Every year the world stops to watch one of the most important gastronomic events in the world. Two weeks ago at a ceremony in Singapore, chefs from around the world gathered to discover the new list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019. As it happens every year the list faced many critics for acting as a self-perpetuating of expensive, European-leaning tasting menu restaurants run by white men. But fortunately this year the rules have been revised, to encourage more diversity among the restaurant picks and gender balance among its voting body.
Even with these changes, the list didn’t change much. Mauro Colagreco’s Mirazur, an expensive French Riviera restaurant with a backyard farm, has been named the World’s Best Restaurant. It is the first time a French restaurant has ascended to the top of the rankings since the listicle debuted in 2002. In the list’s 18-year history, the “best” restaurant has only gone to European or North American restaurants. The only mainland Chinese spot is still, as has been the case for half a decade, a $600 tasting menu spot run by a French guy. There are no restaurants from India on the list and the only African restaurant is a European-leaning spot in Cape Town.
The organization removed previous winners from the list this year, a move designed to promote much-needed turnover, but it essentially freed up just three spots, as the French Laundry and the Fat Duck had both long fallen from the top 50 ranks already and elBulli is closed.
But criticisms apart, overall, it was a good event, so let’s take a look at the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
1. Mirazur, Menton (France) | BEST RESTAURANT IN EUROPE and BEST RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD
2. Noma, Copenhagen (Denmark) | HIGHEST NEW ENTRY
3. Asador Extebarri, Atxondo (Spain)
4. Gaggan, Bangkok (Thailand) | BEST RESTAURANT IN ASIA
5. Geranium, Copenhagen (Denmark)
6. Central, Lima (Peru) | BEST RESTAURANT IN SOUTH AMERICA
7. Mugaritz, San Sebastian (Spain)
8. Arpège, Paris (France)
9. Disfrutar, Barcelona (Spain)
10. Maido, Lima (Peru)
11. Den, Tokyo (Japan) |ART OF HOSPITALITY AWARD
12. Pujol, Mexico City (Mexico) | BEST RESTAURANT IN NORTH AMERICA
13. White Rabbit, Moscow (Russia)
14. Azurmendi, Larrabetzu (Spain)| HIGHEST CLIMBER AWARD
15. Septime, Paris (France)
16. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, Paris (France)
17. Steirereck, Vienna (Austria)
18. Odette, Singapore
19. Twins Gardens, Moscow (Russia) | NEW ENTRY
20. Tickets, Barcelona (Spain)
21. Frantzén, Stockholm (Sweden) | RE-ENTRY
22. Narisawa, Tokyo (Japan)
23. Cosme, New York (USA)
24. Quintonil, Mexico city (Mexico)
25. Alléno Paris at Pavillon Ledoyen, Paris (France)
26. Boragó, Santiago (Chile)
27. The Clove Club, London (United Kingdom)
28. Blue Hill at Stone Barns, New York (USA)
29. Piazza Duomo, Alba (Italy)
30. Elkano, Getaria (Spain)
31. Le Calandre, Rubano (Italy)
32. Nerua, Bilbao (Spain) | NEW ENTRY
33. Lyle’s, London (United Kingdom)
34. Don Julio, Buenos Aires (Argentina) | NEW ENTRY
35. Atelier Crenn, San Francisco (USA) | NEW ENTRY
36. Le Bernardin, New York (USA)
37. Alinea, Chicago (USA)
38. Hiša Franko, Kobarid (Slovenia)
39. A Casa do Porco, Sao Paulo (Brazil) | NEW ENTRY
40. Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin (Germany)
41. The Chairman, Hong Kong (China)
42. Belcanto, Lisbon (Portugal) | NEW ENTRY HIGHEST EUROPEAN
43. Hof Van Cleve, Kruishoutem (Belgium)| RE-ENTRY
44. The Test Kitchen, Cape Town (South Africa) | BEST RESTAURANT IN AFRICA
45. Sühring, Bangkok (Thailand) | NEW ENTRY
46. De Librije, Zwolle (Netherlands) | RE-ENTRY
47. Benu, San Francisco (USA) | NEW ENTRY
48. Ultraviolet, Shangai (China)
49. Leo, Bogotà (Colombia)| NEW ENTRY
50. Schloss Schauenstein, Fürstenau (Switzerland)| SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANT AWARD