Spanish Restaurants Featured in Top 10 of World’s 50 Best Restaurants List

In total, 7 restaurants from Spain made it into the top 100: Disfrutar, DiverXO, Asador Extebarri, Elkano, Mugaritz, Quique Dacosta, and Azurmendi

It’s the moment that restaurateurs around the world have been waiting for: the World’s 50 Best Restaurants List for 2022 has officially been published. Spanish restaurants performed well, accounting for 6 in the top 50, 3 of which were in the top 10.

Disfrutar, in Barcelona, ranked the highest, coming in 3rd on the list. Run by three chefs—Oriol Castro, Mateu Casañas, and Eduard Xatruch—, this restaurant is described by the judges as “one of the most delicious, surprising, and boundary-pushing gastronomic experiences in the world.”

Dabiz Muñoz’s DiverXO, in Madrid, came in 4th. Eating at his restaurant is like “stepping into [the chef’s] limitless imagination… with twists and surprises at every turn.” His 12-course tasting menu is especially noteworthy.

Next, at number 6, is Asador Extebarri, in Atxondo, in the Basque Country. Run by Bittor Arguinzoniz, the chef designed his own grills and invented new utensils to bring his customers an incredible dining experience. Grilling is their speciality, and they can grill just about anything to perfection.

Elkano, in Getaria, is another prestigious restaurant specialized in grilling, also in the Basque Country. It ranked 16th on this year’s list. Aitor Arregui is in charge here and he and his team serve an incredible Cantabrian Sea-inspired menu.

Mugaritz, where chef Andoni Luis Aduriz has been offering a singular dining experience for many years, came in 21st. His creations are increasingly experimental provocative, and thrilling.

And finally, Quique Dacosta’s restaurant in Denia ranked 42nd. Dacosta is known for his effortless blend of traditional and modern dishes and his food pays homage to the fish, seafood, and rice dishes typical of Spain’s east coast.

Additionally, Azurmendi ranked 55th on the list and there were several individual awards for Spaniards. Ángel León from Aponiente won the Flor de Caña Sustainability Award for being a leader in planet-friendly gastronomy; and Josep Roca won the Beronia World’s Best Sommelier Award for 2022, for which he is described as a “wine-pairing wizard.”