Maido Restaurant is the headliner of award-winning Peruvian cuisine!

What Is The Best Restaurant In The World In 2025?

In the heart of Turin, Italy, Maido was crowned the World’s Best Restaurant 2025. This Nikkei-based delight has received a lot of praise over the years,  finishing in the top 10 of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants listing on many an occasion, including the World’s Best Restaurants 2024 list. Ever since its inauguration in 2015,  Maido has been widely recognized, taking the number one spot of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants a staggering 4 times, and in 2025, it finally hit the top spot globally! Head chef Mitsuharu Tsumura (better known as ‘Micha’ and his team are over the moon to be number one. At the ceremony, Tsumura said, “I can’t describe it in words really. It’s a mix of feelings… All the hard work, all the difficult moments, helping people understand what we were doing, and now seeing what we’ve done with Nikkei cuisine and Peruvian cuisine, with superb hospitality.  I believe that gastronomy, food, and hospitality can do wonderful things, make dreams come true, and even solve many problems that seem to have no solution.  Making people happy has always been what I’ve loved doing. I think the most beautiful act of love is to cook for somebody. It’s the most beautiful thing that has happened in my life. It’s been 11 (in the waiting) and it’s a dream come true”.

 

 

Who Judges This Prestigious Competition?

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is curated by a voting panel of over 1,000 gastronomic experts from around the world. The panel consists of restaurateurs, food writers, chefs, and culinary experts, who bring deep insight into the international gastronomic scene. The list is organized and published by William Reed and backed by long-time sponsors S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. Organizers include brands that are deeply committed to celebrating gastronomic excellence and supporting cuisine-based culture worldwide. This blend of people from different walks of culinary life maintains the credibility and influence of the awards. This makes an inclusion on this list, a well-sought-after mark of distinction. The panel investigated 25 destinations and 37 cities to formulate their list, with an emphasis on cultural factors,  culinary innovation, and delightful and delicious dishes. Then there is Peru, right at the heart of it all!   

 

 

 

 

Which Peruvian Restaurants Made The World’s 50 Best List?

Kjolle (ranked 9th): Led by chef Pía León, of  “Central” fame,  this restaurant stands out for its focus on native and sustainable Peruvian ingredients.

Mérito (ranked 26th): A creative cuisine restaurant with a Venezuelan-Peruvian emphasis, led by Juan Luis Martínez.

Mayta (ranked 39th): Run by chef Jaime Pesaque, it combines contemporary techniques with local products in a refined dining experience.

Check out our list of Best Lima Restaurants in this article!

 

 

 

Why Does Peru Stand Out as a Culinary Destination?

Peru is home to a rich fusion of Andean, Spanish, African, and Asian influences when it comes to its cuisine and culture as a whole. Travelers to Lima will experience world-renowned fine dining, as well as innovative street food, delicious regional dishes, bustling local markets, fresh produce from the Pacific Ocean, the Amazon rainforest, and the magnificent Andes of Peru. All are central to the local community, which reflects Peru’s deep-rooted culinary ancestry. Local chefs across the country have collected these native ingredients to create bold, creative, and deeply delicious Peruvian takes on classic dishes. As a result, these local chefs create award-winning Peruvian cuisine.

 

 

Not Only Is Peruvian Cuisine Delicious, but it is a Work of Art!

Not only are meals in Peru sumptuous on the tongue, but they will quite possibly be the most beautifully presented. With delicate flower petals, native seeds, and other edible entities to adorn your plate, Peruvian cuisine could easily be found in one of the many art galleries of Lima! A wonderful array of contrasts, for the eyes, the palate, the nose, and the soul. Peruvian fusion at its academic best!

 

 

A Short History of MAIDO Restaurant

Born to Japanese immigrant parents, Mitsuharu Tsumura took his first steps into the gastronomic world with formal training in the United States. However, it was in Osaka, Japan, where he truly deepened his cooking prowess, immersing himself in the delicate traditions of Japanese cuisine. He took this experience back to Lima, working briefly at the Sheraton, and at just 28 years old, took a leap of faith by opening his own place, Maido.
Tsumura´s creations go far beyond what most people think about when they hear “Peruvian-Japanese fusion.” Maido is a magical fusion of Peru’s diverse ingredients, geography, and culture, and elevated by the influence of refined Japanese techniques. The best representation of the abundance of Peru’s natural products, from the Amazon to the Pacific coast, and showcases Tsumura’s deep respect for both sides of his cultural heritage.
When Maido opened its doors in 2009, it was little more than a hidden nook in Lima’s expanding dining scene. Not many people noticed in the beginning, and Tsumura even considered closing the restaurant in its infancy. But the words of encouragement from family and loyal Peruvian diners kept him going. Reflecting on those days after receiving the Estrella Damm Chefs’ Choice Award in 2024, he shared: “I remember my father telling me to keep believing in what I was doing. Locals would come and say, ‘Don’t close down! What you’re doing is important.’ Nikkei wasn’t widely known at the time, and now it’s celebrated all over the world.” Today, Maido stands out as a gastronomical landmark in Lima and a global ambassador for Nikkei cuisine.  It inspires food lovers from around the world to explore a little more than Machu Picchu. It encourages you to uncover the delicious harmony between Japanese intricacy and Peruvian soul.

 

 

The restaurants in Peru continue to win the top spots among the world’s most esteemed dining experiences.  Especially in Peru,  travelers are making the wonderful gastronomy a central part of their journey. From the wonderful pachamanca and other Andean specialties to the abundant Pacific bounty of the coastal region used to make Peru´s signature dish of ceviche, Peru´s natural geography and cultural depth offers us tasty dishes that go way beyond a delicious bite. It immerses us in the nuances of Peru, its people, its lands, its native ingredients, and its talented and innovative chefs. To experience the true essence of Peru, you simply must sample its diverse and delectable cuisine that is at the heart of  Peruvian culinary pride. So if you’re dreaming of a vacation that not only takes you to magnificent historical destinations, exceptional trekking routes, spectacular natural wonders, and allows you to sample the best restaurants in the world, Peru is calling. Make sure you come hungry for adventure on all levels, especially the palate, and you will leave the country satiated, fulfilled, and inspired! If you would like to dine at the wonderful Maido on your Peru Tour Packages, ask us here!