Yes, we know – Tokyo's culinary scene is pretty amazing, and the world certainly seems to agree. Besides boasting a near-ludicrous amount of Michelin-starred and Bib Gourmand-tipped restaurants, we also consistently manage to wow the judges of The World's 50 Best Restaurants list, an annual affair in which over 1000 gourmands, chefs, restaurateurs and food writers cast their ballots for the most superb dining experiences on the planet. It's exquisite food porn, albeit with a price tag to match.
Tokyo-based restaurants have been on the list since 2009, and this year, three restaurants made it to the Top 50. Zaiyu Hasegawa's Den overtook Yoshihiro Narisawa's Narisawa, with them landing spot 17 and 22, respectively. Den in particular made an impressive climb, from place 45 last year to this current spot, which gave them the special Highest Climber Award. To top it all off, Seiji Yamamoto's Nihonryori Ryugin re-entered at spot 41 after a year of absence from the list.
The three Tokyo winners posing together at the Awards ceremony: (from left) Yoshihiro Narisawa, Seiji Yamamoto and Zaiyu Hasegawa. Photo: Instagram @zaiyuhasegawa
Narisawa in particular has real staying power: they've been in the Best 50 list every year since 2009. Nihonryori Ryugin is just as impressive, with them being listed seven times since 2010.
Getting a reservation at any of these three restaurants is tough enough – and it may have just gotten even harder after this year's Awards. Sure, it's a big splurge to dine at these restaurants, but the world says it's worth it. Congratulations to all the winners!
For more information on The World's Best 50 Restaurants, check out their website