
Bangkok outshines Paris as home of world's top restaurants
For the first time the Thai capital has more entries on a prestigious list of the world's 50 best restaurants than any other city.
Forget stir-fried noodles. The six Thai restaurants on the list are more likely to serve connoisseur-pleasing dishes such as 'ant larvae and dried fish soup' or 'squid, strawberry and salted egg'.
The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 is regarded by the industry as the most influential ranking of its kind. It is chosen by 1,120 international food writers, critics, chefs, restaurateurs and gourmets, who have recommended restaurants in 32 cities across 22 countries.
This year, for the first time, Thailand has the most entries on the list, knocking Paris (four) off its usual top spot and outranking another strong non-European performer in Lima (also four). London has two restaurants in the list.
Bangkok's highlighted restaurants include Potong, an innovative establishment in the heart of the city's Chinatown run by Pichaya 'Pam' Soontornyanakij, the woman named by the same panel as the world's best female chef.
Born into a family of traditional Chinese herbal medicine providers, Pam specialises in Thai-Chinese cuisine. The food at Potong, ranked 13th in the world, focuses on five elements: salt, acid, spice, texture and Maillard reaction (the chemical process of reducing sugars that creates distinctive flavour). Specialities include pork tongue with caviar and 14-day aged duck.
'Fine dining used to feel like something imported, a format from Europe or Japan brought into Thai spaces,' she said.
'Bangkok has always had a strong food identity but there is now a confidence among Thai chefs to lead with their own culture, their own flavours and their own sense of place. At the same time, diners here have become more adventurous. They're open to tasting menus and to multi-sensory experiences.'
The other Thai restaurants on the list include Nusara, a glamorous restaurant near the Grand Palace overlooking Wat Pho, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, in Bangkok's old town. A new entry at No 35, it is run by the chef Thitid 'Ton' Tassanakajohn and inspired by his family's recipes as well as cookery books from the royal kitchens of King Rama V, who ruled Thailand from 1868 to 1910.
Le Du, ranked No 30, already boasts a Michelin star and was previously named the best restaurant in Asia in 2023. It celebrates 'the extraordinary agricultural bounty of Thailand' in its extravagant tasting menus. Dishes include poached oysters with spicy green mango relish; and shrimp and pork balls with pickled radish, pork powder and a scoop of jasmine ice cream.
Both Le Du and Nusara are run by Ton, placing him in the rare company of those such as Heston Blumenthal who have had two entries in a single year.
Better known for its temples, shopping malls and colourful nightlife, Bangkok is now becoming a high-end food destination in its own right.
'This is a big achievement for Bangkok as a food city,' Ton said. 'I hope after this people will know Bangkok not only for our street food but our fine dining..
'It is not only these six on this list. There are lots of other great chefs, restaurants and bars doing something very cool. It's a very exciting time in Bangkok.'
The food at Sorn, ranked No 17, offers 'mind-bending' and 'explosive flavours with no compromise on chilli heat and spice', according to the list. It is inspired by the southern Thai cooking of the grandmother of Supaksorn 'Ice' Jongsiri, its chef patron.
Bangkok's high-end scene has taken off in the past decade as internationally acclaimed chefs such as Alain Ducasse have opened branded establishments.
Gaggan is the highest-ranked Bangkok establishment at No 6 on the list. It is part-meal and part-performance under the direction of its patron Gaggan Anand, a disciple of Ferran Adrià at the famous El Bulli in Catalonia. Emojis are used to represent each course of food and diners are encouraged to eat with their hands or even lick the plate.
For Sebby Holmes, chef patron of Farang, a modern Thai restaurant in north London, the transformation in Bangkok's restaurant scene compares to London in the 1980s and 1990s.
'There is a load more money, a lot of chefs have trained and cooked abroad, and they have realised there is such demand for high-quality food,' he said. 'It has happened very fast, but they have been kind of catching up, so it makes sense that so many are getting acknowledged at the same time.'
The best restaurant in Europe, according to this year's list, is Asador Etxebarri, in Atxondo, serving flame-grilled meat 'in a peaceful Basque village surrounded by mountains and lush greenery somewhere between Bilbao and San Sebastian'.
London is represented by the double-Michelin starred Ikoyi and KOL, which specialises in Mexican-British fusion cuisine.
