THE WORLD’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS

Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, has been picked as the best restaurant in the world at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony in New York. The first ever Italian restaurant to make it to number one on the list, it knocked previous top spot El Celler De Can Roca down to second.

Receiving the award, chef Massimo Bottura said: “I have to thank my wife, family and my team who are watching in the restaurant. I want to thank everyone, it’s been so hard, our job is all about hard work…I think the most important ingredient for the future is culture, because culture brings knowledge and knowledge brings consciousness. I feel like I will cry.” The chef used the opportunity as a call to arms, explaining that he wants all the chefs in the audience to help with his upcoming soup kitchen project which is opening in Brazil this year.

Second spot went to El Celler De Can Roca and third place on the list went to the home team Eleven Madison Park.

There were lots of changes at the peak with a number of restaurants falling out of the top 10: D.O.M, Dinner By Heston Blumenthal and Gaggan in Bangkok all fell. These were replaced by new entries Asador Etxebarri in 10th, Steirereck in 9th and Mirazur in 6th.

The Lifetime Achievement was awarded to chef Alain Passard who runs L’Arpège restaurant in Paris and the Best Female Chef award went to Dominique Crenn from Atelier Crenn in San Francisco – both coming from France.

The recipient of the One to Watch award was the Den restaurant in Tokyo while the Chef’s Choice Award went to Joan Roca from El Celler De Can Roca in Girona, Spain. The Sustainable Restaurant Award was, for a second year running, awarded to Relae in Copenhagen and The World’s Best Pastry Chef award was given to the macaron maestro, Pierre Hermé. The Highest New Entry went to the team at The Clove Club in London, the city’s first crowd funded restaurant and The Highest Climber award went to Maido in Lima, Peru – the home of Nikkei cuisine.

Here is the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 full list:

1. Osteria Francescana, Modena (Italy) – WORLD’S BEST RESTAURANT AND BEST RESTAURANT IN EUROPE

2. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona (Spain)

3. Eleven Madison Park, New York (USA) – BEST RESTAURANT IN NORTH AMERICA

4. Central, Lima (Peru) – BEST RESTAURANT IN SOUTH AMERICA

5. Noma, Copenhagen (Denmark)

6. Mirazur, Menton (France)

7. Mugaritz, San Sebastian (Spain)

8. Narisawa, Tokyo (Japan) – BEST RESTAURANT IN ASIA

9. Steirereck, Vienna (Austria)

10. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo (Spain)

11. D.O.M. , Sao Paulo (Brazil)

12. Quintonil, Mexico City (Mexico)

13. Maido, Lima (Peru) – HIGHEST CLIMBER AWARD

14. The Ledbury, London (UK)

15. Alinea, Chicago (USA)

16. Azurmendi, Larrabetzu (Spain)

17. Piazza Duomo, Alba (Italy)

18. White Rabbit, Moscow (Russia)

19. Arpège, Paris (France)

20. Amber, Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

21. Arzak, San Sebastian (Spain)

22. The Test Kitchen, Cape Town (South Africa) – BEST RESTAURANT IN AFRICA

23. Gaggan, Bangkok (Thailand)

24. Le Bernardin, New York (USA)

25. Pujol, Mexico City (Mexico)

26. The Clove Club, London (UK) – HIGHEST NEW ENTRY

27. Saison, San Francisco (USA)

28. Geranium, Copenhagen (Denmark)

29. Tickets, Barcelona (Spain)

30. Astrid Y Gastón, Lima (Peru)

31. Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo (Japan)

32. Restaurant André, Singapore (Singapore)

33. Attica, Melbourne (Australia) – BEST RESTAURANT IN AUSTRALASIA

34. Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin (Germany) – NEW ENTRY

35. Vendôme, Bergisch Gladbach (Germany)

36. Boragò, Santiago (Chile)

37. Nahm, Bangkok (Thailand)

38. De Librije, Zwolle (Netherlands)

39. Le Calandre, Rubano (Italy)

40. Relae, Copenhagen (Denmark) – SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANT AWARD

41. Fäviken, Järpen (Sweden)

42. Ultraviolet, Shanghai (China)

43. Biko, Mexico City (Mexico)

44. Estela, New York (USA) – NEW ENTRY

45. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London (UK)

46. Combal.Zero, Rivoli (Italy)

47. Schloss Schauenstein, Fürstenau (Switzerland)

48. Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Tarrytown (USA)

49. Quique Dacosta, Denia (Spain)

50. Septime, Paris (France)

Source: Fine Dining Lovers