The three brothers who run Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca were hoping Monday that it would keep its crown as the world’s best restaurant, as the results of a survey by Britain’s Restaurant magazine were unveiled.
The Girona-based restaurant, known for its dishes inspired by perfumes, took the top spot from Danish foraging restaurant Noma in 2013.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list has been compiled by more than 900 international experts for Restaurant magazine.
The results were announced in a ceremony attended by top chefs from around the world at London’s Guildhall on Monday.
Since the awards were established in 2002 only five restaurants have held the title: Spain’s El Bulli, in 2002 and from 2006-2009; California’s French Laundry in 2003 and 2004; Britain’s Fat Duck in 2005; Noma in Copenhagen from 2010 to 2012, and El Celler de Can Roca last year.
Spain dominated last year’s top 10 with Mugaritz in San Sebastian at number four, and Arzak, also in San Sebastian, at number eight.
World’s Best Restaurant: Noma
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014 sees Noma regaining the top spot and capturing the title of The S.Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurant.
According to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, in the past year or so, the restaurant has been transformed once again with a fresh approach and energy. Its renewed confidence is based on greater knowledge and considered experimentation, rather than the intuition and raw discovery of its earlier period. Many of the dishes are actually simpler now, but no less original – and no less connected to the Nordic terroir. Diners at the 45-seat restaurant, located in a stripped- back warehouse on Copenhagen’s dockside, are introduced to Noma’s food via its inimitable series of ‘snacks’ – 10 servings that include the likes of sea urchin toast and caramelised milk and cod liver. These are followed by 10 further courses – a dish of beef tartar and ants among them – before the meal is rounded off with a stunning array of ‘treats’. René Redzepi’s food can at times be shocking – visceral even – but diners who are prepared to put themselves in the kitchen’s hands rarely leave disappointed.
Top 50 Restaurants in the World
50 Waku Ghin Singapore +65 6688 8507 marinabaysands.com
49 Coi San Francisco, USA +1 415 393 9000 coirestaurant.com
48 The Test Kitchen Cape Town, South Africa +27 21 447 2337 thetestkitchen.co.za
47 The Fat Duck Bray, UK +44 1628 580 333 thefatduck.co.uk
46 Le Calandre Rubano, Italy +39 049 630 303 calandre.com
45 Hof Van Cleve Kruishoutem, Belgium +32 9 383 58 48 hofvancleve.com
44 The French Laundry Yountville, USA +1 707 944 2380 frenchlaundry.com
43 Schloss Schauenstein Fürstenau, Switzerland +41 81 632 10 80 schauenstein.ch
42 Geranium Copenhagen, Denmark +45 69 96 00 20 geranium.dk
41 Quique Dacosta Dénia, Spain +34 965 784 179 quiquedacosta.es
40 Daniel New York, USA +1 212 288 0033 danielnyc.com
39 Piazza Duomo Alba, Italy +39 0173 366 167 piazzaduomoalba.it
38 L’Astrance Paris, France +33 1 40 50 84 40 astrancerestaurant.com
37 Restaurant André Singapore +65 6534 8880 restaurantandre.com
36 Mani São Paulo, Brazil +55 11 3085 4148 manimanioca.com.br
35 Martín Berasategui Lasarte-Oria, Spain +34 943 366 471 martinberasategui.com
34 Asador Etxebarri Atxondo, Spain +34 946 58 30 42 asadoretxebarri.com
33 Nihonryori RyuGin Tokyo, Japan +81 3 3423 8006 nihonryori-ryugin.com
32 Attica Melbourne, Australia +61 3 9530 0111 attica.com.au
31 L’Atelier SG de Joël Robuchon Paris, France +33 1 42 22 56 56 atelier-robuchon-saint-germain.com
30 Per Se New York, USA +1 212 823 9335 perseny.com
29 De Librije Zwolle, Netherlands +31 38 421 20 83 librije.com
28 Aqua Wolfsburg, Germany +49 5361 60 6056 restaurant-aqua.com
27 Le Chateaubriand Paris, France +33 1 43 57 45 95 lechateaubriand.net
26 Azurmendi Larrabetzu, Spain +34 944 558 866 azurmendi.biz
25 L’Arpège Paris, France +33 1 47 05 09 06 alain-passard.com
24 Amber Hong Kong, China +852 2132 0066 amberhongkong.com
23 Restaurant Frantzén Stockholm, Sweden +46 08 20 85 80 restaurantfrantzen.com
22 Vila Joya Albufeira, Portugal +351 289 591 795 vilajoya.com
21 Le Bernardin New York, USA +1 212 554 1515 le-bernardin.com
20 Pujol Mexico City, Mexico +52 55 5545 4111 pujol.com.mx
19 Fäviken Järpen, Sweden +46 647 400 37 favikenmagasinet.se
18 Astrid y Gastón Lima, Peru +51 1242 4422 astridygaston.com
17 Gaggan Bangkok, Thailand +66 2 652 1700 eatatgaggan.com
16 Steirereck Vienna, Austria +43 713 31 68 steirereck.at/restaurant
15 Central Lima, Peru +511 242 8515 centralrestaurante.com.pe
14 Narisawa Tokyo, Japan +81 3 5785 0799 narisawa-yoshihiro.com
13 Nahm Bangkok, Thailand +66 2 625 3388 comohotels.com/metropolitanbangkok
12 Vendôme Bergisch Gladbach, Germany +49 2204 42 906 schlossbensberg.com
11 Mirazur Menton, France +33 4 92 41 86 86 mirazur.fr
10 The Ledbury London, UK +44 207 792 9090 theledbury.com
9 Alinea Chicago, USA +1 312 867 0110 alinearestaurant.com
8 Arzak San Sebastián, Spain +34 943 278 465 arzak.es
7 D.O.M. São Paulo, Brazil +55 11 3088 0761 domrestaurante.com.br
6 Mugaritz San Sebastián, Spain +34 943 52 24 55 mugaritz.com
5 Dinner by Heston Blumenthal London, UK +44 207 201 3833 dinnerbyheston.com
4 Eleven Madison Park New York, USA +1 212 889 0905 elevenmadisonpark.com
3 Osteria Francescana Modena, Italy +39 59 210 118 osteriafrancescana.it
2 El Celler de Can Roca Girona, Spain +34 972 222 157 cellercanroca.com
1 Noma Copenhagen, Denmark +45 3296 3297 noma.dk