chef-owner of Michelin-starred Noori in Singapore, told CNBC. “Their decisions determine where customers spend their money, where investments flow, which chefs get attention, and where young chefs aspire.”
“It’s not to deny the greatness of the restaurants on the list or the opportunity it presents for all of us. The question is what it sets aside and what it motivates,” he added of the 50.
Roche’s Instagram post had more than 10,400 likes as of Friday, including likes from top chefs around the world.
Roche told CNBC in an email that the “reaction and response” from the post was “unanticipated.” “I didn’t write this article to provoke. Rather, I wrote it to wake up people, and it seems that many people are on the same page as me.”
50 companies defended their list and their role within the industry.
“50 does not claim to have the ability to police the facility regarding its budget or surrounding activities,” a spokesperson told CNBC. “50’s role is to provide a snapshot of expert opinion on the best hospitality experiences in specific regions or categories. 50’s does not act as a regulatory body and applies the same voting rules and principles consistently across all countries and territories.”
The time and effort spent on a contest can also be a dilemma.
“I didn’t go to Lima this year. It’s a very short amount of time on the ground, but a huge amount of time in the air. Like Ana, I felt that my time would be better spent in a restaurant with my team and guests,” said Dave Pinto, chef-owner of Singapore’s Michelin-starred Burnt Ends and winner of the 2017 Best Chef’s Choice Award 50.
However, he added, “I love going when the awards get closer and it’s easier to participate. It’s fun, I learn a lot, and I get to catch up with colleagues and people in the industry that I don’t get to see often.”
