JP and Ellia Park's Manhattan masterpiece takes the top spot at the inaugural North America's 50 Best Restaurants awards.
A bright star of gastronomic brilliance and sophisticated hospitality, New York's Atomix is named The Best Restaurant in North America 2025, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.
The contemporary Korean restaurant was crowned No.1 at the debut awards ceremony of the North America's 50 Best Restaurants list, held on 25 September at Wynn Las Vegas.
Mon Lapin in Montreal was ranked No.2 in the list, making it the highest placed restaurant in Canada, with Restaurant Pearl Morissette from Lincoln, Ontario rounding out the top three.
Culinary power couple JP and Ellia Park's Atomix opened in 2018 as a follow up to Atoboy, the husband-and-wife team's first restaurant, with the aim of delving more deeply into Chef JP's distinctly modern vision of Korean cuisine. The result is an inventive, philosophical fine-dining experience delivered with grace.
Speaking with 50 Best about Atomix's success on being named The Best Restaurant in North America 2025, JP said, "It is definitely surreal. Like I mentioned on stage, when we first moved to the US, we never thought we could be on a stage with amazing people around us."
"I’m feeling the dream, I’m in the clouds," said Ellia Park. "My mind is empty. I can’t think about anything else."
"We’re just working hard, trying to make better food and build a community that we love," continued JP.
Shoot for the stars
Atomix has been on a steep ascent since its introduction to the global dining stage. Co-founder Ellia's thoughtful guest experience design has already earned Atomix the Art of Hospitality Award, as part of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2022, and the restaurant was ranked No.12 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list at the awards held in Turin, Italy earlier this year.
The Atomix experience is delivered to only 12 guests per sitting
Atomix's success has global meaning for the couple: "It means a lot, not only for us in our restaurants, but in our [home] country too," said Ellia.
"How we feel about Korean food and Korean restaurants is that we’re giving more hope to chefs in our country, that they can do more in the world," she continued.
They had words of advice for chefs around the world as well: "Different chefs can make No.1. It doesn’t have to be fine dining. It can just be making people happy with food. I think that’s amazing," said JP.
Telling tales
The Atomix experience begins with arriving at an unassuming exterior in Manhattan's NoMad district that gives way to a minimally decorated cocktail bar and subterranean dining counter. A 12-course tasting menu that marries Korean heritage with the modern influence of the city above follows. Dishes arrive in expertly paced intervals on bespoke ceramics with explanatory cards pointing to memories or cultural traditions that inform the composition of each plate.
The menu cards presented on the table contain information on dish's ingredients, components and origins, as well as information on the ceramics
This storytelling approach is key to the restaurant's magic, taking JP's meticulous cooking and transforming it into a gastronomic journey of discovery through history and imagination.
Ellia, the maestro behind this unique style of service, is what JP credits as the power behind their win. "I think Ellia is the secret to my success. I think everyone probably knows that," the chef said.
For Ellia, teamwork is the most important element behind the scenes: "Our secret is that we spend 24 hours together in work and in life. Our trust and respect for each other makes our success. That’s the secret we have."
Beyond the horizon
As the sun sets on Atomix's historic win in Nevada, the future looks bright. JP and Ellia's winning approach sets the tone for the future of North America's 50 Best Restaurants – celebrating the region's diverse culinary traditions while embracing an ever-evolving spectrum of influences that catapult restaurants like Atomix into a truly spectacular orbit.
The iconic 1-50 group shot from the inaugural North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2025
What's next for JP and Ellia? "Tonight we’re going to drink a lot, that’s the first thing. And tomorrow we’ll think about tomorrow," said JP.
In a message directed at the restaurant's talented team, Ellia said: "Thank you so much – thank you for the trust in our vision and our dream. Without that, Atomix doesn’t exist."
The list of North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2025, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, was announced on 25 September from Las Vegas. Discover the full 2025 list.
