The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, one of the most influential restaurant awards around, announced its 2025 winners early this morning on Friday, 20 June AEST, with the awards ceremony held in Turin, Italy. This year, the global list features restaurants from 32 cities and 22 countries, including 10 notable new entries.
Peru claimed the top spot, the top gong awarded to Lima’s Maido, a regular on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in recent years. Spain’s Asador Extebarri in the Basque Country retained its place in second.
Australian restaurants fell short on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list this year, but Bundjalung chef and cookbook author Mindy Woods (Karkalla On Country) received the prestigious Champions of Change Award. First launched in 2021, the award celebrates individuals who drive meaningful action and create blueprints for a more inclusive society.
“This is not just Australian history, this is world history,” said Woods at the 50 Best Talks event, held prior to the official awards ceremony. “We have so much to celebrate and, sadly, the native food industry is now an $80 million industry and growing, yet First Nations people represent less than two per cent of growers and producers. We need that to change.”
Woods joins fellow Australian chef Josh Niland and his restaurant Saint Peter as the only Australian restaurant to receive a nod, placing 66th in the awards’ longlist. Australian expats James Henry and Shaun Kelly also made a longlist appearance, their Australian-owned French farmhouse restaurant Le Doyenné coming in at number 77.
The rest of this year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants list includes Quintonil in Mexico City, placed third; Diverxo in Madrid, placed fourth; Alchemist in Copenhagen, placed fifth; and Gaggan in Bangkok, placed sixth and claiming the title of Best Restaurant in Asia. In Hong Kong, Wing placed 10th and received the Art of Hospitality Award, while The Chairman, also in Hong Kong, placed 19th. Both Wing and The Chairman come highly recommended by Sydney’s Dan Hong, as mentioned in an interview with Gourmet Traveller.
Meanwhile, London’s Ikoyi received the Highest Climber Award, this year ranking 15th. And Dubai placed 27th with Trèsind Studio, the highest placed restaurant in the Middle East. As for restaurants re-entering the list this year, notable venues include La Cime in Osaka, Orfali Bros in Dubai, La Calandre in Rubano, and Narisawa in Tokyo.
In terms of individual awards, Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore behind Osteria Francescana received the Icon Award – considered the most prestigious – which last year went to Australia’s own Neil Perry. Thai chef Pichaya Soontornyanakij was named The World’s Best Female Chef 2025, with her Bangkok restaurant Potong placing 13th in its first-ever entry, also receiving recognition for the Highest New Entry Award; the World’s Best Pastry Chef title went to Paris’ Maxime Frédéric; Cartagena’s Celele took home the Sustainable Restaurant Award as well as placing 48th; Asado Extebarri’s Mohamed Benabdallah won World’s Best Sommelier Award; Barcelona’s Albert Adrià was honoured with the Chefs’ Choice Award; and Cairo restaurant Khufu’s was awarded One to Watch.
See the full list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2025 via the World’s 50 Best Restaurants website.
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