Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants has finally brought back its in-person awards ceremony after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic. Ahead of today’s top 50 announcement, a list of restaurants ranked 51 to 100 were shared last week and included just two Tokyo establishments: L'Effervescence and Sushi Saito. We were hoping that was a good sign for the top 50 list, and we weren’t disappointed.
Covering 12 countries and territories across Asia, this year’s list includes 11 restaurants in Japan. Even better, seven of those are Tokyo restaurants. For the first time in nine years, a restaurant in Japan has taken the top spot. The No 1 spot went to Tokyo’s Den, known for its contemporary Japanese cuisine. Runner up was Sorn from Bangkok, and third place went to Tokyo’s very own Florilège.
Other Tokyo restaurants returning to the list include Sazenka (11), Ode (13) and Narisawa (15). Newcomers from the capital debuting in the top 50 include Sézanne (17) at Four Seasons Marunouchi and Été (42) from chef Natsuko Shoji, who also won Asia’s Best Female Chef.
Wondering which other hotspots in Japan made the cut? Here are all the restaurants from around Japan that made it into the top 50:
6. La Cime, Osaka
14. Villa Aida, Wakayama
36. La Maison de La Nature Goh, Fukuoka
43. Cenci, Kyoto
You’ll find the full list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021 here.
More from Time Out Tokyo
Starbucks Japan will serve iced drinks in glasses to cut out plastic
Two of Shibuya’s biggest clubs are closing this September
There’s a secret parfait bar in Shibuya serving dessert and cocktail pairings
These Tokyo train stations are getting a Harry Potter transformation
Disney goes classic Japanese with this elegant Japan-only tea set
Want to be the first to know what’s cool in Tokyo? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan.