The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, ranking the best gastronomic realities on the international scene, awarded 5 Italian restaurants.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants: the Origins

London magazine Restaurant pays tribute to culinary specialities with a 360-degree focus on the world’s dining experience. The 21st edition of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, covering the world’s top restaurants, actually had much more circumscribed origins without the global scope of today. It was a simple magazine survey “screening” Anglo-Saxon gastronomy.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants: the Purpose

It was only in 2002 that the idea of creating a hit parade of taste was born with the contribution of 150 experts. A year later, the project takes on the connotations of today’s event to be celebrated, including celebrations and award ceremonies. A genuinely original and ambitious initiative that, for the first time, put the entire sector in the spotlight.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants: an international outreach

The jury sustains the global character of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, which has a network of 27 voting regions on a geographic basis. Food critics, writers, chefs, restaurateurs and even gourmet volunteers are called upon to give their opinion.

Since the first event in Londa in 2003, which until 2015 was held in the UK capital, over the years the world taste tour has stopped in New York (2016), Melbourne (2017), the Basque Country (2018), Singapore (2019), Flanders (2021) and again in London in 2022.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023

On 19 and 20 June, it was the turn of Valencia, a sparkling Spanish city, young but rich in history and tradition. A grand gala evening and awards ceremony took place at the Reina Sofia Opera House in the modern setting of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, a masterpiece by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

Alongside the final ceremony, several opportunities to participate in press conferences, close encounters with chefs and training sessions in some of the most evocative locations of Spain’s 3rd major city.

The 5 Italian award-winning restaurants

Finally, we just have to look at the ranking:

• in 42nd place, Piazza Duomo with Chef Enrico Crippa (Alba, Cuneo, Piedmont);
• breathing down its neck, in 41st place, is Le Calandre with Chef Massimiliano Alajmo (Sarmeola di Rubano, Padua, Veneto);
• climbing the list further up the 34th step is Ristorante Uliassi with Chef Mauro Uliassi (Senigallia, Ancona, Marche);
• the Restaurant Reale, with Chef Niko Romito, (Castel di Sangro, Aquila, Abruzzo) takes the 16th place;
• entering the top 10, in 7th place, is Lido 84 headed by Chef Riccardo Camanini (Gardone Riviera, Brescia, Lombardy).

There is a fair balance between the North and the Centre, but lacking the excellence of the South and the major islands, Sicily and Sardinia, which also have excellent gastronomy. We hope that The World’s 50 Best Restaurants will give due credit to the rest of Italy next year.

Cover image: photo credits https://www.theworlds50best.com/

Learn more about the 5 Italian award-winning restaurants in our gallery (photo credits https://www.theworlds50best.com/):