Spain's Disfrutar named world's top restaurant by 50 Best

LAS VEGAS

The world of gastronomy came together in Las Vegas on June 6 to celebrate and recognize The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2024, with Barcelona's Disfrutar, run by the skilled chef trio of Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas, named The World's Best Restaurant.

The awards ceremony, hosted at Wynn Las Vegas, honored the very best gastronomic talent from 26 territories across five continents.

Ranked at No.2 in 2023, Disfrutar (which means ‘Enjoy’ in Spanish) opened in December 2014 next to the Ninot market in the heart of the Catalan city. It is famed for modern techniques and beautiful ingredients, resulting in an experience that subverts traditional fine dining in a refreshing way.

The tasting menu showcases a Mediterranean identity with avant-garde flavors to deliver daring contemporary food that is both thought-provoking and fun.

The venue is run by three chefs who trained at the renowned El Bulli in Roses, Spain, which has topped the 50 Best list five times, including the first-ever in 2002.

A Spanish eatery also took second place: Asador Etxebarri, in the Basque town of Atxondo.

Third place went to Table de Bruno Verjus in Paris, among the most expensive in the French capital.

Disfrutar and Table de Bruno Verjus both also have the highest three-star ranking from Michelin, while Asador Etxebarri has one.

Spanish and Latino establishments dominated the top 10 this year, with Madrid restaurant Diverxo in fourth place, Lima's Maido in fifth, Mexico City's Quintonil in seventh, and the Don Julio steakhouse in Buenos Aires in 10th.

William Drew, Director of Content for The World's 50 Best Restaurants, said, "It is with great excitement that we announce the list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2024 and honor the iconoclastic Disfrutar as The World's Best Restaurant. The team has shown extraordinary dedication to its craft, amazing and delighting diners with every dish on its extensive menu."

Mitsuharu 'Micha' Tsumura, chef-owner of Maido in Lima, won the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award 2024, the only award to be voted for by his peers.

Australian chef and restaurateur Neil Perry has enjoyed a career spanning more than four decades and was rewarded with the Woodford Reserve Icon Award. Paris-based Nina Métayer, whose work is inspiring a new generation of pâtissiers, is named The World's Best Pastry Chef 2024.

Based in Hong Kong, chef Vicky Cheng's Wing (No.20) is recognized with the Highest New Entry Award 2024, and The Chairman (No.26) – also in Hong Kong – bagged the Highest Climber Award 2024. Other new entries included Mingles (No.44) in Seoul and La Colombe (No.49) in Cape Town.

The Beronia World's Best Sommelier Award was presented to Pablo Rivero, sommelier and owner of Don Julio, Buenos Aires, while Berlin's Nobelhart & Schmutzig (No.43) was announced as the winner of the Sustainable Restaurant Award.

The 50 Best list was launched in 2002 and quickly established itself as an international alternative to France's renowned Michelin Guide. It has more than 1,000 voters across 27 regions around the world, a mix of chefs, food writers and "well-travelled gourmets."