A few months after the release of the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2023, we're back with another definitive roundup of some of the most incredible restaurants in Asia. This time, we're covering the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list, announced live in Singapore on the evening of March 28. Ten restaurants across Japan made it to the top 50, with seven of those in Tokyo.
This year, Thai restaurant Le Du in Bangkok took first place, followed closely by French restaurant Sézanne in Tokyo, which opened its doors at the Four Seasons at Marunouchi in the summer of 2021. Le Du's sister establishment Nusara took third place, while last year's No 1 restaurant Den, known for its contemporary Japanese cuisine, dropped to fourth.
Another familiar face was Florilège, coming in at a respectable No 7, while chef-owner Hiroyasu Kawate won the Inedit Damm Chef's Choice Award 2023. Narisawa just made it into the top ten at No 10, followed by Chinese restaurant Sazenka at No 12. Yusuke Namai’s French-inspired restaurant Ode was also featured this year, though it dropped from its 2022 position at No 13 to No 20 this year.
Finally, French-influenced L'Effervescence reappeared on this year’s list at No 44, with chef Shinobu Namae winning the 2023 Icon Award for his work in sustainable gastronomy.
Curious to see how many other restaurants in Japan made it to the top 50? Here are all the restaurants from Japan that made the cut:
No 2 Sézanne
No 4 Den
No 7 Florilège
No 8 La Cime (Osaka)
No 10 Narisawa
No 12 Sazenka
No 14 Villa Aide (Wakayama)
No 20 Ode
No 32 Cenci (Kyoto)
No 44 L'Effervescence
See the full list of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2023 here.
More from Time Out Tokyo
This Omotesando café is serving Pikachu afternoon tea for a limited time
Sunshine 60 Observatory in Ikebukuro is reopening as an indoor park in April
Starbucks releases a Japan-only Snoopy collection with clothing, drinkware and plushies
See all the spring flowers in bloom at Garden Necklace Yokohama for free
Ashikaga Flower Park's famous wisteria are blooming early this year
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.