with Charles Reed, Group Managing Director of William Reed Business Media.
Photo copyright The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Eleven Madison Park in New York has secured the No.1 spot in the 2017 list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. This year’s winners were revealed at an awards ceremony at the historic Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne.
Now in its 15th year, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants welcomes six brand new entries and three re-entries to the 2017 ranking. Showcasing a broad cross-section of cultures and cuisines, it includes restaurants from 22 countries across five continents. France, Spain and the USA each count six restaurants on the list.
In claiming the No.1 position on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Eleven Madison Park earns the dual titles of The World’s Best Restaurant and The Best Restaurant in North America. After debuting on the list at No.50 in 2010, Eleven Madison Park has hovered within the top 10 since 2012, rising to No.3 last year. The restaurant’s co-owners, Will Guidara and Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm, enhance the fine-dining experience with a sense of fun, blurring the line between the kitchen and the dining room. Housed in an art deco building overlooking New York’s Madison Park, the restaurant’s multi-course seasonal tasting menu celebrates the city’s rich history and culinary traditions.
Last year’s No.1, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, claims the No.2 position to retain its title as The Best Restaurant in Europe. Italy is also represented by familiar favourites Piazza Duomo (No.15) and Le Calandre (No.29) as well as first-time entry Reale, in Castel Di Sangro, debuting on the list at No. 43.
France has doubled its number of restaurants on the list. Among France’s six entries, three rank in the top 20. Mirazur leads at No.4, followed by Arpège (No.12) while Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée makes a dramatic re-entry on the list to land at No.13. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, the restaurant headed by Yannick Alléno, debuts at No.31, earning the coveted Highest New Entry Award, sponsored by Aspire Lifestyles. Other Paris-based restaurants Septime (No.35) and L’Astrance (No.46) also move up the ranking, rising 15 and 11 places respectively. Aside from celebrating Septime’s climb up the rankings, the restaurant also claims the Sustainable Restaurant Award, sponsored by Silestone, and audited by the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
Spain retains its strong presence on the list with three of its six restaurants landing in the top 10. Former No.1 El Celler de Can Roca leads the contingent at No.3 and is also the 2017 recipient of the The Ferrari Trento Art of Hospitality Award in recognition of the restaurant’s warm atmosphere and ever-gracious service. Asador Etxebarri climbs four places to No.6 while Mugaritz in San Sebastian now sits at No.9.
While one New York restaurant takes the No.1 spot, another debuts on the list: Enrique Olvera’s Cosme is a first-time entry at No.40 while his other restaurant, Pujol in Mexico City, rises five places to No.20. Meanwhile, Dan Barber’s progressive restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, rises 37 places to No.11 to earn the Highest Climber Award, sponsored by Lavazza.
New York-based pastry entrepreneur Dominique Ansel is also honoured this year, claiming the 2017 title of The World’s Best Pastry Chef. Since opening his eponymous SoHo bakery in 2011 and launching the Cronut, his signature croissant-doughnut hybrid, French-born Ansel has extended his global influence to London and Tokyo. This award recognises his relentless creativity, innovation and ability to span the retail and restaurant sectors.
Host country Australia is represented by two restaurants, including one newcomer. Attica in Melbourne (No.32) rises one place to retain its title as The Best Restaurant in Australasia, while Brae in regional Victoria enters the ranking for the first time at No.44.
South America boasts five restaurants from across the continent on the list, including the debut of Tegui in Buenos Aires at No.49. Maido in Lima, last year’s winner of the Highest Climber Award, continues its upward trajectory, rising five places to No.8. Chef Virgilio Martínez steals the limelight with two award wins. His restaurant, Central (No.5), in Peru, is named The Best Restaurant in South America, while he is this year’s recipient of the peer-voted Chefs’ Choice Award, sponsored by Estrella Damm.
Asia counts seven restaurants in the 2017 line-up, with Japan and Thailand each boasting two entries. After claiming the No.1 position for a third consecutive year at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony in February, Gaggan in Bangkok rises 16 places to No.7 to claim The Best Restaurant in Asia title. Elsewhere, Singapore’s Restaurant André climbs an impressive 18 places to secure the No.14 spot while Den in Tokyo, the 2016 recipient of the Miele One To Watch Award, arrives on the list at No.45.
The city of Copenhagen also fares well, with two of the Danish capital’s restaurants recognised. Geranium rises nine places to claim the No.19 position while Relae, the two-time winner of the Sustainable Restaurant Award, climbs one place to No.39.
Respected chef Heston Blumenthal has double reason to celebrate. As well as being the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award, his London restaurant, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, rises nine places to sit at No.36. The winners’ circle also includes Ana Roš of Hiša Franko, Slovenia, who is named The World’s Best Female Chef 2017.
William Drew, Group Editor of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, says: “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is proud to bring together the leaders in global gastronomy for this annual celebration. All 50 restaurants represent the very best culinary experiences and talent. We congratulate each one, as well as all the individual award winners, on their remarkable achievements, innovation and creative passion.”
How The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is compiled
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.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is independently adjudicated by professional services consultancy Deloitte. This adjudication ensures that the integrity and authenticity of the voting process and the resulting list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017 are protected.
To see more details on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants voting process, visit www.theworlds50best.com/the-academy/manifesto
The restaurants are as follows:
50 – Hof Van Cleve, Kruishoutem, Belgium RE-ENTRY
49 – Tegui, Buenos Aires, Argentina NEW ENTRY
48 – Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin, Germany
47 – Vendôme, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
46 – L’Astrance, Paris, France RE-ENTRY
45 – Den, Tokyo, Japan NEW ENTRY
44 – Brae, Birregurra, Australia NEW ENTRY
43 – Reale, Castel Di Sangro, Italy NEW ENTRY
42 – Boragó, Santiago, Chile
41 – Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai, China
40 – Cosme, New York, USA NEW ENTRY
39 – Relae, Copenhagen, Denmark
38 – Azurmendi, Larrabetzu, Spain
37 – Saison, San Francisco, USA
36 – Dinner By Heston Blumenthal, London, UK
35 – Septime, Paris, France
34 – De Librije, Zwolle, Netherlands
33 – Astrid y Gastón, Lima, Peru
32 – Attica, Melbourne, Australia
31 – Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, Paris, France NEW ENTRY
30 – Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain
29 – Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy
28 – Nahm, Bangkok, Thailand
27 – The Ledbury, London, UK
26 – The Clove Club, London, UK
25 – Tickets, Barcelona, Spain
24 – Amber, Hong Kong, China
23 – White Rabbit, Moscow, Russia
22 – Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico
21 – Alinea, Chicago, USA
20 – Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico
19 – Geranium, Copenhagen, Denmark
18 – Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
17 – Le Bernardin, New York, USA
16 – D.O.M., São Paulo, Brazil
15 – Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy
14 – Restaurant André, Singapore
13 – Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, Paris, France RE-ENTRY
12 – Arpège, Paris, France
11 – Blue Hill at Stone Barns, New York, USA
10 – Steirereck, Vienna, Austria
9 – Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain
8 – Maido, Lima, Peru
7 – Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand
6 – Asador Etxebarri, Axpe, Spain
5 – Central, Lima, Peru
4 – Mirazur, Menton, France
3 – El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain
2 – Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy
1 – Eleven Madison Park, New York, USA