Previous winners reflect on the publicity, pressure and pride that comes with receiving 50 Best's One To Watch Award.
Operational costs, market saturation and social media clamour: the challenges facing new restaurants are much discussed. In a climate where it's increasingly hard to break through, what happens when the eyes of the restaurant world are suddenly on you? According to the previous winners of the One To Watch Award – a series sponsored by American Express Resy – there's a burst of excitement, a surge in new bookings and, sometimes, a struggle to retain your sense of identity.
"It's one of the most atypical awards in the industry," says Riccardo Camanini, chef-owner of Lake Garda's Lido 84, winner of the 2019 One To Watch Award and No.16 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2025 list. "Often, awards celebrate established and popular restaurants and chefs," continues his brother and Lido 84 co-owner Giancarlo Camanini. "But this award gives new restaurants a real boost and helps them express their creativity."
Lido 84 sits on the shore of Lake Garda and its menu celebrates the best of the region's produce
Below, chefs and restaurateurs from Ikoyi, Frantzén, Florilège, Disfrutar and Lido 84 share how being placed on a global stage led to unexpected life lessons.
In the spotlight
"Winning this award put us on the map for an international audience in a way that few other things could," shares chef Björn Frantzén, who won the One To Watch Award at The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2011 for Frantzén/Lindberg. He now owns an impressive stable of restaurants, including Stockholm's Frantzén, No.38 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list. "Suddenly, there was an energy around the restaurant; a sense that something important was happening. It validated the risks we had taken and gave the team a boost of confidence that we were building something meaningful. That kind of early momentum is priceless."
Such a leap in recognition can come with complications, however. "In some ways, it gets harder when you win an award," reflects Jeremy Chan, chef and co-owner of London restaurant Ikoyi, winner of the One To Watch Award in 2021. "There can be more pressure and greater expectations, plus you can get some more challenging customers who think they know what to expect from your restaurant. It's a blessing and it's a curse – the more people know about you, the more things can go wrong."
Ikoyi's category-defying menu comprises suprising combinations, such as this cherry and babganoush dish
Chan needn't have worried. Since 2021, Ikoyi has gone from strength-to-strength, continuing to defy expectations with deeply personal dishes tapping into memory and emotion. In 2025, it came in at No.15 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list, winning the Highest Climber Award, sponsored by Lee Kum Kee, in the process.
Don't believe your own hype
When the great and the good of the restaurant world start singing your praises, it's easy to get swept up in the excitement. According to Frantzén, this can cause serious problems. "Success magnifies everything – both your strengths and your flaws," he warns. "Staying grounded is key. You must constantly evolve without losing your identity and surround yourself with people who are better than you in their respective areas. Leadership isn't about being the best at everything: it's about vision, clarity and consistency."
Riccardo Camanini echoes Frantzén's advice: "It's so important to be humble and we try to cultivate both passion and humility in our team. You almost have to forget about the award immediately after winning it and focus on the work."
Across the group of former winners, there's a sense that actively chasing awards is counterproductive. "When we were awarded the One To Watch award in 2017, there was a real sense of joy," remembers chef Eduard Xatruch, who opened Barcelona's Disfrutar in 2014 along with fellow chefs and El Bulli alumni Mateu Casañas and Oriol Castro.
Eduard Xatruch, Oriol Castro and Mateu Casañas continue to innovate with dishes combining technical expertise with unbridled creativity
Despite the excitement it brought, Xatruch is keen to stress that the award didn't change their plans for the restaurant. "We have always focused on thinking responsibly and creating a solid project that communicates our way of understanding gastronomy and creativity, rather than thinking about achieving a certain accolade." This clear-eyed strategy certainly paid off: just 10 years after opening, Disfrutar was named The World's Best Restaurant 2024, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, and is now a member of the esteemed Best of the Best hall of fame.
"We believe that if we had thought about winning awards when we opened Disfrutar, we would not have reached where we are today," Xatruch continues.
Crucial connections
For many of the One To Watch Award winners, achieving this accolade brought them into contact with the international chef community for the first time. Chef Hiroyasu Kawate of Florilège, the Tokyo restaurant named One To Watch at Asia's Best Restaurants 2016, remembers the experience as an opportunity for connection. "It was a great learning experience for me as a chef," he says. "Through it, I've had the chance to meet and exchange ideas with many incredible chefs from around the world."
"These encounters have given me important insights into how I can create dishes that connect to the future and these relationships remain a true treasure to me."
At Florilège, chef Hiroyasu Kawate's French-Japanese cuisine is centred around sustainability
The Caminini brothers of Lido 84 share similar recollections: "After winning the award, we were lucky to have an influx of guests from around the world, but we were also lucky to make all these connections with others in the restaurant industry.
"We felt like we were part of a community which was really passionate not just about creating a luxury experience, but about creating something really specific to their culture, and discovering that in each other's restaurants."
Dream team
The One To Watch Award recognises the entire restaurant team's efforts rather than those of a singular chef, but in the ensuing rush of press, it's often the head chef who ends up the centre of attention.
According to the former winners, however, the key to long term success lies in building a strong team and recognising the hard work of your staff. As Xatruch points out, discussions around environmental sustainability in restaurants have exploded in recent years, but the issues of economic and team sustainability need to be addressed further. "We need to change the idea that in order to be a chef, you have to give up all the other aspects of your life," he says.
"The challenge is to create a future in which restaurants can be sustainable at all levels and that the people who make up restaurant teams can achieve a true balance between their professional life and their personal life."
For Frantzén, doing what he can to support his team is a source of great pride. "The mental and physical demands of life in a kitchen are real," he stresses. "We need to create kitchens where people can grow, thrive and stay healthy, all without compromising on excellence.
Björn Frantzén's impressive portfolio includes restaurants in Stockholm, Bangkok and Singapore
"Beyond the awards and recognition, what makes me truly proud is creating an environment where people can grow," he continues. "Seeing former team members go on to lead their own kitchens or open their own restaurants – that's the kind of legacy that really matters."
Passion project
For many ambitious chefs, owning their own restaurant is the ultimate goal. However, despite the success he has achieved at Disfrutar and elsewhere, Xatruch offers a compelling counter argument: "I would tell young people not to be obsessed with having their own restaurant. For example, for many years we didn't even consider having our own restaurant. To be happy in our profession you don't need to have a restaurant."
"If you're working in a restaurant where you feel valued and where you can express yourself, you can be very happy, especially with how difficult it can be to establish an economically sustainable restaurant nowadays. You might save yourself a lot of headaches."
For Florilège's Kawate, the key to longevity in a career as a chef is your attitude. "We're in a profession that lets us embrace the journey, enjoy it fully, and turn that experience into our strength. Even if the destination is the same, a shift in mindset can help you find joy in the challenges along the way.
"What truly matters is the original passion you had when you first decided to become a chef. Hold that feeling close to your heart, especially when you face difficult times."
Learn more about Khufu's, the winner of the Resy One To Watch Award, as part of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025
