Tokyo has reclaimed its position as the city with the top eatery in the region, regaining the number one spot at the annual Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards.
Sézanne, renowned for its finely crafted neo-French cuisine featuring top-quality ingredients, was awarded the top prize.
Located in the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi and led by English chef Daniel Calvert, Sézanne quickly rose in the ranks, debuting on the list in 2022 at number 17 and reaching number two last year.
Calvert, who was present to accept the award, almost missed the event due to his wife's recent delivery. Despite this, he expressed his gratitude to everyone who supported the restaurant over the years, leading to this remarkable achievement.
Another Tokyo eatery, Floriege, also stood out, rising five places to claim the number two spot. Bangkok's Gaggan Anand secured the third spot this year.
The list, part of the global "World's 50 Best" brand, is compiled by the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, which consists of more than 300 food critics, writers, chefs, and restaurateurs.
Singapore, while not in the top five, had nine venues in the top 50, the highest of any city. Among them, Seroja was the highest new entry at number 31.
Bangkok had eight restaurants on the 2024 list, including Nusara at number six and Sühring at number seven. Le Du, last year's number one in Asia, fell to number 12.
Special awards were also presented, including the "One to Watch" trophy to Beijing's Lamdre restaurant, the "Asia's Best Female Chef" award to Pichaya 'Pam' Soontornyanakij of Bangkok restaurant Potong, and the Sustainable Restaurant Award to Haoma in Bangkok. Mineko Kato of restaurant Faro in Tokyo won the Asia's Best Pastry Chef award, and Kevin Lu of Logy in Taipei was voted Asia's Best Sommelier.
The full list of Asia's 50 best restaurants for 2024 includes a diverse range of establishments across the region, showcasing the rich culinary landscape and talent found throughout Asia.