About 50 Best

The 50 Best brand is the leading authority in the international drinks scene and global gastronomy, showcasing worldwide trends and highlighting great restaurants and bars from all corners of the Earth. Over the last 20 years, 50 Best has provided unrivalled guidance through its lists and events to cocktail lovers and gourmets, inspiring consumers to travel and discover restaurants and bars, unveiling up-and-coming bartenders and chefs, exploring culinary and drinks trends, and highlighting the subtlety and complexity of various drinks cultures and cuisines from around the world.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants was created in 2002 as the brand's first global review of once-in-a-lifetime dining experiences and has since been published annually. In 2013, 50 Best expanded with the launch of its first two regional lists: Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants.

In 2017, the company acquired The World’s 50 Best Bars, which had been published since 2009, as well as Asia’s 50 Best Bars, published since 2016. 

In 2019, the brand launched 50 Best Discovery, a travel- and experience-focused platform featuring thousands of bars and restaurants across the globe endorsed by the 50 Best Academy of experts.

In 2020, it conceived the ground-breaking programme 50 Best for Recovery to support the hospitality industry during the coronavirus crisis, raising $1.29 million for non-profits and global hospitality venues. The brand reasserted its commitment to the future of the industry in 2021 with the launch of 50 Next, a list of young people shaping the future of hospitality, and with multiple scholarship programmes.

It continued its expansion in 2022 with the launch of North America’s 50 Best Bars as well as Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants. In 2023, the brand is moving into a new area of hospitality with the launch of The World’s 50 Best Hotels.

As the leading global guide for discerning drinks, food and travel lovers, 50 Best looks to be a progressive force in the hospitality ecosystem through its lists as well as its digital content and social media. The brand owns several recognised content series, including 50 Best Stories, its news and features website; #50BestTalks, its signature thought-leadership event; and 50 Best Explores, a global travel series uncovering hidden gem destinations. 50 Best aims to bring together communities across the hospitality sector to foster collaboration, inclusivity, diversity and discovery, and to help drive positive change.

Over the past 20 years, 50 Best earned its legitimacy as a compass for the latest and future trends in the industry. The launch of The World’s 50 Best Hotels in 2023 was the next step in the brand becoming the ultimate curator of the whole consumer experience – from travel and hotels to drinking and dining. 

The 50 Best brand is owned and managed by William Reed, based in the United Kingdom.