Melbourne’s Gimlet is one of the top 100 restaurants in the world

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants has announced the 51-100 list in the lead up to the main event on 18 July, with just one Australian dining destination making the cut.

Andrew McConnell’s Melbourne restaurant Gimlet at Cavendish House has secured the no.84 position, well and truly making its debut on the global stage.

“It’s an amazing honour to be included on the list and great validation of the incredible work the entire team at Gimlet has put in,” says McConnell.

“Cavendish House is a big part of the equation – the room is unique to Melbourne, and it has a sense of theatre and drama to it that’s fun and not too serious. To me it feels like an old-world moment with a contemporary edge.”

Gimlet opened its doors in Melbourne in 2020 and is part of the Trader House Group run by McConnell and his partner Jo McGann.

The restaurant was the first venue from Trader House to open in five years at the time, joining Cumulus Inc., Supernormal, Cutler & Co., the Builders Arms Hotel, Marion, Meatsmith and now Morning Market.

Gimlet revolves around an ethos anchored by nostalgia teamed with a modern approach to European cookery.

An example is the steak tartare, a team effort between Restaurant Manager Samy Mir-Beghin and Head Chef Colin Mainds.

Mir-Beghin and Mainds have long had an affinity for tableside tartare, with Mir-Beghin watching the dish being assembled during an after-work meal at Le Relais Plaza in Paris and Mainds sampling the dish at Brasserie Georges in Lyon as a young chef.

“Everyone is so surprised,” says Mir-Beghin. “The waiter briefs them, but when people see me bring the tray over, they are amazed. Having something like this happening in a busy restaurant is like a performance in a way.

“What we do is very close to what you’d get if you went to a bistro in Paris; the idea was to stay as close to the experience as possible and the tartare comes exactly how it should be – nothing is missing.”

The Ramos gin fizz is another example of the Gimlet experience; a notoriously difficult but rewarding cocktail masterfully created by Bar Manager Cameron Parish.

“The Ramos is such a great cocktail,” he says. “When it’s made right and you drop it down to a guest, you know you’ve won them over before they’ve even tried it. It’s a drink that should be made more often and enjoyed.”

The 51-100 list includes 20 new entries from 15 different cities, with 14 entries from Asia, 13 from Europe, 11 from North America, two from the Middle East, one from Oceania and seven from South America.

The top 50 restaurants will be announced during a live ceremony in London next month.

Full list below: