One of our favourite things about being in Asia is that excellent, diverse cuisine is all around. From Thailand to South Korea, you'll find lively restaurants and bustling markets serving everything from sophisticated fusion fare to addictive street eats. With so much to fill our bellies, deciding on the must-go spots can be overwhelming.
That's where rankings like La Liste come in handy. This global guide ranks restaurants, pastry shops, and hotels through a rigorous six-step process involving the compiling, weighting, and scoring of reviews from thousands of publications, guidebooks, and online sources. Each venue is given a standardised La Liste score (out of 100) and ranked in a list of the 1000 best restaurants in the world. There are also award categories like Award of Honour, Talent of the Year Award, and Opening of the Year Award.
So, how many Asian restaurants made the list? A grand total of 369 restaurants across the region, that's what. They represent countries like China, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia – though it's two restaurants in Hong Kong and Japan that really take the cake, sharing the top spot with seven other restaurants worldwide with an impressive score of 99.5 each.
The first is Lung King Heen. Nestled in Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, it is the first Chinese restaurant in the world to be awarded three Michelin stars. This is the spot for top-notch dim sum like its famed pineapple pork buns, which you can enjoy with fantastic views of Victoria Harbour. You can make a reservation here.
The other is Matsukawa, an ultra-exclusive 22-seater in Tokyo, Japan. Here, chef Tadayoshi Matsukawa serves up kaiseki (a multi-course traditional meal) meticulously crafted from seasonal ingredients he handpicks daily from the market. Getting a seat at this table is notoriously difficult as you'll need to know a regular or be invited to dine there – so, that's your sign to start making some foodie friends in Tokyo.
Perhaps you'll have more luck with other Asian restaurants on the list. They include Caprice at the Four Seasons (Hong Kong), Robuchon au Dôme (Macau), Sazenka (Japan), and Baan Tepa Culinary Space (Thailand). Find the full list here.
Here are the first 20 Asian venues on La Liste's Top 1000 Restaurants 2025 list:
- Caprice at the Four Seasons, Hong Kong
- Robuchon au Dôme, Macau
- Sazenka, Japan
- Baan Tepa Culinary Space, Thailand
- Hoshino, Japan
- Odette, Singapore
- Iida, Japan
- Les Amis, Singapore
- Sugita, Japan
- Sühring, Thailand
- Zén, Singapore
- Jade Dragon, Macau
- Kitcho Arashiyama, Japan
- L'évo, Japan
- Makimura, Japan
- Mitani, Japan
- Sorn, Thailand
- Sugalabo, Japan
- Yanagiya, Japan
- Aoyagi, Japan
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