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We are more than just lists. We try and feed you in mind and in body,” announced William Drew, Group Editor of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants during his opening remarks at the historic Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastian, Spain, last week. The audience was a select group of foodies, chefs, restaurateurs and culinary writers who had flown in from around the world to attend the annual weeklong celebration of the awards given to the world’s best restaurants. Popularly known as the “Food Oscars”, the awards rotate around glamorous global hotspots (London, New York and Melbourne in the past). The culinarily rich cities of San Sebastian and Bilbao in Spain’s Basque region were this year’s hosts. Apart from introducing the world to pintxos (a popular local snack and cousin of tapas) and txakoli (local dry white wine), the region boasts of 31 Michelin stars, the highest density in the world.
The 50 Best Restaurants list is voted for by over 1,000 anonymous food connoisseurs from around the globe and the reputed consultancy firm, Deloitte, audits the voting process to ensure its credibility. In recent years the list has grown so significant that a high ranking has the power to change a restaurant’s fortunes, increasing turnover and bringing in media attention, often transforming chefs into international celebrities with pop star-level fan followings.
Apart from the rankings, the awards jamboree includes food tastings, demonstrations, workshops, seminars, discussions, food trails as well as after parties. But work gets done too: each year this congregation of “culinary nomads” huddles together to explore, debate and decipher global trends in gastronomy and haute cuisine.
The top trends this year are not limited to food but extend to its origins too. One: It is cool for restaurants to be environmentally conscious and responsible. To be relevant, establishments must focus on using recyclable and biodegradable materials, reduce their carbon footprint and work to minimise food waste. The list has a special award for the “World’s Most Sustainable Restaurant” and this year the accolade went to the three Michelin-star Azurmendi in Bilbao (rated #43). Two: The quality of food you eat depends on the quality of ingredients. With that simple logic: fresh ingredients mean better and more wholesome food. This year, Dan Barber, the veteran chef from the Michelin-starred Blue Hill in New York (rated #12), dedicated his seminar to talk about his passion for farming, sourcing the freshest biodynamic and organic ingredients and, as an offshoot, supporting local farming communities. “The culinary niche of the future is the ecological niche,” he said. Many others on the list have followed in his footsteps. Three: Europe is still the Mecca of fine dining, with 28 restaurants out of 50 on the list. Japan and North America offered credible challenges but the important top three spots went to restaurants in Italy, Spain and France.
A fourth trend and, in many ways, the over-arching take-away that unites the top five restaurants on this year’s list is quite simple: the food must be delicious. Everything else is secondary. A restaurant can stress on foraging for indigenous ingredients, use every scientific trick (or gimmick) and even proclaim its tasting menu as revolutionary. But if the food does not taste good, it is simply not worthy of the list.
1. Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy
The restaurant has only 30 seats and is an excellent example of “destination dining”. It is the second-most famous (after balsamic vinegar) produce of Modena, in Northern Italy (a two-hour drive from Florence). Chef/patron Massimo Bottura is a second-time winner of the coveted #1 spot and is known around the world after featuring in the Netflix Chef’s Table. The restaurant has a six-month waiting list — guests often book their seats before their air tickets to Italy. But before it hit its moment of glory, the restaurant reportedly almost shut down, as locals weren’t impressed by Bottura’s creative interpretations of Italian classics. Bottura bases his cooking on childhood memories: “We transfer emotions to people.” Whimsically named dishes like The Crunchy Part of the Lasagna, Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano (a sampling of the region’s famous cheese in different temperatures, textures and tastes) and Oops I Dropped the Lemon Tart (born from a comical error) remain on his menu. Bottura is exhaustingly charismatic and goes from table to table to chat with every diner after their meals.
