Maido, a restaurant in Lima, Peru, run by chef-owner Mitsuharu ‘Micha’ Tsumura, has been named The World’s Best Restaurant at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.

William Drew, Director of Content for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, comments: “It is with great excitement that we announce the list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, and honor Maido as The World’s Best Restaurant. Led by the brilliant Micha Tsumura, the team has demonstrated remarkable dedication, seamlessly incorporating Japanese techniques with traditional Peruvian ingredients to create dishes that captivate and surprise diners.”

Following Maido in the 2025 ranking are Asador Etxebarri (No. 2) in Atxondo, Spain, and Quintonil (No. 3) in Mexico City.

Ranked No. 5 on the 2024 list, Maido is a masterclass in Nikkei cuisine, blending meticulous Japanese techniques with vibrant Peruvian ingredients to create a dining experience that is both culturally rich and innovatively modern.

The restaurant takes its name from a Japanese phrase used to greet people: ‘Maido!’ – the very first word diners hear as Chef Micha’s team warmly welcomes them into the space.

Reflecting on the win, Tsumura says, “I can’t describe it in words, really. 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. It’s been 11 years [being ranked on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants], and it’s a dream come true.”

The chef-restaurateur’s ancestors landed in Peru from Japan in 1889, and Tsumura was born in Lima. He completed a culinary arts program in the US before traveling to Osaka to specialize in Japanese cuisine.

In 2009, at the age of 28, he opened Maido in Lima, where he combines Japanese techniques and Peruvian ingredients into Nikkei cuisine. Fifteen years later, the restaurant has evolved from a cult curiosity – initially drawing little attention – to a global gastronomic hit, serving as a standard-bearer for Nikkei cuisine worldwide.

Maido increasingly references 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.

Spanning more than 10 dishes, the Maido Experience tasting menu is sensory-rich in every detail. Rare ingredients are sourced from the Andes, Amazon, and the northern coast of Peru, producing dishes such as The Triple, a combination of avocado, eggs, tomato, and chashu (braised pork belly); caracoles al sillao (soy sauce) sea snails with yellow chili foam and Nikkei sauce; squid ramen with Amazonian chorizo, duck dumpling, nigiri, and more. Tsumura’s signature short rib is braised for just over two days: “so tender, all you need is a spoon.”

An à la carte menu is also available, filled with seasonal products and a catch of the day.

Maido! now moves to the top of the bucket list!

Check out the full Top 50 list: