50 BEST 2007

 Consensus of opinion shows an enduring love affair with
innovation-embracing chefs: from the highest climber
– Noma, Copenhagen; highest new entry – Alinea, Chicago;
and the boat-rocking Italian new entry – Combal Zero, Turin
Despite the fact that more than half the 651 voting panel members were new
this year, consensus of opinion as to the restaurants at the very top of the list
has changed little in a year. Hardly surprising given that once established, true
gastronomic genius rarely falters.
What is perhaps more surprising is that with twice as many voting regions in
Asia and thus twice as many eligible voters as the previous year (rules allow for
only two of the five votes to be within a home region), only one restaurant
from that seemingly culinary wealthy area made it into the top 50.
Each year since inception, the gathering of votes and compilation of the list
has become more measured. With a stable of well-traveled opinion-forming
critics and chefs, swaying changes will not occur year-on-year. New
restaurants that break through to the top 50 or climb significantly are
therefore impressing the very harshest and well-educated palates across the
globe. All credit must therefore be given to Danish restaurant Noma and its
head chef Rene Redzepi who last year came in at a respectable 33 and is now
our highest climber, up 18 places to number 15. New entries this year include
Turin’s Combal Zero, Milan’s Cracco Peck and Chicago’s Alinea whose youthful
head chef Grant Achatz has been heaped with praise in recent years.
The Breakthrough Award goes to Gordon Ramsay’s Maze and its head chef,
unsung hero, Jason Atherton. Perhaps it is time for Atherton to step out of his
master’s shadow. With Ramsay’s eponymous restaurant slipping 10 places on
last year’s ranking, Atherton is certainly snapping at his heels (Maze ranks at
55 this year). Chosen by Restaurant magazine, the Breakthrough Restaurant
award is new for 2007 and awarded to a real ‘hot property’ on the world’s
restaurant stage. To be eligible, the winning restaurant will be less than five
years old, will not have appeared in the top 50 list at any time but appear
between 51 and 100 on accumulated votes.
There’s no tiring of Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck. Retaining his position at
number 2 he also picked up the Chefs’ Choice Award. This award is voted for
solely by the chefs who appeared on the 2006 list. Last year’s Readers’ Choice
award went to Pierre Gagnaire’s Sketch. This year, the phoenix-like Shane
Osborn’s Pied a Terre rose from the ashes to scoop the award voted for by
readers of Restaurant Magazine.
France still stands as the god father of the culinary world with 12 restaurants
in the top 50, the USA has 8, the UK 7, Spain and Italy 6 a piece, Australia 2, old
favourites Tetsuya’s and Rockpool. Rarely credited Nordic cuisine scores well
with ranking restaurants in Denmark, Sweden and Finland. For gourmet
travellers, London looses out marginally to Paris, with 6 Top 50 restaurants
compared to the French capital’s 9
Restaurant magazine will be on sale on Wednesday 25 April, 2007.
It will feature full commentary and details of all the restaurants
in the top 50.

 

 

