Etxebarri and Diverxo Compete for the World's Best Restaurant Title

One is second and the other is fourth. The Basque Asador Etxebarri and Madrid's Diverxo are favourites to claim the crown of the world's best restaurant at The World's 50 Best Restaurants gala held this Thursday in the Italian city of Turin. This major event on the international gastronomic calendar acts as a barometer of power and almost as a diplomatic summit: it measures each country's influence and shapes the narrative of which cuisines matter and why.

After decades of undisputed dominance—the long reign of El Bulli at the start of the century, the triumphs of El Celler de Can Roca in 2013 and 2015, and Disfrutar's number 1 spot in 2024—Spain faces this edition with more risk of losing ground than chances of climbing higher. Etxebarri and DiverXo are joined in the top 10 by the Gipuzkoan Elkano and the likely entry of Enigma by Albert Adrià, but will the 50Best be willing to extend the Spanish empire in global cuisine or opt for a regime change?

The streets of Turin are already bustling with famous chefs, specialised journalists, communication advisors, and international experts with voting rights, participating in debate forums—50Best Talks—collaborative dinners, and other positioning events highly valued by industry brands. The list undeniably influences reservation books, grants great visibility to chefs, and aims to set the discourse on what's 'in' and what's 'out' in culinary circles. This year, the event has an air of transition, and it's not as clear who will take the throne vacated by Barcelona's Disfrutar, relegated by the list's rules to the Best of the Best category.

In the last three editions, the previous year's number 2 has been crowned, which raises great hopes for Bittor Arginzoniz, who has been at the top for over a decade. The challenge in awarding him a well-deserved victory is whether 50 Best will resist awarding two Spaniards in consecutive years. Moreover, the grill master faces close competition from his disciple Tetsuro Maeda, who attracts international voters to a nearby farmhouse and has placed Txispa at number 85. Is there room in Atxondo for both? His victory would be great news, but it seems it should have happened earlier. It's possible that the second position reached in 2024 was his peak.

As for Diverxo, this was supposed to be its year, with the announced move to a more ambitious space on the outskirts of Madrid, where it could offer the kind of spectacular experience that seduces the 50 Best audience. Those plans were cancelled, and Dabiz Muñoz remains for now at the Eurobuilding hotel, offering a sense of interim status that does not favour his chances of climbing the ranks. It's not that the restaurant is worse than in 2024—when it was fourth—but it no longer leads the conversation as it has in recent years. This setback could strengthen him to finally reach the summit or see him fade in the face of emerging culinary forces.

With Quique Dacosta and Mugaritz already in the lower part of the table announced a couple of weeks ago, the Spanish presence in the ranking would be completed by Elkano, which holds its ground in mid-table positions—it was 28 last year and has been as high as 16—and the likely entry of Enigma. The Barcelona project by Albert Adrià is receiving high praise from some critics who believe the chef is being mistreated by the guides: they called for a second star and a third sun, but neither has arrived yet. The 50 Best could redeem this grievance by granting it a place of honour.

Which other restaurants have real chances of reaching number 1? The strongest contenders are New York's Atomix, with a blend of Korean avant-garde and minimalist aesthetics, and Table by Bruno Verjus in Paris, whose seemingly simple menu has become a cult object. Some voices point to Lima's Maido, but as with Etxebarri, the triumph of its compatriot Central is too recent. The dark horse could come from Southeast Asia. In any case, the next chapter of the global haute cuisine narrative will be written this Thursday in Turin... and it remains to be seen if Spain continues to play a leading role.