FAQs

How does a restaurant make it onto the list?

The list is the result of a poll of 318 experts (all within Asia), who each cast a set number of votes for the restaurants where they have had their ‘best experience’ during the last 18 months before the voting deadline. The list is a simple computation of votes by Asian voters for restaurants in Asia.

Which locations in Asia are included in the voting?

In alphabetical order – Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.

Who organises Asia's 50 Best Restaurants?

The results and the awards are staged and published by William Reed. Neither William Reed nor our sponsors have any involvement with the results or awards and their compilation.

Does a restaurant have to fit a certain criteria?

No. They do not have to sell a certain product, they do not have to have been open a certain number of years and they do not have to have won any other culinary accolades. Any restaurant in Asia is eligible to be voted for by the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy as long as it has been open during the voting period, and as long as it is not planning on closing shortly after we publish the results (although we cannot always know this, of course).

Is the Academy voting system for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants the same as the Academy voting system for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants?

The voting system for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants adopts the same fundamental structure as that of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy.

Asia is divided into six regional academies of 53 voters each across South-East Asia – South; South-East Asia – North; Hong Kong, Taiwan & Macau; India, Central Asia & Subcontinent; mainland China & Korea and Japan. The divisions are designed to represent the Asian restaurant scene as fairly as possible at the current time and are agreed with the Academy Chairs.

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants voting system is regional rather than the global system used for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

How are Asia’s Academy panels assembled?

The Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy is divided into six regions within Asia: South-East Asia – South; South-East Asia – North; Hong Kong, Taiwan & Macau; India, Central Asia & Subcontinent; mainland China & Korea and Japan. Each region has a chairperson, and that chairperson assembles 53 people to vote. The voters are foodies, restaurant critics, chefs and restaurateurs who dine out regularly and travel within Asia. Each region is made up of one or more countries and the divisions are designed to represent the Asian restaurant scene at the current time and are agreed with the Academy Chairs.

What are the voting criteria for the Asian Academy?

Panellists cannot vote for any restaurant they have a stake or interest in. Panellists must have dined there in the previous 18 months prior to the voting deadline. Panellists are asked to submit a choice of the top restaurants at which they have dined during the voting period in order of preference. 

Prior to 2021, each Academy member voted for 10 restaurants, with at least four of these from outside their home country/SAR. Since the global pandemic has restricted international travel, the voting rules have been revised to reflect this change. Consequently, in the latest round of voting voters were asked to nominate up to 10 restaurants, including up to seven from their home country, with no obligation to fill in the international votes.

50 Best reserves the right to remove restaurants from the list where there may be reputational issues that discredit the 50 Best organisation by way of these venues' inclusion.

Who are the Academy Chairs?

The Chairs are selected for their prominent position within restaurant journalism and publishing in their region. They are in a position to best select an appropriate panel and their expertise is valued in developing the future strategy for the Awards and activities surrounding them. Meet the Academy Chairs. 

Can a restaurant be taken off the list?

Not until the following year – and even then it will only be the results of the voting that determines this, or if we are advised that it will be closed within three months of the list being published. The Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2024 list will be published on 26th March 2024. 

Why do restaurants drop on the list or fall off it?

If a restaurant falls from the top 50, it does not necessarily represent a decline in the standards of that restaurant. It could be an indication of shifting culinary tastes, or it could also reflect the fact that another geographical area is becoming more important. Many restaurants come back onto the list after dropping off for a year or two.

Why Asia's 50 Best Restaurants?

The World's 50 Best Restaurants list is recognised around the world as the most credible indicator of the best places to eat on Earth. It is the trusted arbiter of what matters in global cuisine and its influence can make a restaurant's global reputation overnight.

Over the years the number of restaurants in Asia on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list has increased. The dining scene in this region is rich in diversity, yet relatively undiscovered to much of the rest of the world. The decision to launch Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2013 allowed us to highlight more of this talent than we can with The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The events seek to encourage a shared fraternity across restaurants in the continent, bringing together the best chefs in Asia, drawing attention to the region’s culinary development and celebrating gastronomy together.