London restaurant Kol rolled into the top 20 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list 2024, in at number 17 and up from 23 last year.
The Mexican chef Santiago Lastra launched Kol in Marylebone in 2020 and at a glittering ceremony in Las Vegas on Wednesday night he celebrated alongside Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale, founders of Ikoyi, which returned to the top 50 at 42.
Also in the room was Tomas Parry of Brat and Mountain, both of which made the top 51-100 list which was announced in May, ahead of the top 50 awards. The latter restaurant was listed at number 94, having only opened in the summer of last year.
And British-born chef Daniel Calvert, once of Pied à Terre, saw his Tokyo restaurant Sezanne soar to number 15.
But London was again eclipsed by restaurants from around the world, notably Thailand, South America, and Italy, France and Spain. This year’s winner was Disfrutar, from Barcelona.
Josh Barrie
The Clove Club, formerly number 32, fell out of the exclusive top 50 and now occupies 80th place, joining Lyle’s at 87, and Core by Clare Smyth, which was moved down to 97.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list was announced at the Wynn Hotel on the Las Vegas strip, with chefs such as Thomas Keller, José Andrés and Mauro Colagreco handing out special awards to the likes of Brazil’s Janaína Torres (female chef of the year) and Nina Métayer, from France, who won best pastry chef.
Other notable accolades included the icon award, handed out to the Australian chef Neil Perry who looked visibly emotional on stage.
Each year, the list aims to evaluate and rank restaurants the world over. It is organised by British media group William Reed and selections are based on the opinions of more than 1,000 food and drink professionals, including chefs, restaurateurs, and food writers.
Last year’s winner, Central, in Lima, Peru — the first restaurant outside Europe and the US to win — and run by married chefs Virgilio Martínez and Pia León, this year automatically ascended to the Best of the Best list, which was introduced in 2019 and means past winners are no longer eligible. It also means the top spot is more readily up for grabs.
Others on the Best of the Best list include titanic restaurants such as the UK’s The Fat Duck, Mirazur, Osteria Francescana, Noma, and El Bulli.
The full 2024 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list:
2. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo, Spain
3. Table by Bruno Verjus, Paris
7. Quintonil, Mexico City
10. Don Julio, Buenos Aires
12. Lido 84, Gardone Riviera
13. Trèsind Studio, Dubai
14. Quique Dacosta, Dénia
19. Reale, Castel di Sangro
26. The Chairman, Hong Kong
27. Casa do Porco, São Paulo
30. Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin
43. Nobelhart & Schmutzig, Berlin
46. Single Thread, Healdsburg
47. Schauenstein Castle, Fürstenau
49. La Colombe, Cape Town