The 50 top of the world restaurants BongustoTM 2005

March 28, 2005 on 6:51 pm | In Book, Gourmet, _english | 2 Comments

If restaurants were judged exclusively by the customers?
by Elio Crociani guida@bongusto.net

In the last edition we claimed that France was the epicentre of Haute Cuisine, pointing out that only inside and along its confines has it always been possible to obtain great results, bar very few exceptions. With this new edition we put ourselves in the shoes of customers going around the world consulting guides which are anything but French and come across exotic dishes. Therefore, our answer to the question above is a fair list of Olympian restaurants which completes our world selection 2005 and takes the following into consideration: the opinions in America of the Mobil 5 stars or the multi-starred Relais Gourmand restaurants all over the world, without underestimating the charm of dining in three different restaurants on an atoll, or in sail-shape sky scraper 200 metres up or under water, like in a submarine.

*****
The French Laundry, Yountville
Gary Danko, San Francisco
The Dining Room, San Francisco
The Dining Room, Atlanta
Seeger’s, Atlanta
Alain Ducasse, New York
Jean Georges, New York
Masa, New York
Maisonette, Cincinnati
Le Bec-Fin, Philadelphia
Dining Room at the Woodlands, Summerville
The Inn at Little Washington, Washington
Charlie Trotter’s, Chicago
Trio, Evanston
Al Mahara, Dubai
Kuda Huraa, Maldive
Tetsuya, Sydney

The 33 three-star restaurants in Europe

It had already been decided at the end of January with the publication of the Gault Millau France, a month before the more eagerly awaited Michelin guide.
Indeed, no score in the “Red” French guide could have changed the predictions as regards the Bongusto 2005 “guide2guides”, if “halves” had not been assigned.
33 restaurants are worthy of the third Bongusto star, excluding only the Benelux countries, there are 6 new ones and only one leaving the fold, which will undoubtedly not please Mr Ducasse, who, after the departure of Jean-François Piege to the not distant Relais Gourmand Ambassadeurs in Hotel de Crillon, may have been encouraged by a good 19/20 (+1) for his restaurant in the Paris Plaza Athenée, but it seems that the new executive Christophe Moret did not convince the other French institution, the Bottin Gourmand, which strangely degraded it to 2 stars (-2) as early as November. In cases like this, the so-called “purgatory”, lasting a year, does not frighten the managers in France like it does in Italy and “Alain”, with his Reserve de Beaulieu and Moulin de Mougins, will be able to sleep soundly because thanks to the performances of the new chefs Olivier Brulard and Alain Llorca, the famous premises have re-obtained the 2nd macaroon. Careful though because the failure of the “McDonalisation” of the “Ducassian” concept, that is to obtain the same results in their own premises at luxury hotels, might be another “sign”! So let us come to the defence of family run concerns, because from the Cote d’Azur which is so dear to us, we have some unfortunately bad news for another two institutions:
the Hotel of Ducassian memory, Juana, has thrown in the towel by closing the Terasse Christian Morisset and also the Chantecler in the Hotel Negresco in Nice did not manage to obtain the “maximin” results of the previous chefs with a “diesel” like Bruno Turbot at the stoves.
Undoubtedly the “Lord of the stoves” Marc Veyrat is laughing under his Savoyard cap, with 1st and 2nd place, now that he is the one with the most stars, with one restaurant in the mountains in Megève, open from December to April, the other on lake Annecy, from May to November, with similar scores.
Before going on to the new entries, the first thing to note is the absence of Ambroisie from the top positions, after losing a point on the Gault Millau, which means that it is no longer the best in Paris. The prestigious cake is now shared by Alain Passard, Guy Savoy and Pierre Gagnaire with the Eiffel tower instead of the candle.
It was pleasant to see the oldest, Paul Bocuse and the newest Heston Blumenthal paired with the same score. The two were classified thanks to particular “extra” points like the 5 stars in the Bottin Gourmand and 19/20 in Gault Millau.
The Fat Duck in Bray obtained the third Michelin star last year, but did not get the consensus of a very popular guide in the United Kingdom, Harden’s, which still snobs it. This year Gault Millau determined the best restaurants in London and the London area and gave Heston Blumenthal a good third score.
The extra point to Arnsbourg in Baerenthal and the third star to the Vendome of Bergish in Germany was also fateful. Switzerland and Austria, but not Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg, are also considered in the new “Bongusto 2005 Europe” guide, but only Philippe Rochat obtained full consensus outside the European Community, whereas Pont de Brent, the other three star restaurant on Lake Geneva, did not convince Atlas, while Johanna Maier at Filzmoos had to be satisfied with being: “the third best European woman in the kitchen” and her restaurant Hubertus the best in Austria. And who knows whether in 2006 the new Michelin guides will assign “les espoirs” to other countries and cities? The so-called “up and coming stars” are used to fill that big gap created every year by assigning stars worth 10/100. And so awaiting the third full star from the tyre makers, 5 extraordinary points are added to: Pre Catelan in Paris and Maison de Bricourt in Cancale.
The only new three star restaurant of 2005 in France Auberge et Clos des Cimes is still waiting.

3 *** from 96 to 100 2 ** from 84 to 95 1 * from 74 to 83

Michelin starred restaurants in Europe Average Bongusto

1) Auberge de l’Eeridan***(F) 100++ ***
2) La Ferme de Mon Pere***(F) 100+ ***
3) Schwarzwaldstube ***(D) 100 ***
Louis XV ***(F) 100 ***
4) Gordon Ramsay ***(UK) 99 ***
Philippe Rochat *** (CH) 99 ***
5) Heinz Winkletr ***(D) 99 ***
Waldhotel Sonora ***(D) 99 ***
Troisgros***(F) 99 ***
La Cote Saint Jacques***(F) 99 ***
Dieter Mueller ***(D) 99 ***
Buerehiesel***(F) 99 ***
L’Arpege****(F) 99 ***
Guy Savoy***(F) 99 ***
Pierre Gagnaire***(F) 99 ***
6) Paul Bocuse***(F) 98 ***
Fat Duck *** (Uk) 98 ***
Les Pres d’Eugene***(F) 98 ***
Ledoyen***(F) 98 ***
7) El Bulli ***(E) 98 ***
8) Martin Berasategui ***(E) 98 ***
Ambroisie***(F) 98V ***
L’Arnsbourg *** 98 ***
9) Pinchiorri ***(I) 97^ ***
Vendome *** (D) 97 ***
10)Dal Pescatoree ***(I) 97^ ***
11) Le Cinq***(F) 97 ***
Maison de Bricourt ** (F) 97 ***
Lucas Carton***(F) 97 ***
12) Le Relais Cote d’Or***(F) 96 ***
Winteringham Fields**(UK) 96 ***
Pre Catelan ** (f) 96 ***
13) Tantris **(D) 96 ***

Waiting room - -
Michel Bras *** 95 **
Auberge et Clos des Cimes **(F) 95 **
Le Calandre *** (I) 95 **
Hubertus **(A) 95 **
Reserve de Beaulieu **(F) 93 **
Plaza Athènèe ***(F) 93 **







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