The best restaurants in the world

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, widely regarded as the Oscars of the culinary world, has recently revealed its top list for 2021. Together they form a tour of very different cuisines, united by quality, technique and respect for their ingredients. Check out the top 20 and see why they truly are the best kitchens around the globe.

René Redzepi is considered the father of the new Nordic cuisine and his Copenhagen restaurant Noma 2.0 has been selected as the number one of the World's 50 Best Restaurants for 2021. This is the fifth time Redzepi's restaurant gets this honor. Noma 2.0 offers a captivating proposal of three distinct menus throughout year: Seafood going from January to May, Vegetables throughout the summer and Game & Forest from October to December.

Refshalevej 96, 1432 Copenhague, Denmark.

Based in Copenhagen, Rasmus Kofoed's Geranium was the first restaurant in Denmark to obtain three Michelin stars. The kitchen offers 15 to 20-course tasting menus that manage to be dynamic but accessible and provide a chance to taste Kofoed's skills of making art out of food. As a plus, it's located on the eighth floor of the Fælledparken, Denmark's national soccer team stadium.

Per Henrik Lings Allé 4, 8. Sal, 2100 Copenhague, Denmark.

Located in the hills of Basque country, chef Víctor Arguinzonic's Asador Etxebarri manages to get amazing flavours out of very simple ingredients. It does so thanks in part to the grill, mesh pans and other utensils designed by Arguinzonic himself.

Plaza San Juan, 1, 48291 Axtondope, Biscay, Spain.

The kitchen staff of Lima's Central restaurant, together with the Mater Iniciativa developing center, make up a research team that explores Peru's identity with wonder and curiosity. The dishes made by chefs Virgilio Martínez and Pía León are a celebration of the country's landscapes, history and traditions through locally sourced products.

Av. Pedro de Osma 301, Barranco 15063, Lima, Peru.

Based in Barcelona, Spain, Disfrutar debuted at number 18 in the The World's 50 Best Restaurants of 2018, earning the Highest New Entry Award. This is no surprise given that chefs Oriol Castro, Mateu Casañas and Eduard Xatruch had their start at the legendary El Bulli and bet on a contemporary cuisine with daring combinations that surprise and delight the diners.

Calle de Villarroel, 163, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.

Swedish chef Björn Frantzén is the owner of this Stockholm restaurant, which he began after a heart condition forced him to abandon an athletic career. Having worked in some of the best kitchens of Europe, Frantzén opened this restaurant in 2008 along with pastry chef Daniel Lindeberg. Currently considered the best restaurant of Sweden, with three Michelin stars, the restaurant combines techniques inspired by local traditions with Asian notes.

Klara Norra kyrkogata 26, 111 22 Stockholm, Sweden.

Maido means "welcome" in Japanese. In this Lima restaurant, diners will find the perfect mix between Eastern and Latin American cuisine. The 12-course tasting menu is mainly focused on fish. The restaurant is located in the upscale neighbourhood of Miraflores, one of the busiest areas of the Peruvian capital.

Calle San Martín No. 399, Miraflores 15074, Lima, Peru.

Odette opened in 2015 in Singapore and since then it has yielded many successes and three Michelin stars. French chef and restaurant owner Julien Royer adds an Asian influence to his own country's cuisine in a showcase of culinary elegance and dare. He serves celebrated dishes such as the kampot pepper pigeon with confit leg or liver parfait and black garlic.

St Andrew's Road, 1-4 National Gallery, Singapore 178957.

Pujol has over 20 years of history and is the highest-ranked Mexican restaurant in the list. The tasting menu is made up of seven courses, although the dishes vary according to the season. Nonetheless, Mole Madre remains one of the signature dishes of this Mexico City jewel.

Tennyson 133, Polanco, 11570 Mexico City, Mexico.

