Tl;dr – The World’s 50 Best List full list was announced Thursday. Here’s a quick review of my dining experiences at four of the top 50 restaurants.
Last week, I wrote about my dining experiences at a few restaurants that were listed in the second half of the list, restaurants 51-100. As promised, I’m circling back with some thoughts now that we know the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The annual award show for announcing the World’s 50 Best Restaurants concluded Thursday night in Turin, Italy, and we now have access to the full list. I’ve eaten at five of these top 50 restaurants, and here are my thoughts.
For what it’s worth, I don’t put too much stake as to whether the restaurants on the list are truly the ‘best in the world’ or the methodology behind the list. Instead, I find the list helpful in identifying spots that ‘might be worth checking out.’
26. Mérito, Lima, Peru (new entry)
On a trip spanning Peru and Colombia in 2022, I had the chance to eat at a few fun restaurants, including Leo and Aramburu in Bogotá, Maido (referenced below), and Astrid y Gastón in Lima, and a planned seating at Kjolle as well. However, because Mrs. Blackbeard and I went too hard at the Astrid y Gastón lunch, we FAFO’d and missed our Kjolle dinner reservation. Poor planning on our part, for sure. The bright side is that we found a replacement seating option in Mérito, a restaurant that some reviewers claimed is right up there with Kjolle and World’s former #1 Central. Located in the trendy Barranco, the internet reported the move was to sit at the chef’s table to watch Chef Juan Luis Martínez and his crew go to work. We weren’t able to do so – we sat upstairs – but we were still able to experience all the innovative takes on the best foods that Latin America has to offer. I didn’t snap any photos that night but here’s a restaurant-provided photo of some of Mérito’s small place.
The food was delicious, and Mérito is worth a visit.
24. Elkano, Gipuzkoa, Spain
I sat down at Elkano back in 2018 as part of my ‘B-to-B’ Michelin tour, a two-week jaunt from Barcelona to Bilbao, focusing on exploring as many 2- and 3-starred Michelin restaurants as possible. It’s in the picturesque seaside town of Getaria, in the Basque Country of Spain.
Elkano is famous for a Grilled Turbot that some consider to be the best-tasting fish dish in the World.
After being cooked the fish is presented whole, then perfectly deboned and prepared tableside. The long-tenured staff are quick to point out the different tastes associated with each part of the fish.
It’s a unique, delicious experience.
23. Boragó, Santiago, Chile
Boragó was a bit underwhelming. I ate here back in March 2022, and the restaurant’s location and dining room are beautiful.
Boragó puts the bounty of Chile front and center and leans heavily into season menus. The theme for the night was tomatoes and they were laid out near the entrance for assurances.
Boragó excels at making visually appealing dishes – presentation-wise, their experience was second to none.
If you like the ‘show’ at these types of dining experiences then you might be satisfied here.
At some point, I was instructed to blow smoke out after eating something that would make me ‘blow smoke’.
All of this was exciting, but the food was relatively flavorless (which could also be my take on Chilean cuisine generally), and the wine situation was challenging. The restaurant had just three wines they were offering that evening – in total. It was rather bizarre, uninspired, and felt a bit mailed in.
10. Don Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
A mainstay on the World’s 50 Best List, Don Julio is a legendary Parilla (steakhouse) in the popular Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. I sat down for an al fresco lunch, and overall, the experience was good.
We had a few small plates, and of course, I had to try a steak.
I don’t think I nailed the temperature order, as my steak could have stood to be a bit redder (a recurring theme at a few spots throughout Argentina for me), despite ordering it ‘muy jugoso.’
Solid experience overall, and I can see why it’s an institution.
1. Maido, Lima, Peru
I ate at Maido back on November 30, 2022. It’s easy to remember the date because a large number of people were tuned into the World Cup game at the time – Argentina’s 2-0 win over Poland. Chef Mitsuharu’ Micha’ Tsumura puts forth one of the strongest Nikkei experiences around and the atmosphere manages to be both laid back and refined at the same time.
Everything, and I mean everything was great about this experience.
The service was on point, and anytime they came around with the blowtorch, your belly was gonna be happy.
Maido is one of the better food experiences I’ve ever had.
Pursuant to the 2019 rule change, as Maido has reached the No. 1 spot, it is automatically retired from the list and inducted into the “Best of the Best” category.
