The Controversy Surrounding the World's 50 Best Restaurants Ranking
Maido restaurant in Lima, Peru, has claimed the top spot in the latest ranking of the World's 50 Best Restaurants, announced on Thursday in Turin. This ranking is based on selections made by over a thousand members of the World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy, which is composed of food critics, chefs, and food industry professionals from around the globe. Following Maido, Asador Etxebarri from Axpe in the Basque Country secured the second place, while Quintonil from Mexico City took third. The highest-ranked Italian restaurant was Lido 84 from Gardone Riviera, which landed in sixteenth place, followed by Reale from Castel di Sangro in Aquila at eighteenth, Atelier Moessmer and Norbert Niederkofler from Brunico at twentieth, Le Calandre from Rubano in Padua at thirty-first, Piazza Duomo from Alba at thirty-second, and Uliassi in Senigallia at forty-third.
Since its inception in 2002 by the English magazine Restaurant, the World's 50 Best Restaurants ranking has become a significant authority in the culinary world, often being compared to the Michelin guides. However, the ranking's compilation process, rules, and representation of fine dining have faced substantial criticism from food media and chefs alike.
One major point of contention is the conduct rules for the 1,100 voters, which many argue are too lenient. Unlike rankings published by esteemed international newspapers like the New York Times or Le Monde, or even the Michelin Guide, which employs an independent and anonymous inspection system, the World's 50 Best Restaurants permits its voters to accept complimentary stays, meals, and other benefits.
While the anonymity of voters is theoretically maintained, critics argue that it is virtually impossible for renowned chefs and food critics to remain undisclosed. Consequently, there is a risk that voters may use their influence in the ranking for public relations purposes, favoring relationships with restaurateurs they are closer to, rather than elevating purely the best culinary experiences.
Another aspect criticized is the rule implemented in 2019, which stipulates that restaurants ranking first can no longer participate in the following years. This decision was intended to introduce unpredictability in the ranking, after a consistent pattern of wins by El Bulli from Roses, Catalonia (now closed), and Noma in Copenhagen, both of which have each held the top position five times. Now, award-winning restaurants are categorized under a special section called 'Best of the Best,' which critics argue risks disadvantaging genuinely exceptional restaurants that have not yet won.
For instance, Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana in Modena, which won in 2016 and 2018 as the only Italian restaurant to do so, is now ineligible for future voting. Critics contend that this approach unfairly excludes worthy contenders and suggests that the ranking does not necessarily reflect the true best in gastronomy but instead those yet to win.
The ranking has also been scrutinized for its lack of representation of restaurants led by women and for the overrepresentation of winners from Europe and North America. Furthermore, the establishment of a separate award for best female chef has been viewed by many as a form of implicit discrimination, as it implies women cannot compete on equal footing with their male counterparts in the main ranking. This led to the formation of a protest group named Occupy 50 Best in 2015, composed of food critics who oppose these mechanisms.
Some culinary magazines have debated the ranking's relevance, labeling it too self-referential and biased toward Europe, often praising a narrow elite of well-known restaurants instead of showcasing the rich diversity of global dining options. In contrast, others, such as Bon Appétit, treat it as a wealthy relative within the food media world, presenting it yearly with grandiosity and authoritative claims while ignoring vast segments of the planet and promoting an elitist, less inclusive vision of fine dining.
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