The anticipation was at an all time high this past Wednesday at a special ceremony held at Melbourne’s historic Royal Exhibition Building. With the highly authoritative World’s 50 Best Restaurants already announcing their 100-51 positions last week, with some very fine entries, discerning diners all across the world were speculating as to which destinations would make it into the prestigious top 50. Well, the results are out now, and they may be surprising for some as there’s been plenty of big changes as restaurant’s the world over have taken their menus in new, exciting directions.
A total of six brand new entries have been revealed in the top 50 for 2017, along with three re-entries. The best represented countries remain France, Spain and USA – with six restaurants each on the menu – but there’s been a strong showing from Italy, Australia, Japan and Thailand.
New York’s Eleven Madison Park took the top honours as the dining hotspot was named The World’s Best Restaurant and The Best Restaurant in North America. After debuting on the list at No.50 seven years ago, the restaurant has been all over the top 10 since 2012, reaching it’s former peak at No.3 last year. This rise to the very top echoes the hard work and innovation from the restaurant’s co-owners Will Guidara and Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm, both of whom offer a menu and atmosphere that has been described to “enhance the fine-dining experience with a sense of fun, blurring the line between the kitchen and the dining room”.
Other New York restaurants on the list including Cosme, debuting at No.40, highlighting the dedication from chef Enrique Olvera who also saw his Mexico City restaurant Pujol rise five spots no No.20.
Last year’s No.1, Italy’s iconic Osteria Francescana, hops back just one place to come in at No.2, retaining it’s title as The Best Restaurant in Europe. It’s joined by fellow Italian dining destinations Piazza Duomo (No.15) and Le Calandre (No.29) as well as first-timers Reale coming in at No.43.
France has had a huge surge in new entries as the country has doubled its number of restaurants on the list. Among France’s six new entries, three rank in the top 20 – Mirazur at No.4, Arpège at No.12, Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen at No.13 – while others spread through the list, including Septime at No.35 and L’Astrance at No.46.
Asia gets a few nice entries in there, with both Japan and Thailand clocking two entries each. Bangkok’s Gaggan is still in the lead as far as that part of the world goes, with the famous restaurant rising an impressive 16 places no No.7. Den in Tokyo debuts on the list at No.45, and Singapore’s Restaurant André shoots up 18 spots to No.14.
As previously speculated from last week’s list, Australia has gotten a really strong showing with two restaurants in the top 50. Melbourne’s Attica leads at No.32, making it The Best Restaurant in Australasia, while Brae by chef Dan Hunter makes their Top 50 debut at No.44. This makes three Australian restaurant in total, with Sydney’s long-standing Quay making it into the Top 100.
See below for the full list and start putting together that to-do list, with 22 countries across five continents on the list this is one of the most diverse Top 50’s to date.
1. Eleven Madison Park, New York, USA
2. Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy
3. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain
4. Mirazur, Menton, France
5. Central, Lima, Peru
6. Asador Etxebarri, Axpe, Spain
7. Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand
8. Maido, Lima, Peru
9. Mugaritz, San Sebastián, Spain
10. Steirereck, Vienna, Austria
11. Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocatino Hills, New York, USA
12. Arpège, Paris, France
13. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, Paris, France
14. Restaurant André, Singapore
15. Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy
16. D.O.M., São Paulo, Brazil
17. Le Bernardin, New York, USA
18. Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
19. Geranium, Copenhagen, Denmark
20. Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico
21. Alinea, Chicago, USA
22. Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico
23. White Rabbit, Moscow, Russia
24. Amber, Hong Kong, China
25. Tickets, Barcelona, Spain
26. The Clove Club, London, UK
27. The Ledbury, London, UK
28. Nahm, Bangkok, Thailand
29. Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy
30. Arzak, San Sebastián, Spain
31. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, Paris, France
32. Attica, Melbourne, Australia
33. Astrid y Gastón, Lima, Peru
34. De Librija, Zwolle, Netherlands
35. Septime, Paris, France
36. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London, UK
37. Saison, San Francisco, USA
38. Azurmendi, Larrabetzu, Spain
39. Relae, Copenhagen, Denmark
40. Cosme, New York, USA
41. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai, China
42. Boragó, Santiago, Chile
43. Reale, Castel Di Sangro, Italy
44. Brae, Birregurra, Victoria, Australia
45. Den, Tokyo, Japan
46. L’Astrance, Paris, France
47. Vendôme, Bergisch Gladback, Cologne, Germany
48. Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin, Germany
49. Tegui, Buenos Aires, Argentina
50. Hof van Cleve, Kruishoutem, Belgium
For more details head to the official World’s 50 Best website HERE.
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