World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2013: Winners and Losers
Everyone loves a list. I’m not immune either which is why when the press release for the World’s 50 Best Restaurants pinged into my inbox this morning I couldn’t help but want to know which restaurants had made the cut and which hadn’t. Of course as I’ve said before, this list, of all lists, is more ridiculous than most.
Should Dinner by Heston Blumenthal really rank above the Fat Duck?
The judges are unlikely to have visited even all of the top 50 on the list let alone all those restaurants which missed out. It’s incredibly Euro-centric (8 of the top 10 restaurants in the top 10 are in Europe), mainly reflecting not the brilliance of restaurants in Europe generally but instead the ease with which judges can get to those restaurants. It’s next to impossible for a restaurant in an inconveniently located place like Australia to get a guernsey on the list which is why we need a huge round of applause for Melbourne’s brilliant Attica for making it to number 21 and Quay in Sydney for sneaking in at number 48.
Attica’s Plight of the Bees dessert
But all that aside, everyone loves a list so here’s the list below. I’ve linked to the restaurant where I’ve actually been there and reviewed it. Don’t expect too many of those.
1.El Celler de Can Roca,Girona, Catalonia, Spain
2. Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Osteria Francescana,Modena, Italy
4. Mugaritz,San Sebastián, Spain
5. Eleven Madison Park, New York City, USA
6. D.O.M. Sao Paulo, Brazil
7. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London, United Kingdom
8. Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain
9. Steirereck Restaurant, Vienna, Austria
10. Vendôme,Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
11. Per Se, New York City, USA
12. Frantzén/Lindeberg, Stockholm, Sweden
13. The Ledbury, London, UK
14. Astrid y Gastón, Lima, Peru
15. Alinea, Chicago, USA
16. L’Arpège, Paris, France
17. Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico
18. Le Chateaubriand, Paris, France
19. Le Bernardin, New York City, USA
20. Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
21. Attica, Melbourne, Australia
22. Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo, Japan
23. L’Astrance, Paris, France
24. L’Atelier Saint-Germain de Joël Robuchon, Paris, France
25. Hof Van Cleve, Kruishoutem, Belgium
Le Chateaubriand in Paris
26. Quique Dacosta, Dénia, Spain
27. Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy
28. Mirazur, Menton, France
29. Daniel, New York City, USA
30. Aqua, Wolfsburg, Germany
31. Biko, Mexico City, Mexico
32. Nahm, Bangkok, Thailand
33. The Fat Duck, Bray, UK
34. Fäviken, Järpen, Sweden
35. Oud Sluis, Sluis, Netherlands
36. Amber, Hong Kong, China
37. Vila Joya, Albufeira, Portugal
38. Restaurant Andre, Singapore
39. 8 1/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong, China
40. Combal.Zero, Rivoli, Italy
41. Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italia
42. Schloss Schauenstein, Fürstenau, Switzerland
43. Mr & Mrs Bund, Shanghai, China
44. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo, Spain
45. Geranium, Copenhagen, Denmark
46. Mani, São Paulo, Brasil
47. The French Laundry, Yountville, USA
48. Quay, Sydney, Australia
49. Septime, Paris, France
50. Central, Lima, Perú
The famous Mandarin orange at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
What do you think of this year’s list and the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in general?
Posted by: Cara on April 30th, 2013 11 Comments »Category: Gourmet Event Tags: Attica, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Gourmet Event, Le Chateubriand, The Fat Duck, World's 50 Best Restaurants
The list is now seems more like an amusement than ever.
Pleased to see le Chateuabriand so high up, but I dare say, it did not transport to me to the heavens like Fat Duck did.
One does wonder how many of those the committee get around to… Can’t wait to get back to Australia and try Attica. Though for me I was surprised not to see Eleven Madison Park and Faviken higher.
I’m just so happy that Attica is in 21!! Hooray!
I’m just so happy that Attica is in 21!! Hooray!
It would be awesome to be able to dine at just one of those restaurants. Although, I’m sure they’re all incredibly expensive!
Hi Michael – Of those listed I know from experience Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and Chateaubriand in Paris are pretty well priced. But yes dinner at a lot of them is seriously costly.
Yes brilliant work by Ben Shewry and team – amazing job to get there when so few of the judges make it to Australia.
Yes I think you would love Attica. Although London is spoiled for choice – seeing The Ledbury on the list reminded me of how much I miss it!
True it is just bizarre that Dinner is higher up than the Fat Duck and I think shows that the list makers try to mix things up just for the sake of it. Fat Duck would have to be one of my most memorable meals.
Saved as a favorite, I like your blog!
Thanks Fredericka!