> Average price per seat: EUR 250-270
> Michelin rating: 3 stars
2. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain
A previous winner of the prestigious #1 spot (2013, 2015), the three Michelin-starred restaurant is located in the medieval town of Girona (an hour’s drive from Barcelona) and is the brainchild of three Roca brothers, Joan (head chef), Josep (head sommelier) and Jordi (head patissier). The menu offers a creative twist on traditional Catalan cuisine with an emphasis on cutting-edge techniques and unique ingredients. Though the menu changes frequently, some of its famous dishes include Iberian Suckling Pig, Truffle Bonbons and Deconstructed Palamos Prawns. As the name suggests (el celler means the winery), the restaurant has an enviable wine collection with over 3,600 unique labels, and the meal experience usually begins with a tour of the state-of-the-art wine room. The food sometimes takes an unusual route and the restaurant is famous for creating desserts based on popular perfumes by Calvin Klein, Bulgari and Carolina Herrera, emphasising that scents are often an important component of the meal experience. Online bookings open 11 months in advance!
> Average price per head: EUR 190
> Michelin rating: 3 stars
3. Mirazur, Menton, France
A new entrant to the “big three”, Mirazur means “look at the blue sea” and is fittingly located outside Nice, just a hundred metres from the border with Italy. A large al fresco section provides stunning views of the Mediterranean and the Cote d’Azur. The restaurant has two Michelin stars and the kitchen team is led by young Argentine chef and owner Mauro Colagreco, a protégé of French culinary legends such as Alain Passard and Alain Ducasse. He combines his Latin roots with his training at top Parisian fine dining establishments to create elegant signature dishes like Oyster with Tapioca, Shallot Cream and Pear and Anchovy Fillets (served on fried anchovy skeletons) and Pigeon with Wild Strawberries. His food is not fussy or formal. “Today people are eating out almost five or six times a week and I want my restaurant to be accessible,” he explains. Like his mentor Passard, a large part of the focus is on fresh vegetables that are grown and plucked daily from the restaurant’s own garden; some courses are served along with fresh juice from the region’s famed lemons.
> Average price per head: EUR 110-210
> Michelin rating: 2 stars
4. Eleven Madison Park, New York, USA
The three Michelin-starred establishment in Manhattan’s Flatiron district was last year’s #1 and surprised many with its downgrading this year (though this may have to do with its closure for a month-and-a-half for renovation). The restaurant is set in a large airy room in an old Art Deco building with high ceilings and overlooks Madison Square Park. The owners, chef Daniel Humm and Will Guidara, risked their life savings when they bought the restaurant from previous boss and hospitality magnate Danny Meyer. Their gamble paid off and Humm has developed a uniquely minimalist style of cooking that has proved hugely influential. Signature dishes include his Celery Root Puree with Black Truffle, Milk and Honey (made from dehydrated milk with bee pollen) and Foie Gras Torchon topped with maple syrup. EMP (as it is referred to by locals) celebrates New York and most ingredients are sourced from the city. Incidentally, Humm spent two weeks in India recently, travelling from Mumbai to Chandigarh looking for inspiration. “India changed my life, I look at food differently and this will reflect in future menus,” he said.
> Average price per head: $305
> Average price per head: $305
> Michelin rating: 3 stars
5. Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand
Hidden in a residential bylane of Bangkok’s Lang Suan district is the world’s most famous Indian restaurant. It started out serving molecular gastronomy influenced by Chef Gaggan Anand’s stint at the storied El Bulli in Spain. Now though, the food concerns itself less with science or spherification and more with Japanese techniques and ingredients. Each year it is the only Indian restaurant to make the top 50 and this year achieved the highest rank for any restaurant in Asia. The menu is a page of 25-30 emojis that takes you through a journey of India’s culinary traditions and includes Anand’s take on Mumbai’s street food (his most famous dish is a rendition of dahi chaat called Yogurt Explosion) and Konkan seafood curries. The restaurant is casual and if you manage a reservation (three-month waiting list), the experience often ends with drunken sing-alongs. A year ago, Anand opened a 14-seater extension known as “The Lab” for R&D: “It’s where I experiment with new ideas and ingredients.” The restaurant will celebrate its 10th anniversary by shutting down in June 2020, after which Anand will pursue opportunities in Japan.
> Average price per head: THB 6,500
> Michelin rating: 2 stars
