People travel thousands of miles and make reservations months in advance in search of truly world-class cuisine. And on Monday night, some of the most lauded restaurateurs, fine chefs, and food lovers found their five-star answer at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards. For those of you who have yet to acquire a first taste of 50 Best, it’s a long list of 100 restaurants (served in two separate courses, naturally), the top 50 of which are announced at an exclusive ceremony known as the Oscars of fine dining. Since its inception in 2002, London has played host to the flavorful occasion, but for the first time in history, it hopped across the pond to embark on a global tour, starting with New York at Cipriani Wall Street.
The latest in a long series of moves offering not-so-subtle notes of the list’s global reach, what was born out of the magazine offices of Britain’s Restaurant has gradually evolved into its own endeavor, transforming the fortunes and palates of chefs and guests alike. Now widely regarded as the most highly influential, not to mention hotly anticipated, ranking of its kind (including the Michelin Guide, bien s_û_r), the list is like an annual who’s who of the global gastronomical scene. While Michelin has been criticized for favoring French cuisine in its scoring, 50 Best takes a decidedly more democratic approach to any underlying aristocracy.
It’s a collective decision of the Diners Club World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, a group of nearly 1,000 tastemakers spanning 27 regions; the list is based on their votes, and according to procedures, the ballots are outsourced to a professional consultant agency to ensure the contest is upheld to the highest authentic and integral standards. Although a French restaurant has yet to hold the highest honors, Osteria Francescana of Modena, Italy, set another record this year when it traded places with El Celler de Can Roca of Catalonia, Spain, and became the first Italian restaurant to be crowned number one. For the past few years, the top three spots have rotated between Osteria Francescana, El Celler de Can Roca, and Copenhagen’s Noma (now at number five), but the constant that remains is the only thing tougher than the restaurant competition are the reservation wars sure to follow.
Without further ado, take a look at the dishes available now at the world’s top 10 restaurants, as photographed for The Art of Plating, followed by the full list below.
Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy
El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain
Eleven Madison Park, New York, USA
Central, Lima, Peru
Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
Mirazur, Menton, France
Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain
Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
Steirereck, Vienna, Austria
Asador Etxebarri, Axpe, Spain
D.O.M., São Paulo, Brazil
Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico
Maido, Lima, Peru
The Ledbury, London, U.K.
Alinea, Chicago, USA
Azurmendi, Larrabetzu, Spain
Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy
White Rabbit, Moscow, Russia
Arpège, Paris, France
Amber, Hong Kong, China
Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain
The Test Kitchen, Cape Town, South Africa
Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand
Le Bernardin, New York, USA
Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico
The Clove Club, London, U.K.
Saison, San Francisco, USA
Geranium, Copenhagen, Denmark
Tickets, Barcelona, Spain
Astrid y Gastón, Lima, Peru
Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo, Japan
Restaurant André, Singapore
Attica, Melbourne, Australia
Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin, Germany
Vendôme, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
Boragó, Santiago, Chile
Nahm, Bangkok, Thailand
De Librije, Zwolle, Netherlands
Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy
Relae, Copenhagen, Denmark
Fäviken, Järpen, Sweden
Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai, China
Biko, Mexico City, Mexico
Estela, New York, USA
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London, U.K.
Combal Zero, Rivoli, Italy
Schloss Schauenstein, Fürstenau, Switzerland
Blue Hill at Stone Barns, New York, USA
Quique Dacosta, Dénia, Spain
Septime, Paris, France
