Sézanne in Tokyo was named The Best Restaurant in Asia, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, at the live awards ceremony for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024. The prestigious ceremony was held in collaboration with host destination partners Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Created from the votes of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential gender-balanced group of 318 experts made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and regional culinary leaders, this year’s list includes restaurants from 19 cities across the region and eight new entries.
Helmed by chef Daniel Calvert, Sézanne offers neo-French cuisine that showcases modern classics with expert precision, incorporating high-quality Japanese ingredients. Situated on the seventh floor of Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, the restaurant draws inspiration from the eponymous town in France's Champagne region. The dining experience includes an extensive selection of rare champagne bottlings, artisanal sparkling wines and vintage cuvées. Sézanne, which debuted on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list at No.17 in 2022, climbed 15 spots to No.2 last year and now holds the coveted top spot and the title of The Best Restaurant in Asia.
Singapore boasts nine establishments on the list, led by Odette at No.10. Combining top-notch hospitality with timeless French fine dining, chef Julien Royer’s Odette has consistently ranked in the top 10 since 2017. Dave Pynt's modern barbeque restaurant, Burnt Ends, ascends nine spots to No.15, while chef Jason Tan's Euphoria, which offers ‘gastro botanica’ cuisine, lands at No.20. Born, with its innovative contemporary French-Chinese cuisine, climbs five spots to No.25.
Seroja, a new entry at No.31, also receives this year’s Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by Nongshim. Port Klang-born chef Kevin Wong pays homage to the cuisine of the Malay Archipelago at Seroja through multi-course tasting menus. Meta secures the No.28 spot, followed by Labyrinth at No.30 and Les Amis at No.38. Concluding Singapore’s presence on the list is newcomer Lolla at No.43, led by former Asia’s Best Female Chef awardee Johanne Siy.
Bangkok is represented by a total of eight restaurants on the list, among which Gaggan Anand’s eponymously named 14-seater chef's table experience leads the showing at No.3. Nusara by chef Ton places at No.6, and is also this year’s Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award recipient. They are closely followed by Sühring (No.7), which has climbed an impressive 15 spots. Sorn is at No.11 followed by former No.1 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023, Le Du, at No.12. Potong climbs up eighteen spots to No.17, with chef-owner Pichaya ‘Pam’ Soontornyanakij claiming the title of Asia’s Best Female Chef 2024. Thai omakase-style restaurant Samrub Samrub Thai re-enters the rankings at No.29, and Baan Tepa, the experiential restaurant set in chef-owner Chudaree ‘Tam’ Debhakam’s family home, is placed at No.42.
Hong Kong boasts six spots on the list, with The Chairman (No.4) maintaining its leading position in the city. Chef and owner Danny Yip has been honoured with the Icon Award for his dedication to championing Cantonese cuisine on the global stage. Following closely is Wing (No.5), where Vicky Cheng's Chinese restaurant secures the Highest Climber Award 2024, sponsored by Korean Air, for its impressive ascent of 32 places.
The remaining Hong Kong entries also see significant movements, with Neighborhood (No.16) rising 13 places, Mono (No.27) advancing 14 spots, and Caprice (No.32) climbing by 17. Rounding off the city's representation is the newcomer, Ando —debuting at No.37— where Argentinian-born chef Agustin Balbi presents a menu blending Japanese and Spanish influences.
Aside from Sézanne (No.1), crowned The Best Restaurant in Asia, Tokyo boasts four additional restaurants on the list. This includes Florilège at No.2, where chef extraordinaire Hiroyasu Kawate showcases his French-Japanese cuisine. Returning favourites Den holds the No.8 spot, Narisawa sits at No.14, and Sazenka completes Tokyo's representation at No.39.
The host city Seoul secures four spots on the list, led by the seasonality driven Korean restaurant Mingles at No.13. Re-entering the rankings at No.18 is 7th Door, followed by Onjium at No.21. Mosu wraps up Seoul's representation at No.41, while chef-owner Sung Anh receives the peer-voted Inedit Damm Chefs’ Choice Award.
Shanghai also enjoys a representation of four places, with Fu He Hui at No.19 joined by three new entries. These include the newly opened Ling Long (No.36), chef Jason Liu’s Shanghai outpost of the famed fine Chinese restaurant, 102 House (No.40) serving Cantonese banquet cuisine, and Meet The Bund at No.50, offering Southern Fujianese cuisine within Shanghai’s bustling Bund Finance Center.
From Taipei, Logy re-enters the rankings at No.22 and Kevin Lu wins Beronia Asia's Best Sommelier Award, for his impressively curated wine programme; while Mume climbs 11 spots to No.34. Meanwhile, JL Studio from Taichung re-enters the list at No.33.
Four Japanese cities boast a restaurant each on the list: La Cime from Osaka ranks No.9, followed by Villa Aida from Wakayama at No.35. Fukuoka introduces a new entrant, Goh, at No.45, and Cenci from Kyoto is at No.47.
Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai each have one restaurant represented on the list: Masque at No.23, Indian Accent at No.26 and Avartana from Chennai at No.44. Jakarta’s August has broken into the top 50 rankings at No.46 after winning last year's One To Watch Award. Anan Saigon (No.48) represents Ho Chi Minh City on the list, while Manila’s Toyo Eatery climbs 18 spots to No.24. Macau’s snags one spot on the list with newcomer Chef Tam's Seasons at No.49.
A list of special award winners were also announced at the live awards ceremony. Haoma from Bangkok is the recipient of the Sustainable Restaurant Award and also is a new entry on the extended 51-100 list at No.90. Led by Deepanker Khosla, one of the first winners of the Champions of Change awards as part of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021, the restaurant is a strong advocate for farm-to-table and zero-waste cooking, producing its own ingredients using hydroponics and sourcing locally from organic farms. The coveted title of Asia’s Best Pastry Chef, sponsored by Valrhona, is awarded to Mineko Kato from Tokyo’s Faro. The Italian-trained chef believes in creating a harmonious co-existence between humanity and nature through food.
William Drew, Director of Content at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, says: “It is truly uplifting to witness such a rich array of exceptional dining establishments spanning 19 cities in Asia, including eight exciting newcomers. We extend our sincere congratulations to the esteemed restaurants featured on this year’s ranking - a true example of the vibrancy and diversity of Asia's culinary landscape. Special acknowledgement is in order for the entire Sézanne team: its impeccable cuisine, hospitality and innovative approach has resulted in the restaurant becoming a must-visit destination.”
The 2024 list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants was revealed on 26 March at a live awards ceremony held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, Seoul, South Korea. The awards ceremony was preceded by: #50BestTalks, a thought-leadership forum titled ‘Food of the People’; the 50 Best Signature Sessions, a series of sold-out collaborative dining events which saw 50 Best chefs cooking alongside renowned local talent in Seoul; a Chefs’ Feast showcasing the finest cooking and ingredients that South Korea is renowned for; and a ‘Meet the Chefs’ media roundtable.