Spain dominated the highest-ranked restaurants on the 2024 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. In addition to Barcelona’s Disfrutar, the number one restaurant, two other Spanish restaurants were in the list’s top five.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants award ceremony took place June 5 in Las Vegas. Spain had five global gastronomic eateries on the list, comprising 10%. Following Disfrutar, a Basque restaurant named Asador Etxebarri in Spain’s Atxondo took home the second-place award. Madrid’s edgy, avant-garde, Spanish and Asian-fusion restaurant, DiverXO, ranked fourth.
What Is Disfrutar Known For?
Disfrutar, the world’s best restaurant, is a fine dining establishment in Barcelona’s Eixample district. It’s co-owned and run by three chefs: Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch, and Mateu Casanas.
The restaurant’s honoring at the Las Vegas award ceremony comes ahead of the celebration of its 10th year in service this December. The name “Disfrutar” translates to “Enjoy” in English.
The establishment’s fare is conceptually Mediterranean. Its dishes and beverages are unique in both construction and flavor profile. Plates showcased on its Instagram account include a parmesan frozen biscuit, chicken jelly, marinated mushrooms in vinegar with an oyster, and lychee pearl necklaces. The establishment even has its own specialized flavored fizzy waters, including coconut, apple, passion fruit, and more.
“Set behind a façade that could be the front of any common or garden tapas joint in Barcelona lies one of the world’s most experiential restaurants,” notes The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. “A skinny entranceway wheels directly past the kitchen to reveal the cavernous main restaurant space, where excited chatter and a vast array of crockery and table-side service instruments fill the room. Stepping into the dining room is the first indication that everything will not always be as it seems across the course of a four-hour meal at Disfrutar.”
The establishment and its chefs have received numerous awards and accolades within its decade run. Notably, it currently has three Michelin stars.
In 2023, Disfrutar received the National Gastronomy Award for Best Head Chef from the Royal Academy of Gastronomy.That year, the establishment ranked second on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants List and received the award for 2023’s Best Restaurant in Europe.
