Eleven Madison Park in New York has secured the number one spot on the 2017 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, presented at an awards ceremony at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.
Now in its 15th year, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants welcomed six brand new entries and three re-entries to the 2017 ranking.
It includes restaurants from 22 countries across five continents, with France, Spain and the USA each boasting six restaurants on the list.
USA
After debuting on the list at number 50 in 2010, Eleven Madison Park has been within the top 10 since 2012, rising to number three last year. The restaurant is co-owned by Will Guidara and Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm, and is housed in an art deco building overlooking New York’s Madison Park.
Daniel Humm and WIlliam Guidara of Eleven Maddison Park.
Fellow New York restaurant, Enrique Olvera’s Cosme was a first-time entry at number 40 while his other restaurant, Pujol in Mexico City, rose five places to number 20.
Dan Barber’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns jumped 37 places to number 11, earning the Highest Climber Award.
David and Dan Barber of Blue Hill at Stone Barns.
Additionally, New York-based pastry chef Dominique Ansel, operator of SoHo bakery and creator of the cronut (a croissant-doughnut hybrid), claimed The World’s Best Pastry Chef award.
SOUTH AMERICA
South America boasts five restaurants on the list, including the debut of Tegui in Buenos Aires at number 49. Maido in Lima, last year’s winner of the Highest Climber Award, rose five places to number eight. Chef Virgilio Martnez won two awards: his restaurant, Central (number five) in Peru, was named The Best Restaurant in South America, and he himself claimed the peer-voted Chefs’ Choice Award.
Pia Leon and Virgilio Martinez of Central.
EUROPE
Last year’s number one place-getter, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, was bumped down to number two. Owner Massimo Bottura is accompanied by the operators of fellow Italian diners, Piazza Duomo (number 15) and Le Calandre (number 29) as well as first-time entry Reale, in Castel Di Sangro, debuting on the list at number 43.
France doubled its number of restaurants on the list. Among its six entries, three rank in the top 20. Mirazur leads at number four, followed by Arpge (number 12) while Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athne re-entered the list at number 13. Allno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, the restaurant headed by Yannick Allno, debuted at number 31, earning the Highest New Entry Award. Other Paris-based restaurants Septime (number 35) and L’Astrance (number 46) also moved up the ranking, rising 15 and 11 places respectively. Septime also claimed the Sustainable Restaurant Award.
Lara Gilmore and Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana.
Spain has three of its six restaurants in the list in the top 10. Former number one restaurant El Celler de Can Roca is now ranked third and was also the recipient of the Art of Hospitality Award. Asador Etxebarri climbed four places to number six while Mugaritz in San Sebastian now sits at number nine.
The Denmark city of Copenhagen was also well represented, with Geranium rising nine places to claim the 19th position while Relae, the two-time winner of the Sustainable Restaurant Award, climbed one place to number 39.
ASIA
Asia has seven restaurants in the 2017 line-up, with Japan and Thailand each boasting two entries. After claiming the number one position for a third consecutive year at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony in February, Gaggan in Bangkok rose 16 places to number seven, claiming The Best Restaurant in Asia title. Singapore’s Restaurant Andr climbed 18 places to secure the 14th spot while Den in Tokyo, the 2016 recipient of the One To Watch Award, arrived on the list at number 45.
Attica's Ben Shewry with Massimo Bottura.
AUSTRALIA
Melbourne’s Attica, led by chef Ben Shewry, jumped one place to number 32 and retained its title as The Best Restaurant in Australasia. Shewry is accompanied on the list by fellow Victorian, Dan Hunter, whose rural restaurant, Brae, entered the top 50 ranking for the first time at number 44.
Dan Hunter of Brae.
Australian born chef David Thompson is also included on the list, with his Bangkok restaurant, Nahm, ranked 28th – up from 37 in 2016.
David Thompson of Nahm.
The Ledbury in London, operated by Newcastle born chef, Brett Graham, was ranked 27th, down from 14 last year.
Brett Graham (third from left) with The Ledbury team.
You can see the list in full here.
The list is created from the votes of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential group of over 1,000 international leaders in the restaurant community. The panel in each region is made up of food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded ‘gastronomes’. Members list their choices in order of preference, based on their best restaurant experiences of the previous 18 months. There is no pre-determined check-list of criteria, but there are strict voting rules.
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