The Charmain is a homage to over 2,000 years of Cantonese culinary history. Time is given to each dish in this Hong Kong restaurant, such as the razor clams steamed with mixed herbs and lemons aged for over 10 years. Everything here is about tradition and locally-sourced ingredients. The signature dish is a steamed flowery crab which is prepared with aged ShaoXing wine, fragrant chicken oil and succulent flat rice noodles.

18 Kau U Fong, Central, Hong Kong, China.

Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa, a lover of traditional Japanese cuisine, is the person behind Den, in Tokyo. The menu highlights include the 'Dentucky Fried Chicken' and the snow crab tofu covered in Mizore sauce.

2-3-18 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Vienna's Steirereck is the best restaurant in Austria. It's located in the middle of the Stadtpark, not far from the statue of Johann Strauss. Highlights include veal from Pogusch cooked over charcoal and served with braised cabbage and artichokes; sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke with lamb sweetbreads; char fish cooked tableside in beeswax with yellow carrot 'pollen'; and sour cream and wild boar’s head with purple carrots and pineapple.

Am Heumarkt 2A, 1030 Vienna, Austria.

Why does Don Julio deserve to be on the list? Because of the beef, which comes from grass-fed Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cattle, raised in the countryside outside Buenos Aires. The meat comes with organic seasonal vegetables, especially cultivated for the grill. Plus, there's a selection of artisanal charcuterie.

Guatemala 4691, Esquina Gurruchaga, Palermo Viejo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Located in San Sebastián, Spain, Mugaritz is modern and highly innovative. It’s all thanks to chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, who is in charge of creating some of the most imaginative dishes. Some examples include crab upon a frozen tongue, raw pork heart, and bellota ham plated on musical dishware.

Aldura Gunea Aldea, 20, 20100 Errenteria, Gipuzkoa, Spain.

Gardone Riviera's Lido 84 debuts on this year's list at number 15, getting the Highest New Entry Award of 2021. Overlooking Lake Garda in the Lombardy region, the restaurant offers the opportunity of lakeside dining. Chef brothers Riccardo and Giancarlo Camanini provide two menus to choose from. One is more classical and the other more innovative, but both are made with fresh products from the area.

Corso Giuseppe Zanardelli, 196, 25083 Gardone Riviera BS, Italy.

Located in Getaria, in the northern coast of Spain, Elkano is deeply linked with the sea. The best catch from the nearby sea is grilled with innovative techniques and the utmost attention.

Herrerieta Kalea, 2, 20808 Getaria, Gipuzkoa, Spain.

Pork is king in all conceivable ways in A Casa Do Porco. Owner Jefferson Rueda raises his stock with a natural diet of whey and vegetables in a farm in his hometown of São José do Rio Pardo (São Paulo). Highlights include pork tartar and pork chin sushi. There's also the advantage of affordable prices.

Rua Araújo, 124, São Paulo, 01220-020, Brazil.

There are two tasting menus to choose from in Piazza Duomo: one that honours the culinary traditions of the Piedmont region and the other, more avant-garde, where chef Enrico Crippa unleashes his creativity and cooking skills. Organic and biodynamic ingredients star in both of them.

Piazza Risorgimento, 4, 12051 Alba CN, Italy.

Narisawa is a tour around the different regions of Japan with the aid of a seasonal menu. Chef and restaurant owner Yoshihiro Narisawa keeps a close relationship with local fishermen to guarantee the best quality. He also sources the precise amounts he needs, so there is zero food waste.

2 Chome-6-15 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0062, Japan.

The dreams and madness of Dabid Muñoz become real in DiverXO, a true example of the most avant-garde Spanish fusion cuisine located in Madrid. DiverXO's 12-course tasting menu is highly varied and innovative, with surprises at every turn. Examples are the Iberian pork dumpling filled with Spanish broth and the Korean gochujang with grilled cuttlefish and yellow pepper pil-pil.

NH Eurobuilding, C. del Padre Damián, 23, 28036 Madrid, Spain.