Against all odds, the Peruvian restaurant Maido was crowned on Thursday as the Best Restaurant in the World on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list of 2025. Predictions pointed to Etxebarri, the Basque grill led by Bittor Arginzoniz, as the winner, which once again settled for second place, the same position as in 2024. However, it was the space of chef Mitsuharu Micha Tsumura that took the glory at the gala held at the Lingotto Fiere congress center in Turin.
"It is a joy and, moreover, a responsibility. It is an honor to have been chosen as the best in the world, which is so subjective, but we appreciate the love of the people," explained Micha after receiving the recognition, which he dedicated to his team and his family. "It is a dream to be able to make people happy."
Maido, opened in 2009, is one of the great representatives of Nikkei cuisine in Lima, Peru. In the modern and elegant restaurant, the chef combines his Japanese origins with Peruvian tradition. "Although Japan is several thousand kilometers away from Peru, it is very close in gastronomy," which is an "example of how two such different cultures can come together and create amazing things."
This translates into a cuisine full of umami and, at the same time, delicate and balanced flavors. In his recipes, both learned and inherited traditions (having worked in countries like the United States and Japan) and bold creativity have a place. Through his dishes, Tsumura invites you to travel throughout Peru, discovering the essential ingredients with which he creates a unique experience. The Amazon region is among his greatest challenges.
Among Maido's offerings is the possibility to dine à la carte, with a not very extensive menu that includes a wide variety of nigiris, sashimi with the catch of the day, seafood and temakis, as well as small sandwiches, cod tempura, veal sweetbreads, roasts, and goat dumplings, with the option to enjoy them at the bar. It also offers four different experiences of its tasting menu. These depend on the type of pairing: without it, non-alcoholic pairing, Tokujou pairing (with high-end wines, sakes, and spirits), and Maido pairing (wine harmony). A liquid proposal led by Florencia Rey, recognized in 2023 as the best sommelier in Latin America.
The tasting menu includes more than ten courses with dishes such as an interpretation of a Lima sandwich with avocado, egg, tomato, and chashu (braised pork belly), snails in soy sauce, squid ramen with Amazonian chorizo, duck dumplings, or nigiris with Peruvian and Japanese influences. Price: from 288.29 euros (without pairing) to 586.28 euros (with premium beverages).
At the press conference following The World's 50 Best Restaurants of 2025 gala, Tsumura explained the importance that caring for the planet is having in his cuisine and that they are working on making it "more sustainable," especially through the recycling of the materials they use. Another challenge for the Peruvian chef is to learn more about the Amazon and its products. "It is an incredible place, I would like to someday be able to serve raw Amazonian fish, respecting their freshness and properties to the fullest."
Maido, the second Peruvian restaurant to be considered the best in the world after Central, by Virgilio Martínez, also in Lima, which achieved this in 2023, is the most representative project of Micha and a true reflection of his personality: kind, fun, and elegant. Throughout its more than 15 years of history, the restaurant has garnered many awards both locally in Peru and beyond its borders. After climbing to the top from the number 5 position on The World's 50 Best list it held before yesterday's ceremony, Maido has become a legend for Peru and Latin America and, under the direction of Micha, has solidified its place in the global gastronomic scene as a reference for Nikkei and Peruvian cuisine.