Before writer Besha Rodell set out on her journey to select the 2020 list of the World’s Best Restaurants, we here at Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine solicited nominations from a team of esteemed chefs, food journalists, and travel experts — our culinary panel — along with our own editorial teams and honorees from last year’s list. We asked these pros to consider the restaurants that feel the most singular, the places that best capture the energy and spirit of their locations. Ahead, the details on our panelists — plus select quotes from them on a few of this year’s winners.
The Culinary Panel
Bill Addison, restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times
Jen Agg, Toronto restaurateur and author of I Hear She’s a Real Bitch (Penguin, 2017)
Mariana Camacho, editor in chief of Food & Wine en Español
“One of the most special dishes at Cocina Chontal is horneado, a mix of pork and chiles — ancho, mulato, and guajillo — with sour oranges, red onions, tomatoes, garlic, and spices like cumin and cinnamon. Chef Nelly Córdova Morillo takes the time to cook it properly, the way she learned from her family.” — Camacho on 2020 World’s Best Restaurant Cocina Chontal, in Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico
Gabriela Cámara, chef-owner of Contramar in Mexico City and Cala in San Francisco, and author of My Mexico City Kitchen (Lorena Jones, 2019)
Vicky Cheng, chef at VEA in Hong Kong, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Nina Compton, chef-owner of Compère Lapin and Bywater American Bistro in New Orleans
“At Orlando’s, the experience is warm and inviting. Chef Orlando and his staff make you feel like you have known them for years, or like you’re dining in someone’s Creole home. His take on classic French dishes using local ingredients is mind-blowing. If you go during lobster season, you have hit the jackpot!” — Compton on 2020 World’s Best Restaurant Orlando’s in Soufrière, St. Lucia
Suresh Doss, Toronto–based editor and food columnist for the CBC
Skye Gyngell, chef-owner of Spring in London and culinary director of Heckfield Place in Hampshire, England
“There’s something magical about coming upon this restaurant in an otherwise typically Australian small town. The surrounding countryside is rich with organic farms and abundant tropical produce — chef Josh Lewis pulls from ocean and land to create modern, thoughtful food.” — Gyngell on 2020 World’s Best Restaurant Fleet, in Brunswick Heads, New South Wales, Australia
Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Japan–based food writer and author of Food Artisans of Japan (Hardie Grant, 2019)
Soleil Ho, restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle and cohost of the podcast Extra Spicy
Abhishek Honawar, founder of Mumbai–based Honawar Hospitality Group and owner of Inday restaurants in New York City
Sarah Khan, New York City–based travel writer
Padma Lakshmi, New York City–based host of Hulu’s Taste the Nation Bravo’s Top Chef
Laura Lazzaroni, editor in chief of Food & Wine Italia
Angie Mar, chef-owner of the Beatrice Inn in New York City and author of Butcher and Beast (Clarkson Potter, 2019)
Virgilio Martinez, chef at Mil in Moray, Peru, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Abigail Mbalo-Mokoena, chef at 4Roomed eKasi Culture in Cape Town, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Walter Melato, owner of Le Wine Chambre in Illovo, South Africa, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Adrian Miller, Denver–based culinary historian and author of Black Smoke (UNC Press, 2021)
Bonnie Morales, chef-owner of Kachka and Kachka Lavka in Portland, Oregon
Johno Morisano, managing partner at the Grey in Savannah, Georgia, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama, co-owners of n/naka in Los Angeles, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Luvo Ntezo, sommelier at One&Only Cape Town
Sarah Oakes, editor and food writer based in Amman, Jordan
Kwame Onwuachi, Washington, D.C–based chef and author of Notes From a Young Black Chef (Knopf, 2019)
Ellia & Junghyun Park, co-owners of Atoboy and Atomix in New York City
Rose Previte, owner of Compass Rose and Maydan in Washington, D.C.
Ruth Reichl, upstate New York–based food writer and author of Save Me the Plums (Random House, 2019)
Helena Rizzo, chef of Maní in São Paulo, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
“Chef Rafael Costa e Silva is a fully committed perfectionist — an attribute that makes a huge difference in the kitchen. The simplicity of his cuisine is amazing, and he does remarkable work championing local produce. His care with the ingredients makes Lasai stand out among Rio’s great places to eat.” — Rizzo on 2020 World’s Best Restaurant Lasai, in Rio de Janeiro
Ana Roš, chef-owner of Hiša Franko in Kobarid, Slovenia, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Helen Rosner, food correspondent for the New Yorker
Marcus Samuelsson, New York City–based chef, global restaurateur, and host of No Passport Required on PBS
Ben Shewry, chef-owner of Attica in Melbourne, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Digby Stridiron, chef of Ama at Cane Bay in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Luis Vargas, founder and CEO of travel company Modern Adventure, in Portland, Oregon
Clarissa Wei, Hong Kong–based food writer and reporter for Goldthread
Kris Yenbamroong, chef of Night + Market and Night + Market Song in Los Angeles
Pietro Zito, chef-owner of Antichi Sapori in Montegrosso, Italy, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
With help from the editors of Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine.
“Lucia Soria is a total superstar, and she represents the absolute best and brightest of Uruguayan cuisine. My meal at Jacinto incorporated all of Uruguay’s varied regional and international influences in a smart and absolutely delicious way. So special.” — Maria Yagoda, digital restaurant editor at Food & Wine, on 2020 World’s Best Restaurant Jacinto, in Montevideo, Uruguay
Besha’s first round of travel was organized by Skylark, founded by T+L A-List travel advisor and air travel specialist Paul Tumpowsky.
