After a one-year pause in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the World’s 50 Best is once again back to attempt the entire globe’s culinary output. This year’s ceremony is taking place in London; the organization announced plans to relocate the event from Moscow to London back in February. (While they did not say it outright at the time, the decision came shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, and as the EU, U.S., and NATO allies were imposing economic sanctions.
What to expect from the World’s 50 Best 2022:
There will be a new No. 1 restaurant. In 2019, the organization announced a rule change that stipulated that previously No. 1 restaurant, which took that year’s winner, Mirazur, out of contention. Last year, in 2021, Noma won top honors; even though Noma had been number one before, the organization considered New Noma — which exists in a different Copenhagen space with a different menu — eligible. But not so this year.
The new No. 1 may well be another Copenhagen restaurant. Last year’s No. 2 slot went to Geranium, an acclaimed tasting menu restaurant in Copenhagen.
There are a few other restaurants to watch for when it comes to the top spot. Central in Lima was No. 6 in 2019 and No. 4 in 2021; Asador Etxebarri in Atxondo, Spain has been in the No. 3 slot for the past two lists; Mugaritz, also in Spain is frequently in the top 10 but has yet to clinch No. 1, likewise Disfrutar (Spain) and Maido (Peru). Other possibilities include Pujol in Mexico (No. 9 in 2021), Sweden’s Frantzén (No. 6 last year), as well as Odette in Singapore (No. 8 in 2021), and the Chairman in Hong Kong (No. 10 in 2021).
There might, finally, be more restaurants from the Middle East and Africa on the list. This year marked the first 50 Best list for the Middle East and North Africa; as noted in the Family Meal, Dubai did particularly well on that list, comprising nearly a third of the winners. It’s quite possible that there will be at least one restaurant from Dubai on the world’s list. Last year’s list did not have any restaurants from India, while the only restaurant from the entire African continent was a South African seafood spot run by chef Kobus van der Merwe.
When is the World’s 50 Best 2022?
This year, the red-carpet event will be happening in London on Monday, July 18 starting at 7:30 p.m. GMT. For those following along from the U.S., that’s 2:30 p.m. ET and 11:30 a.m. PT. — with the No. 1 slot expected to be revealed two hours later.
How to watch the World’s 50 Best 2022:
The event will be live-streamed on the World’s 50 Best Facebook page and YouTube channel, the YouTube stream is embedded below.
