Top 50 restaurants in the world

People love a list. People love food. Ergo one of the most popular lists in the world would have to be the San Pellegrino sponsored top 50 restaurants in the world.




It's the seventh year running of Restaurant Magazine's hotly debated 'best of' world class dining.

Ok, so my food/list qualification may be loose, but this top 50 certainly isn't. As expected, the usual luminaries were at the top, like so much cream (namely Ferran Adria i Acosta's El Bulli and Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck).

Australian restaurants had a bit of an upset this year, with Tetsuya's slipping out of the top 10 from last year (#9 in 2008 to #17 this year), whilst Neil Perry's Rockpool was a no show on the list altogether (perhaps working on Spice Temple took the focus from his other baby?).

New entry kudos to Peter Gilmore (get better soon!) for Quay, which entered the list at 46. Unfortunately Gilmore was struck down with a case of kidney stones, which prevented him from attending the event despite him making the trek to London for the announcement. You can be sure he'll be celebrating as soon as he's able. Given the calibre of food dished up in the purple room, the 45 before him should be near holy.

Now, that the list is out for '09, who's booking flights to where? And will El Bulli's 2 million application list grow yet again? For more news, read The Australian's story here or check out Gastronomic Fight Club

...and the winner is:

1 El Bulli, Spain (=)
2 The Fat Duck, U.K. (=)
3 Noma, Denmark (+7)
4 Mugaritz, Spain (=)
5 El Celler de Can Roca, Spain (+21)
6 Per Se, U.S. (=)
7 Bras, France (=)
8 Arzak, Spain (=)
9 Pierre Gagnaire, France (-6)
10 Alinea, U.S. (+11)
11 L?Astrance, France (=)
12 The French Laundry U.S. (-7)
13 Osteria Francescana, Italy (New Entry)
14 St. John, U.K. (+2)
15 Le Bernardin, U.S. (+5)
16 Restaurant de l?Hotel de Ville, Switzerland (+11)
17 Tetsuya?s, Australia (-8)
18 L?Atelier de Joel Robuchon, France (-4)
19 Jean Georges, U.S. (-2)
20 Les Creations de Narisawa, Japan (New Entry)
21 Chez Dominique, Finland (+18)
22 Ristorante Cracco, Italy (+21)
23 Die Schwarzwaldstube, Germany (+12)
24 D.O.M., Brazil (+16)
25 Vendome, Germany (+9)
26 Hof van Cleve, Belgium (+2)
27 Masa, U.S., (Re-entry)
28 Gambero Rosso, Italy (-16)
29 Oud Sluis, Netherlands (+13)
30 Steirereck, Austria (New Entry)
31 Momofuku Ssam Bar, U.S. (New Entry)
32 Oaxen Skaergaardskrog, Sweden (+16)
33 Martin Berasategui, Spain (-4)
34 Nobu U.K. (-4)
35 Mirazur, France (New Entry)
36 Hakkasan, U.K. (-17)
37 Le Quartier Francais, South Africa (+13)
38 La Colombe, South Africa (Re-entry)
39 Asador Etxebarri, Spain (+5)
40 Le Chateaubriand, France (New Entry)
41 Daniel, U.S. (=)
42 Combal Zero, Italy (Re-entry)
43 Le Louis XV, France (-28)
44 Tantris, Germany (+3)
45 Iggy?s, Singapore (New Entry)
46 Quay, Australia (New Entry)
47 Les Ambassadeurs, France (-2)
48 Dal Pescatore, Italy (-25)
49 Le Calandre, Italy (-13)
50 Mathias Dahlgren, Sweden (New Entry)

Want to know more? Here are the restaurants which make up the top 100.

51 Zuma, China
52 Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley, U.K.
53 Spondi, Greece
54 L?Arpege, France
55 L?Atelier de Joel Robuchon, China
56 Hibiscus, U.K.
57 Aqua, Germany
58 Le Gavroche, U.K.
59 Chez Panisse, U.S.
60 Les Amis, Singapore
61 El Poblet, Spain
62 Maison Pic, France
63 Cafe Pushkin, Russia
64 Le Meurice, France
65 Bukhara, India
66 Varvari, Russia
67 Schauenstein, Germany
68 RyuGin, Japan
69 La Maison Troisgros, France
70 Wasabi, India
71 The River Cafe, U.K.
72 Enoteca Pinchiorri, Italy
73 Le Cinq, France
74 Allegro, Czech Republic
75 Quintessence, Japan
76 Restaurant Dieter Mueller, Germany
77 Geranium, Denmark
78 Caprice, China
79 Jardines, South Africa
80 Amador, Germany
81 Biko, Mexico
82 L?Atelier de Joel Robuchon U.S
83 Fasano, Brazil
84 Mozaic, Bali
85 Obauer, Austria
86 Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee, France
87 L?Ambroisie, France
88 Maison Boulud, China
89 De Librije, Netherlands
90 Babbo, U.S.
91 Maze, U.K.
92 Zuma, U.K.
93 Manresa, U.S.
94 Pier, Australia
95 De Karmeliet, Belgium
96 Aubergine, South Africa
97 Bo Innovation, China
98 Rust en Vrede, South Africa
99 Del Posto U.S.
100 Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, UAE

...and whilst this may get your mouth watering, it's good to see Top 50 takes charity seriously and the event is associated with Action Against Hunger. Donating a few dollars won't affect your bank balance too much...and the good food karma might land you a table at El Bulli one day..who knows!