Add the world's top 50 restaurants of 2021 to your bucket list

After a year of hiatus due to the pandemic, the annual list of the world’s 50 best restaurants is back. And this time, Copenhagen dominated the first two spots on the list.

Noma and Geranium were ranked at No 1 and No 2 respectively, at “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” awards ceremony held on 5th October in Antwerp, Belgium.

Here’s the list of the restaurants which stole the first 5 spots.

1. Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark)

2. Geranium (Copenhagen, Denmark)

3. Asador Etxebarri (Atxondo, Spain)

4. Central (Lima, Peru)

5. Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain)

Europe stole the show this year with more than half of the ranked restaurants located there. Asia booked eight slots and Singapore's Odette, at No. 8, bagged the highest position of the continent.

Eight restaurants in North America made the cut, with Mexico’s Pujol named the “Best Restaurant in North America.” South America took six slots, with two restaurants in Peru securing a spot in the top 10. And lastly, Africa edged onto the list, with South Africa’s Wolfgat, taking the 50th slot.

And Spain left the ceremony with 8 awards, the most number of awards from any country. Most of the award-winning restaurants are located in Basque Country which is renowned for its culinary powerhouse.

If you are wondering how one makes the list, we'll tell you exactly how.

According to the official website of the world’s 50 best, there are 1040 industry insiders, known as the Academy. They are generally food writers, critics, chefs and restaurateurs from 26 geographical regions across the globe.

Each member chooses 10 restaurants but there aren’t any set requirements or criteria and restaurants are chosen at the discretion of the members alone. Academy members vote for at least four restaurants outside of their regions. To accommodate restricted travel and dining opportunities caused by the global pandemic, the 2021 list consisted of votes cast in January 2020, which were never published, as well as updated regional choices.

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