Before writer Besha Rodell set out on her journey to select the 2020 list of the World’s Best Restaurants, we here at Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine solicited nominations from a team of esteemed chefs, food journalists, and travel experts — our culinary panel — along with our own editorial teams and honorees from last year’s list. We asked these pros to consider the restaurants that feel the most singular, the places that best capture the energy and spirit of their locations. Ahead, the details on our panelists — plus select quotes from them on a few of this year’s winners.
The Culinary Panel
Bill Addison, restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times
Jen Agg, Toronto restaurateur and author of I Hear She’s a Real Bitch (Penguin, 2017)
Mariana Camacho, editor in chief of Food & Wine en Español
“One of the most special dishes at Cocina Chontal is horneado, a mix of pork and chiles — ancho, mulato, and guajillo — with sour oranges, red onions, tomatoes, garlic, and spices like cumin and cinnamon. Chef Nelly Córdova Morillo takes the time to cook it properly, the way she learned from her family.” — Camacho on 2020 World’s Best Restaurant Cocina Chontal, in Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico
Gabriela Cámara, chef-owner of Contramar in Mexico City and Cala in San Francisco, and author of My Mexico City Kitchen (Lorena Jones, 2019)
Vicky Cheng, chef at VEA in Hong Kong, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Nina Compton, chef-owner of Compère Lapin and Bywater American Bistro in New Orleans
“At Orlando’s, the experience is warm and inviting. Chef Orlando and his staff make you feel like you have known them for years, or like you’re dining in someone’s Creole home. His take on classic French dishes using local ingredients is mind-blowing. If you go during lobster season, you have hit the jackpot!” — Compton on 2020 World’s Best Restaurant Orlando’s in Soufrière, St. Lucia
Suresh Doss, Toronto–based editor and food columnist for the CBC
Skye Gyngell, chef-owner of Spring in London and culinary director of Heckfield Place in Hampshire, England
“There’s something magical about coming upon this restaurant in an otherwise typically Australian small town. The surrounding countryside is rich with organic farms and abundant tropical produce — chef Josh Lewis pulls from ocean and land to create modern, thoughtful food.” — Gyngell on 2020 World’s Best Restaurant Fleet, in Brunswick Heads, New South Wales, Australia
Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Japan–based food writer and author of Food Artisans of Japan (Hardie Grant, 2019)
Soleil Ho, restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle and cohost of the podcast Extra Spicy
Abhishek Honawar, founder of Mumbai–based Honawar Hospitality Group and owner of Inday restaurants in New York City
Sarah Khan, New York City–based travel writer
Padma Lakshmi, New York City–based host of Hulu’s Taste the Nation Bravo’s Top Chef
Laura Lazzaroni, editor in chief of Food & Wine Italia
Angie Mar, chef-owner of the Beatrice Inn in New York City and author of Butcher and Beast (Clarkson Potter, 2019)
Virgilio Martinez, chef at Mil in Moray, Peru, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Abigail Mbalo-Mokoena, chef at 4Roomed eKasi Culture in Cape Town, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Walter Melato, owner of Le Wine Chambre in Illovo, South Africa, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Adrian Miller, Denver–based culinary historian and author of Black Smoke (UNC Press, 2021)
Bonnie Morales, chef-owner of Kachka and Kachka Lavka in Portland, Oregon
Johno Morisano, managing partner at the Grey in Savannah, Georgia, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama, co-owners of n/naka in Los Angeles, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Luvo Ntezo, sommelier at One&Only Cape Town
Sarah Oakes, editor and food writer based in Amman, Jordan
Kwame Onwuachi, Washington, D.C–based chef and author of Notes From a Young Black Chef (Knopf, 2019)
Ellia & Junghyun Park, co-owners of Atoboy and Atomix in New York City
Rose Previte, owner of Compass Rose and Maydan in Washington, D.C.
Ruth Reichl, upstate New York–based food writer and author of Save Me the Plums (Random House, 2019)
Helena Rizzo, chef of Maní in São Paulo, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
“Chef Rafael Costa e Silva is a fully committed perfectionist — an attribute that makes a huge difference in the kitchen. The simplicity of his cuisine is amazing, and he does remarkable work championing local produce. His care with the ingredients makes Lasai stand out among Rio’s great places to eat.” — Rizzo on 2020 World’s Best Restaurant Lasai, in Rio de Janeiro
Ana Roš, chef-owner of Hiša Franko in Kobarid, Slovenia, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Helen Rosner, food correspondent for the New Yorker
Marcus Samuelsson, New York City–based chef, global restaurateur, and host of No Passport Required on PBS
Ben Shewry, chef-owner of Attica in Melbourne, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
Digby Stridiron, chef of Ama at Cane Bay in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Luis Vargas, founder and CEO of travel company Modern Adventure, in Portland, Oregon
Clarissa Wei, Hong Kong–based food writer and reporter for Goldthread
Kris Yenbamroong, chef of Night + Market and Night + Market Song in Los Angeles
Pietro Zito, chef-owner of Antichi Sapori in Montegrosso, Italy, a 2019 World’s Best Restaurant winner
With help from the editors of Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine.
“Lucia Soria is a total superstar, and she represents the absolute best and brightest of Uruguayan cuisine. My meal at Jacinto incorporated all of Uruguay’s varied regional and international influences in a smart and absolutely delicious way. So special.” — Maria Yagoda, digital restaurant editor at Food & Wine, on 2020 World’s Best Restaurant Jacinto, in Montevideo, Uruguay
Besha’s first round of travel was organized by Skylark, founded by T+L A-List travel advisor and air travel specialist Paul Tumpowsky.
