One Bay Area restaurant makes 2022 ‘world’s best’ list

By Maureen O’Hare | CNN

It’s another good year for Copenhagen as, for the second year in a row, a restaurant in the Danish capital has been named the best on the planet at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards.

Geranium serves a meat-free, seasonally based Scandi menu in the unusual environs of the eighth floor of Denmark’s national soccer stadium. It’s open just four days a week, a choice made by head chef Rasmus Kofoed and co-owner Søren Ledet in order to keep to an ethos of work-life balance.

The two friends hugged joyfully as they celebrated winning their award at a lavish ceremony held Monday night in London’s Old Billingsgate, a Victorian building that was once the world’s largest fish market. Hollywood actor and CNN presenter Stanley Tucci hosted the ceremony, resplendent in a white tuxedo jacket on what was the UK’s hottest day of the year.

Restaurants are only permitted to scoop the awards’ top prize once, after which they’re entered into a separate “Best of the Best” program. Members of that elite group include Geranium’s Copenhagen neighbor Noma, as well as New York’s Eleven Madison Park, The Fat Duck near London, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, and Mirazur in Menton, France.

The rest of the list

South American restaurants also fared well. In Lima, chefs Virgilio Martínez and Pía León’s Central climbed two places to the second spot, while Maido, which serves Japanese-Peruvian fusion, slipped down to No. 11.

Brazil’s A Caso do Porco — a celebration of all things porcine — climbed 10 places to No.7.

Spain’s showing this year was also solid. Barcelona’s Disfrutar was at No. 3, Madrid’s Diverxo shot up to fourth place, while Larrabetzu’s Asador Etxebarri — where all dishes, even dessert, are flame-grilled — slipped down to No. 6.

Mexico City was represented by fifth place winner Pujol — this year’s Best Restaurant in North America — and Quintonil, which climbed all the way from last year’s No.27 to land in the No. 9 spot.