And the top spot overall? That goes to Maido, in Lima, the Peruvian capital, thanks to a bold menu inspired by the 'ingredients and traditions from the vast Peruvian Amazon, with courses like the miniature jaune parcel of pork jowl and palm heart that nods to a rainforest staple, snacks of 'ham' made from sustainable paiche fish, and yucca served with Amazonian beans'.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
35 minutes ago
- The Independent
China extends visa-free entry to 74 countries – but with notable exceptions
China has significantly loosened its visa policy, now allowing citizens from 74 countries to enter for up to 30 days without a visa. This move aims to revitalise the country's tourism sector and economy and is already drawing a noticeable increase in foreign visitors. However, there are notable exceptions: The United Kingdom and the United States are among the countries not on the visa-free list. According to the National Immigration Administration, over 20 million foreign visitors entered China visa-free in 2024, almost one-third of the total and more than double the previous year's figure. This surge comes as China continues its post-pandemic recovery, with 13.8 million visitors in 2023, less than half the 31.9 million recorded in 2019. The eased restrictions are proving popular with travellers. Georgi Shavadze, a Georgian living in Austria, remarked during a recent Beijing visit: "This really helps people to travel because it is such a hassle to apply for a visa and go through the process." While domestic tourists still largely outnumber international visitors, travel companies and guides are now preparing for a substantial influx of summer holidaymakers. Veteran English-speaking tour guide Gao Jun, who has over two decades of experience, said he is "practically overwhelmed with tours and struggling to keep up". To meet the surging demand, he has launched a new venture to train aspiring English-speaking guides, saying: "I just can't handle them all on my own." 'I'm practically overwhelmed with tours and struggling to keep up,' says Gao Jun, a veteran English-speaking tour guide with over 20 years of experience. To meet growing demand, he launched a new business to train anyone interested in becoming an English-speaking tour guide. 'I just can't handle them all on my own,' he said. After lifting tough Covid-19 restrictions, China reopened its borders to tourists in early 2023, but only 13.8 million people visited in that year, less than half the 31.9 million in 2019, the last year before the pandemic. 30 days for many in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Mideast In December 2023, China announced visa-free entry for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. Almost all of Europe has been added since then. Travellers from five Latin American countries and Uzbekistan became eligible in June, followed by four in the Middle East. The total will grow to 75 on 16 July with the addition of Azerbaijan. About two-thirds of the countries have been granted visa-free entry on a one-year trial basis. For Norwegian traveler Øystein Sporsheim, this means his family would no longer need to make two round-trip visits to the Chinese embassy in Oslo to apply for a tourist visa, a time-consuming and costly process with two children in tow. 'They don't very often open, so it was much harder,' he said. 'The new visa policies are 100 per cent beneficial to us,' said Jenny Zhao, a managing director of WildChina, which specialises in boutique and luxury routes for international travellers. She said business is up 50 per cent compared with before the pandemic. While the US remains their largest source market, accounting for around 30 per cent of their current business, European travellers now make up 15–20 per cent of their clients, a sharp increase from less than 5 per cent before 2019, according to Ms Zhao. 'We're quite optimistic,' she said. 'We hope these benefits will continue.' Group, a Shanghai-based online travel agency, said the visa-free policy has significantly boosted tourism. Air, hotel and other bookings on their website for travel to China doubled in the first three months of this year compared with the same period in 2024, with 75 per cent of the visitors from visa-free regions. No major African country is eligible for visa-free entry, despite the continent's relatively close ties with China. North Americans and some others in transit can enter for 10 days Those from 10 countries not in the visa-free scheme have another option: entering China for up to 10 days if they depart for a different country than the one they came from. The policy is limited to 60 ports of entry, according to the country's National Immigration Administration. The transit policy applies to 55 countries, but most are also on the 30-day visa-free entry list. It does offer a more restrictive option for citizens of the 10 countries that are not: the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Indonesia, Canada, the US and Mexico. Sweden 's ties with China have frayed since the ruling Chinese Communist Party sentenced a Swedish book seller, Gui Minhai, to prison for 10 years in 2020. Mr Gui disappeared in 2015 from his seaside home in Thailand but turned up months later in police custody in mainland China.


The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
China extends visa-free entry to more than 70 countries to draw tourists
Foreign tourists are trickling back to China after the country loosened its visa policy to unprecedented levels. Citizens from 74 countries can now enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, a big jump from previous regulations. The government has been steadily expanding visa-free entry in a bid to boost tourism, the economy and its soft power. More than 20 million foreign visitors entered without a visa in 2024 — almost one-third of the total and more than double from the previous year, according to the National Immigration Administration. 'This really helps people to travel because it is such a hassle to apply for a visa and go through the process,' Georgi Shavadze, a Georgian living in Austria, said on a recent visit to the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. While most tourist sites are still packed with far more domestic tourists than foreigners, travel companies and tour guides are now bracing for a bigger influx in anticipation of summer holiday goers coming to China. 'I'm practically overwhelmed with tours and struggling to keep up' says Gao Jun, a veteran English-speaking tour guide with over 20 years of experience. To meet growing demand, he launched a new business to train anyone interested in becoming an English-speaking tour guide. 'I just can't handle them all on my own' he said. After lifting tough COVID-19 restrictions, China reopened its borders to tourists in early 2023, but only 13.8 million people visited in that year, less than half the 31.9 million in 2019, the last year before the pandemic. 30 days for many in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Mideast In December 2023, China announced visa-free entry for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. Almost all of Europe has been added since then. Travelers from five Latin American countries and Uzbekistan became eligible last month, followed by four in the Middle East. The total will grow to 75 on July 16 with the addition of Azerbaijan. About two-thirds of the countries have been granted visa-free entry on a one-year trial basis. For Norwegian traveler Øystein Sporsheim, this means his family would no longer need to make two round-trip visits to the Chinese embassy in Oslo to apply for a tourist visa, a time-consuming and costly process with two children in tow. 'They don't very often open, so it was much harder' he said. 'The new visa policies are 100% beneficial to us,' said Jenny Zhao, a managing director of WildChina, which specializes in boutique and luxury routes for international travelers. She said business is up 50% compared with before the pandemic. While the U.S. remains their largest source market, accounting for around 30% of their current business, European travelers now make up 15–20% of their clients, a sharp increase from less than 5% before 2019, according to Zhao. 'We're quite optimistic' Zhao said, 'we hope these benefits will continue.' Group, a Shanghai-based online travel agency, said the visa-free policy has significantly boosted tourism. Air, hotel and other bookings on their website for travel to China doubled in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year, with 75% of the visitors from visa-free regions. No major African country is eligible for visa-free entry, despite the continent's relatively close ties with China. North Americans and some others in transit can enter for 10 days Those from 10 countries not in the visa-free scheme have another option: entering China for up to 10 days if they depart for a different country than the one they came from. The policy is limited to 60 ports of entry, according to the country's National Immigration Administration. The transit policy applies to 55 countries, but most are also on the 30-day visa-free entry list. It does offer a more restrictive option for citizens of the 10 countries that aren't: the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Indonesia, Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Sweden is the only high-income European country that didn't make the 30-day list. Ties with China have frayed since the ruling Chinese Communist Party sentenced a Swedish book seller, Gui Minhai, to prison for 10 years in 2020. Gui disappeared in 2015 from his seaside home in Thailand but turned up months later in police custody in mainland China. ___


The Review Geek
12 hours ago
- The Review Geek
Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole Episode 1 Preview: Release Date, Time & Where To Watch
Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole The Earthbound Mole centers on a shady self-proclaimed hermit named Momoyuki Mogura who's banned from the afterlife due to 'an incident'. As a result Mogura now collects spirit possessed will-o'-wisps in his lantern, hoping to make a comeback. But will he be successful? If you've been following this anime, you may be curious to find out when the next episode is releasing. Well, wonder no more! Here is everything you need to know about episode 1 of Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole, including the release date, time, and where you can watch this. Where Can I Watch Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole? Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole is airing in Japan on Tokyo MX and BS11. For everyone else though, this one is also available to stream on Crunchyroll worldwide. Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole Episode 1 Release Date Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole episode 1 will release on Monday 7th July in Japan at approximately 10:00pm (JST). Of course, this means that for most of the world, this one will debut at approximately 1pm (GMT) /6am (PT). The Earthbound Mole's episodes will drop in the native Japanese language with subtitles. Dubbing may well arrive later on down the line, but will largely be dependent on how popular this anime will be. How Many Episodes Will Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole Have? It has been officially announced that Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole will drop with a 12 episode season order, which is consistent with the other seasons. One episode will be releasing a week, while each chapter will run for around 23 minutes long. So with that in mind, we've got 11 more episodes left after this week's chapter. Is There A Trailer For Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole? Yes! You can find a trailer for Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole below: What do you hope to see as the series progresses? What's been your favourite moment of Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole so far? Let us know in the comments below!