One of the most nailbiting times of the year for top restaurateurs is finally over. The S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards have been announced.
The list, one of the most authoritative restaurant rankings in the world, gains its credibility from its rigorous judging. Panels of crack food writers, chefs and restaurant owners are assembled for each part of the world to vote for the restaurants in their region. This year, 4,185 votes were cast, by 806 industry experts.
First and second place winners in the awards are no surprise: two fearlessly experimental chefs, one in Britain and the other in Spain. Below that, however, the wind of change is blowing through the global dining room.
In third place, a Danish chef will draw international attention to the often neglected Scandinavian food scene with his irresistibly fresh interpretation of Nordic gourmet cuisine.
Elsewhere in the top 10, one country effortlessly dominates, with twice as many winners as the one-time gourmet king France. Watch out for Spanish galleons appearing on the horizon crewed by chefs wielding whisks and wooden spoons!
The awards, finally, have drawn criticism in the past for neglecting restaurants in Asia, but this year the growing influence of Japanese chefs on global cuisine has been recognised with the emergence of a fine dining Tokyo restaurant at no 20.
Fancy making a reservation at one of the best eateries on Earth? Here, complete with each winner’s signature dish and previous ranking, is a taste of the world's 50 best restaurants.
