Copenhagen is still home to the world’s best restaurant – but it’s not Noma.
hat’s according to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards, which saw Geranium in Copenhagen top the 2022 list at a ceremony in London last night.
Geranium, led by Rasmus Kofoed and Søren Ledet, ranked No.2 on the list last year. This year, it was joined in the top three by Central in Lima, Peru and Disfrutar in Barcelona.
The Geranium team “have created an unforgettable dining experience, taking seasonal cooking to superlative heights and delivering precise, beautiful and elegant food that combines art and flavour alongside a ground-breaking drinks programme,” said William Drew, Director of Content for the awards.
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Geranium: Scallop in Juniper Aroma, Ingrid Marie Reduction & Browned Butter. Photo: Claes Bech-Poulsen
It comes at a price, of course. A three-hour tasting menu costs DK3,200pp (€430pp), with matching wine pairings available from €269pp (“Heart and Soil”) to €2,418pp (“Rare and Unique”).
The menu has been meat-free since January of this year.
“Chef Kofoed’s meticulous cooking and incredible vision, including his recent decision to go meatless, have won accolades and fans worldwide,” the awards citation stated.
Sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants is widely seen as the Oscars of the industry – though its picks and omissions are of course the subject of heated debate, and sometimes controversy.
The list, now in its 20th year, is voted for by 1,080 industry experts and “well-travelled gourmets” and is independently adjudicated by Deloitte, it says.
No Irish restaurant has appeared in the rankings since Roundwood House in Co Laois placed at No. 42 in 2002, and Thornton’s in Dublin reached No. 25 in 2003.
René Redzepi’s Noma was crowned the World’s Best Restaurant in 2021, when the awards returned after a pandemic hiatus, but a rule change in 2019 means previous winners are no longer eligible for voting.
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Geranium, Copenhagen. Photo: Claes Bech-Poulsen
Geranium will now join its Copenhagen colleague in a hall of fame alongside El Bulli, The Fat Duck, The French Laundry, El Celler de Can Roca, Osteria Francescana, Mirazur and Eleven Madison Park.
The 2022 list includes restaurants from 24 territories in five continents and introduces 12 new restaurants, including Uliassi in Senagallia, Italy, which is the highest new entrant this year at No.12.
Other new entries include Alchemist (18) and Jordnær (38), both in Copenhagen; The Jane (23) in Antwerp; Le Clarence (28) in Paris; St Hubertus (29) in San Cassiano, Italy; and Ikoyi (49) in London.
The ceremony was hosted by actor and gourmet Stanley Tucci.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021
- Geranium, Copenhagen
- Central, Lima
- Disfrutar, Barcelona
- Diverxo, Madrid
- Pujol, Mexico City
- Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo
- A Casa do Porco, Sao Paolo
- Lido 84, Gardone Riviera
- Quintonil, Mexico City
- Le Calandre, Rubano
The full list is available at theworlds50best.com.