1 El Bulli, Spain
The S.Pellegrino World’s Best
Restaurant, Best in Europe
(www.elbulli.com) Roses Nr.Barcelona
2 The Fat Duck, UK Chef’s Choice
(www.fatduck.co.uk) Bray, Berkshire
3 Pierre Gagnaire, France
(www.pierre-gagnaire.com) Paris
4 French Laundry, USA
Best Restaurant in the Americas
(www.frenchlaundry.com)
Yountville, California
5 Tetsuya, Australia
Best Restaurant in Australasia
(www.tetsuyas.com) Sydney
6 Bras, France
(www.michel-bras.com/) Laguiole
^7 Mugaritz, Spain  
(www.mugaritz.com)
Gipuzko, Nr. San Sebastian
V8 Restaurant Le Louis XV, 
Monaco (www.alain-ducasse.com/)
Monte Carlo
V9 Per Se, USA 
(www.per-se.com) New York
 V10 Restaurante Arzak,
Spain (www.arzak.es) San Sebastian
^^11 El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
(www.cellercanroca.com) Girona
^12 Gambero Rosso, Italy
(www.gamberorosso.it)
San Vincenzo, Livorno
^^13 L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, France
(www.robuchon.com) Paris
^^14 Hof van Cleve, Belgium
(www.hofvancleve.com) Kruishoutem
^^15 Noma, Denmark, Highest climber
(www.noma.dk) Copenhagen
^^16 Le Calandre, Italy
(www.calandre.com) Sarmelo di Rubano
V17 Nobu, UK
(www.noburestaurants.com) London
V18 Jean Georges, USA
(www.jean-georges.com) New York
^^19 Hakkasan, UK London
V20 Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée,
France , (www.alan-ducasse.com) Paris
^21 L’Astrance, France, Paris
VV22 Can Fabes, Spain
(www.canfabes.com) Saint Celoni
^^23 L’Ambroisie, France, Paris
V24 Gordon Ramsay
(Royal Hospital Road),
UK (www.gordonramsay.com) London
V25 La Maison Troisgros, France
(www.troisgros.fr) Roanne
^26 Le Bernardin, USA
(www.le-bernardin.com) New York
^27 Martin Berasategui, Spain
(www.martinberasategui.com) Gipuzkoa
V28 Le Gavroche, UK
(www.le-gavroche.co.uk) London
V29 Le Cinq, France, Paris
V30 Charlie Trotter’s, USA
(www.charlietrotters.com) Chicago
^31 Dal Pescatore, Italy
(www.dalpescatore.com) Mantova
V32 Daniel, USA
(www.danielnyc.com) New York
V33 Rockpool, Australia
(www.rockpool.com) Sydney
^34 St John, UK
(www.stjohnrestaurant.co.uk) London
^35 Chez Dominique, Finland
(www.chezdominique.fi/)Helsinki
^^^^^^36 Alinea, USA Highest New Entry
(www.alinearestaurant.com) Chicago
^37 Bukhara, India – Best Restaurant in Asia
New Delhi
^38 DOM, Brazil, Sao Paolo
^^^^^^39 Oaxen Skärgårdskrog, Hölö
VV40 Chez Panisse, USA
(www.chezpanisse.com)
Berkeley, California
VV41 Enoteca Pinchiorri, Italy
(www.enotecapinchiorri.com) Firenze
^^^42 Cracco Peck, Italy, Milan
^43 L’Arpege, France
(www.alain-passard.com) Paris
^44 The River Café, UK
(www.rivercafe.co.uk) London
VV45 Oud Sluis Oud Sluis, The Netherlands
(www.oudsluis.nl) Sluis
^^46 Combal Zero, Italy
(www.combal.org) Turin
V47 Le Quartier Francais, South Africa
Best in Middle East & Africa
(www.lequartier.co.za)
Franschoek, Western Cape
^48 Taillevent, France
(www.taillevent.com) Paris
V49 Bocuse, France (www.bocuse.fr)
Collonges-Au-Mont-D’Or
^50 Les Ambassadeurs, France, Paris

51 De Karmeliet Belgium
52 Le Meurice France
53 San Pau Spain
54 La Pergola Italy
55 Maze (Gordon Ramsay) UK
56 Masa New York
57 Comme Chez Soi Belgium
58 Schwarzwaldstube Germany
59 Restaurant Dieter Müller Germany 
60 Iggy’s Singapore
61 Spondi Greece
62 Pushkin Russia
63 Guy Savoy France
64 L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the Four Seasons  USA
65 Turandot Russia
66 Cal Pep Spain
67 Zuma UK
68 Abac Spain
69 Peter Lugar USA
70 Pic France
71 Vue de Monde Australia
72 Astrid y Gast—n Peru
73 Vendome Germany
74 Wasabi  India
75 Indigo India
76 Etxebarri Spain
77 Helen Darroze France
78 Sketch Lecture Room & Library UK
79 El Poblet Spain
80 Bagatelle  Norway
81 Bosman’s South Africa
82 Caprice Hong Kong
83 Les Amis Singapore
84 F12 Sweden
85 48 Greece
86 Lou Lou Hungary
87 Verre Dubai
88 Café Kor Hungary
89 Nobu New York USA
90 Gramercy Tavern USA
91 WD∼50 USA
92 Le Grand Vééfour France
93 L’Arnsbourg France
94 Humble House Singapore
95 Don Alfonso Italy
96 Bécasse Australia
97 Tantris Germany
98 Zuni Café USA
99 Hunkar Turkey
100 Alex at Wynn USA