The fire and the embers of Asador Etxebarri catapult it as the best restaurant in the world

BarcelonaBittor Arginzoniz is better off in the forest looking for firewood than at large social events. He also feels more comfortable in front of glowing embers than in an auditorium. But this parrillero of 66 years, born in Axpe (Basque Country), where he has lived his whole life and has his restaurant Asador Etxebarri, has managed to position himself at the very top of the most prized list this Wednesday night in Lima. It is the same ranking that two years ago placed Disfrutar at the top and the same one in which, to achieve a good position, there are restaurants that invest large sums of money inviting people who could be voters.

The case of Etxebarri is that, unlike others that when they have reached number 1 their reservation center collapses, this cannot happen to them. It is already currently one of the places that is most difficult to go to. They have few tables, they provide one service, and they follow a sui generis method for reservations. There is no clear way to get one. They prioritize people they know who were already customers of the establishment when it did not have such fame, for example. “What can I do? It is what it is, there are requests from thousands of people every day and we reach as far as we can. And if we did more, it would no longer be the same Etxebarri. I understand the frustration of many people, but we reach as far as we can, whether they understand it or not”, he explained to ARA when he participated in an event in San Sebastián. In fact, one of the fears that many people who have not had the opportunity to go there have, is that Arginzoniz will retire soon. And even more so now, that you cannot go any higher.

Arginzoniz went up to receive the award visibly moved, alongside his sommelier and right-hand man, Mohamed Benabdallah, better known in the sector as Moha. Benabdallah picked up the best sommelier award last year, an edition in which the grill restaurant came in second place. “Thank you very much for sharing this moment with us; for me, it is an honor to receive this award that would have been impossible without the help of many people. Those people who helped us at the time to continue working in the world of fire, the most ancestral technique. Our ancestors left us all their knowledge. Our mothers and grandmothers, and great cooks, who transmitted to us an incalculable gastronomic cultural value,” said Arginzoniz slowly. He also remembered his family, his "two children for putting up with him,” and who was the most important gastronomic critic for many years in Spain. “In particular, I would like to name a person who, when I started in this world of embers, was the only one who motivated me and made me believe in what I was doing, and who taught me so much. A visionary and a revolutionary. I want to remember Rafael García Santos.” He finished with “we are privileged.”

Beyond the number 1

The second place on the list went to Gaggan, in Bangkok, and the third to Alchemist, in Copenhagen. Dabiz Muñoz's DiverXO drops, falling from fourth position to ninth. To find the first Catalan one, we have to wait for Albert Adrià's Enigma, which climbs five positions compared to last year, going from 34th to 29th. Aitor Arregui's Elkano restaurant in Getaria, also an expert in grilling, drops from 24th to 33rd.

In the extended list, the one that goes from 51 to 100, we find Cocina Hermanos Torres at number 69, which is climbing positions to enter the coveted list of 50. Number 80 is for Txispa, the Japanese chef coming precisely from Etxebarri, Tetsuro Maeda, who opened his restaurant next to the asador that now holds the number 1 spot. Closing is Aponiente, by Ángel León, at number 100.

Regarding individual awards, the Estrella Damm Chef’s Choice award presented by Joan Roca to Junghyun Park of New York's Atomix stands out. This is the only one chosen exclusively by chefs and which was received last year by Albert Adrià. And finally, the Icon award, which went to Ferran Adrià. “I am very happy and sad not to be able to be here. 50 Best has been an important part of our career,” he said in a video. Adrià was in Barcelona where the last book of the wine encyclopedia was presented and had not been able to travel to Lima. His brother Albert accepted the award for him.

A gala that was supposed to be held in Abu Dhabi and was finally moved to Lima, Peru, the city that has had two number 1s, Central and Maido, which held the position until this moment. Once the top spot is reached, you move to a list called Best of the best and you no longer participate. Catalonia has had three restaurants at number 1. El Bulli (2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009) and El Celler de Can Roca (2013 and 2015), when it was possible to repeat, and finally Disfrutar in 2024. 1,100 people are the ones who decide this ranking, of which a quarter are renewed every year. If we look closely, the division is one third restaurateurs and chefs, one third gastronomic journalists, and one third gourmet travelers. They all vote for 10 restaurants, a maximum of 6 from their own region and at least 4 from other areas. They must have visited them in the last 18 months.