London restaurant Ikoyi has rocketed to 15th place on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, moving up from 42nd place in 2024.
The fine dining restaurant at 180 Strand scooped the highest climber accolade at the awards, which were held in Turin, Italy, on Thursday June 19. Founded in 2017 by childhood friends Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale, 50 Best judges said the duo “remain largely unconfined by restaurant conventions, with the gifted Chan creating a culinary style that defies categorisation.”
Talking to the Standard after the ceremony, Chan said he hopes to raise the profile of Ikoyi on the world stage.
“We’re really happy to be in 15th place this year, it’s a great achievement, but we feel like we can do so much more,” he said. “We’re a modern British restaurant and we still feel like a lot of people still don’t realise that – it’s cross-cultural, diverse, and a reflection of what London is about today.
“I really feel like Ikoyi is up there now, one of the world’s leading restaurants. I think that’s partly down to British produce, which I really believe is the best in the world.”
The only other British restaurant in the top 50 was Marylebone restaurant Kol (49, down from 17 last year), Santiago Lastra’s modern Mexican concept that first made the list in 2023. Restaurants often rise and fall on the list and Lastra was in good spirits on the night.
Other British chefs in Turin included Tomos Parry, whose Soho restaurant Mountain is on the expanded 51-100 list, Brett Graham of the Ledbury, Stuart Ralston, chef-founder at Lyla in Edinburgh, and Adam Smith from Woven at Coworth Park. First position for 2025 was taken by chef Mitsuharu "Micha" Tsumura of Maido in Lima, Peru, while Asador Etxebarri, Basque chef Bittor Arguinzoniz’s restaurant in Axtondo, Spain, came in second (and was also named the best in Europe).
“I can’t describe it in words really,” said Micha in an impassioned speech. “It’s a mix of feelings… All the hard work, all the difficult moments, making people understand what we were doing, and now seeing what we’ve done with Nikkei cuisine and Peruvian cuisine… with hospitality. Making people happy has always been what I’ve loved doing.
“I think the most beautiful act of love is to cook for somebody. It’s the most beautiful thing that has happened in my life.”
Among a host of other accolades on the night, Osteria Francescana (voted the best in the world in 2016 and 2018) founders Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore won the icon award, a fitting tribute to two titans of Italian dining.
Bottura hosted the after party at the historic Lingotto building, once the final checkpoint on the Fiat 500 assembly line. There used to be a racetrack on the roof. Guests danced to music from Italian DJ Benny Benassi, sipped Campari spritzes, Palomas and prosecco and ate pizza, sliders and caviar from Osteria Francescana.
