Special AwardsNovember 2021

International Special Awards 2022

The International Special Awards 2022 recognize chefs, restaurants, and regions who are making waves in the industry through excellent cooking, innovation, sustainability, authenticity, and more.

New Destination Champion Award

A rising region that deserves a spot on the gastronomic map

Sponsored by

International selection1

Eastern Europe

Eastern EuropeThe countries of Central and Eastern Europe have always had a decidedly anti-gastronomic reputation. It’s time to bury this unfair and outdated image. There’s a lot going on in the Baltics, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Croatia, Montenegro, and Northern Macedonia. Not only are talented chefs emerging, even if they’re not yet well known internationally, there’s also a traditional food culture built on quality, often unpolished but also unadulterated and full of authenticity. Get there before everyone else finds out!

Local selection – France1

Marseille

MarseilleLaëtitia Visse, La Femme Du Boucher · Alexandre Mazzia, AM by Alexandre Mazzia · Marseille, FranceMarseille has always been synonymous with bouillabaisse. But now it’s known for its variety, from pizzerias to casual joints and Tunisian or Moroccan spots, all the way to the finest of fine dining. In the past decade, a young and dynamic culinary scene has developed here, but the title of best bouillabaisse is still up for grabs, as ever!

Innovation Award

An innovative chef or restaurateur who has pivoted to new and creative business ideas

Sponsored by

International selection1

The Ark Collection

The Ark CollectionCopenhagen, DenmarkIf any restaurant is truly of the moment, it’s Ark. Plant-based cooking, natural wines, and cocktails, locally sourced produce, zero waste, and a sustainable business model. All of it thought out in great detail. Banana peels are infused for cocktails, the mushrooms grown on an urban farm, the plates are from local makers, the lamps produced from seaweed and recycled paper. It looks great, tastes great, and it’s served without a sermon.

Local selection – France1

Alain Ducasse Group

Alain Ducasse GroupDoes Alain Ducasse ever take a break? In 2020 and 2021 alone he has opened a cookery school in Versailles, a luxury restaurant at the Versailles Grand Contrôle hotel, a plant-based restaurant, Sapid, an ice cream parlour, and collaborated with an international coffee brand. Some people imitate, others create. Alain Ducasse, of course, is one of the latter.

Game Changer Award

An exceptional chef or restaurateur who has campaigned to change kitchen and industry culture

Project Materia

Project MateriaJoão Rodrigues · PortugalFeitoria chef João Rodrigues is the face behind Projecto Matéria. His goal is to give exposure to local farmers and producers through online database projectomateria.pt. The initiative showcases Portuguese terroir and everything about it which is special and sustainable. If you want to know where you can find tomatoes that still taste great, for example, you can trust Projecto Matéria. We hope it will inspire chefs in other countries.

Community Spirit Award

A chef or restaurateur showing an outstanding commitment to supporting their community

Universo Santi

Universo SantiCádiz, SpainThe genius chef Santi Santamaria was Spain’s saint of great food, but we lost him too soon when he died in 2011 aged only 53. Universo Santi - Santi's world - is an attempt at managing his culinary legacy. It has a restaurant, of course, which is home to a unique school where disabled youngsters are taught cooking and hospitality. The great Catalan Santi would have been proud of this wonderful initiative.

Ethical & Sustainability Award

A chef or restaurateur demonstrating exemplary dedication to ethical practices, sustainability and social responsability within the workplace, industry and wider community

International selection1

Rodolfo Guzmán

Rodolfo GuzmánBoragó · Santiago, ChileRodolfo Guzmán has spent 15 years exploring, preserving and preparing Chile’s indigenous flora and fauna for his Santiago restaurant, Boragó. To bring produce from as far afield as Patagonia and the Atacama Desert to his Santiago restaurant, he works with hundreds of foragers and micro producers, supporting traditional cultivation methods and protecting the environment. Water comes from rainwater, vegetables from Guzmán’s own local farm. This brings dishes it would be impossible to create anywhere else on earth, and it’s unlikely you’ve heard of many of the ingredients: loco, and pinatra, to name just a few.

Local selection – France1

Christophe Aribert

Christophe AribertMaison Aribert · Saint-Martin-d'Uriage, FranceChristophe Aribert has banned all single-use plastic from his restaurant. This rare decision, also taken by Mauro Colagreco's Mirazur, has forced him to study every last detail: paper is soaked in beeswax, there is less or no sous-vide cooking, and plenty of negotiation with each supplier so they don’t use plastic packaging. Even the laundry no longer arrives in plastic bags. Thank you, Chef, for setting this example.

Digital Influencer Award

A chef or restaurateur who is doing innovative activities online

Diego Alary

Diego AlaryFranceWith 2.5 million fans on TikTok and 53 million "likes", Diego Alary is a one-man bestseller who does more for cooking with his audience than most "easy" cookbooks. We're giving him the award for his success on TikTok, but we'd like to point out that he's much more than a social media phenomenon. He did, after all, learn his trade at Guy Savoy and the Plaza-Athénée.

New Arrivals of the Year

Restaurants which have recently opened and have been praised across critics and media

Sponsored by

Hidden Gem Awards

Restaurants worth going an extra mile for

International selection7

Local selection – France1

La Calypso

La CalypsoAlexandru Carausu · Carnac, FranceAs a master of fire cooking, Alexandre Carausu has a profession that no longer exists in France. La Calypso is a French-style asador, unique in Brittany, and Carausu grills turbot, red mullet, sardines and sea bream in the large fireplace of his traditional Breton house. Asadores are grilled meat restaurants in Spain, some very famous. Order the lobster and your wallet will feel it, but the food is really worth it.

Artisan & Authenticity Award

Restaurants promoting the culinary heritage of its region or country through skill, produce and sourcing

Sponsored by

International selection4

Local selection – France1

Daniel Et Denise

Daniel Et DeniseJoseph Viola · Lyon, FranceAn object lesson in tradition. Daniel et Denise is a bouchon. And bouchons are the soul of Lyon's gastronomy. The chef is Joseph Viola, who has studied with great chefs such as Michel Guérard and Jean-Paul Lacombe (Léon de Lyon). Come for the omelette du curé with crayfish tails, the terrines en croûte, fish quenelles, pan-fried calf's liver and Bresse chicken with morels. A “rich” cuisine, as the French say: rich in taste, rich in sauces, rich in pleasure.

Young Talents of the Year

Promising young chefs under 35 years of age

Sponsored by

International selection4

Local selection – France2

LaListe app

The best travel companion for international gourmets

Download now and discover the ease of having everything you need right at your fingertips!

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Scan to downloadFree on iOS and Android

La ListeFree on iOS and Android