The world’s best restaurants for 2023 named by Tripadvisor – with an Amsterdam eatery

The best fine-dining restaurants have been named by Tripadvisor, with Restaurant Bougainville in Amsterdam taking the top spot. 

The Michelin-starred Dutch eatery has been awarded the accolade as part of Tripadvisor’s 2023 Travellers’ Choice ‘Best of the Best’ Restaurants Awards, which are decided by an algorithm that analyses the millions of reviews and ratings collected in a year from travellers around the world.

Ise Sueyoshi in Nishiazabu, a district of Tokyo, is the second-best restaurant in the global ranking, followed by the Old Stamp House Restaurant in the Lake District – last year’s number one – in third place, making it the top-ranking UK eatery. 

Number one in the U.S is Le Bernardin in New York City, which ranks 23rd overall. No Australian restaurants made it into the top 25.

The gold-medal-winning Restaurant Bougainville has more than 260 coveted ‘five-bubble’ reviews on Tripadvisor, with one user, ‘Linda K’, declaring the restaurant a ‘first-class dining experience’. 

The best fine-dining restaurants have been named by Tripadvisor, with Restaurant Bougainville (above) in Amsterdam taking the top spot

The Old Stamp House Restaurant in the Lake District – last year’s number one – ranks in third place in the fine-dining ranking. It receives the accolade as part of Tripadvisor’s 2023 Travellers’ Choice ‘Best of the Best’ Restaurants Awards

Silver medal-winner Ise Sueyoshi, meanwhile, serves up ‘kaiseki’, which is a traditional Japanese dinner consisting of several courses. Reviewer ‘Tyler K’ described his meal there as ‘unforgettable’. 

Third-place Old Stamp Restaurant, which lies in the picturesque town of Ambleside, is housed in the former office of the Romantic poet William Wordsworth.

With head chef Ryan Blackburn at the helm, the 28-cover restaurant serves dishes that give a ‘unique glimpse into the food and cultural heritage of Cumbria’. A tasting menu might feature tomatoes from the north of Cumbria, mushrooms found in the woods around Ambleside, and turbot from the English Channel. 

MailOnline Travel Editor Ted Thornhill described the food as ‘winningly whimsical and sometimes breathtaking‘. 

Rounding out the rest of the top five are two more European eateries – the Michelin-starred Maison Medard restaurant in the French village of Boulleret and the three-Michelin-starred Ristorante Villa Crespi in Orta San Giulio, Italy. 

Above is Ise Sueyoshi in Nishiazabu, a district of Tokyo, which ranks second globally in the fine-dining ranking 

Number one in America is three-Michelin-starred restaurant Le Bernardin in New York City

As for the UK fine-dining ranking, the Old Stamp Restaurant is followed by Paul Ainsworth at No. 6, a restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall, that presents ‘modern British’ fare.

The Kitchin in Edinburgh is third, Hide and Fox in Hythe, Kent, ranks fourth, and Cellar in Anstruther, Scotland, is fifth. 

In the U.S list, top-ranking Le Bernardin, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant, is run by Chef Eric Ripert and is famous for its seafood. Tripadvisor reviewer ‘213LAX’ wrote that the restaurant’s dishes ‘are visually stunning’. 

The rest of the U.S top five is made up of The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge in Blowing Rock, North Carolina (second); Halls Chophouse in Charleston (third); Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina in Nashville (fourth) and The Silver Fork in Manchester, Vermont (fifth). 

The awards also have five more subcategories – Everyday Eats, Date Night, Hidden Gems, Family-Friendly and Vegetarian. 

Brand-new category ‘Vegetarian’ celebrates meat-free restaurants around the globe, with Chia Vegan Restaurant, in Cusco, Peru, taking the top spot. 

It’s tailed by Blu Bar in Barcelona in second place and Time Traveller in the Indian city of Bengaluru in third. 

The UK bagged two top world spots in the inaugural Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants category – Mallow in Borough Market, London, has been named best vegetarian-friendly restaurant in the UK and 12th in the world, and Herb in Leicester takes 13th place globally. 

In the ‘Date Night’ category, it’s Waitui Bar & Grill on Denarau Island in Fiji that’s number one, followed by Restaurante 1621 in Cartagena, Colombia (second), and Mylos A La Carte Restaurant in Kolimbia, Greece (third). 

In the UK date-night ranking, it’s Uig Sands Restaurant in Timsgarry, Scotland, that ranks top, though it doesn’t make the global top 25. While in the U.S, it’s Hot Tin Roof in Key West, Florida (19th worldwide), that reigns supreme and in Australia, EXP Restaurant in Pokolbin, New South Wales, tops the podium – it’s 24th worldwide. 

Paul Ainsworth at No. 6, a restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall, that presents ‘modern British’ fare, is ranked as the second-best fine-dining restaurant in the UK 

In the ‘Date Night’ category, it’s Waitui Bar & Grill (pictured above) on Denarau Island in Fiji that’s number one

Brand-new category ‘Vegetarian’ celebrates meat-free restaurants around the globe, with Chia Vegan Restaurant (above), in Cusco, Peru, taking the top spot

For travellers who like to wander off the beaten path, the awards also points out the best ‘hidden gem’ restaurants to discover. Top of the list is Restauracja Future & Wine in Warsaw, Poland. It’s followed by Omakase in Braga, Portugal (second), and Kinara by Vikas Khanna in Dubai (third). 

The UK’s best ‘hidden gem’ restaurant? That accolade goes to Ganesha Authentic Indian Cuisine in Bristol. Meanwhile, in the U.S it’s ‘Cookie Dough Monster – Burgers & Shakes’ in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. 

And for foodie families, the world’s best family-friendly restaurant, according to Tripadvisor, is El Huaso Mirra in Tongoy, Chile. It’s tailed by two Brazilian restaurants – Pizzaria da Vila in Aquiraz (second) and Restaurante Casa do Tempero in Penha (third). 

One Australian eatery performed well in this category – Hatsuhana Japanese Restaurant in Gold Coast ranks as the world’s fifth-best eatery for families. 

Mallow in Borough Market, London (above), has been named best vegetarian-friendly restaurant in the UK and 12th in the world

Hatsuhana Japanese Restaurant (above) in Gold Coast, Australia, ranks as the world’s fifth-best eatery for families

Tripadvisor also analysed the best ‘everyday eats’ for the UK and the U.S. Top in Britain is La Boca Steakhouse in Doncaster, while Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille in St. Petersburg, Florida, is number one in the States. 

Commenting on the awards, Sarah Firshein, Head of Editorial at Tripadvisor, said: ‘Restaurants provide a great way for travellers to get immersed in a destination’s history and culture. 

‘This year’s Travellers’ Choice Restaurant winners -whose diversity and geographic reach reflect the fact that the last remaining pandemic-era travel restrictions have lifted – are especially exciting. 

‘We know Tripadvisor travellers seek out first-hand intel and guidance, and that’s exactly the spirit of these lists – All of our winners were selected not by professional food critics or editors, but by real diners who have left their feedback on Tripadvisor within the past year.’