On June 19th chefs all over the world waited impatiently in Bilbao, Spain for the reveal of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World. For the past five years three restaurants, Osteria Francescana in Italy, El Cellar de Can Roca in Spain, and Eleven Madison Park in the USA have rotated positions for the coveted top three spots. This year’s list is a reflection of gastronomic trends, culinary diversity and unique dining experiences
The list is evaluated by 1040 international culinary experts who are members of The 50 Best Restaurants Academy; they are separated into 26 regions each with a voting panel consisting of 40 chefs, critics, gourmets and restaurateurs who have 10 votes each. There is no preset checklist or specific criteria, so every restaurant in the world is eligible. Each member submits 10 votes in order of preference; however, they must have eaten at those restaurants in the last 10 months. Deloitte is the company that audits the process to confirm its integrity and the results.
So how difficult and how pricey will it be for you to dine at one of the top restaurants?
This year’s number 1 restaurant is Massimo Bottura’s 12 table, three Michelin star Osteria Francescana in Modena. Bottura approaches Italian traditional recipes in a new way adding some French influence. Dishes like “Five ages of Parmigiano Reggiano” and “Oops I dropped the lemon Tart” mesmerize the restaurant’s patrons who are willing to wait up to 6 months for a table and to pay over $1,000 for dinner for two.
Lead by a trio of talented brothers, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona Spain took No. 2. Joan, the chef, Jordi the pastry chef and Josep the sommelier use local ingredients in an avant-garde way to create an innovative tasting menu with dishes such as “The World”, “Green Olive ice cream” or the “Cuban Cigar Box” which you will enjoy during the four-hour long meal. If you want to eat at this restaurant you have to book 11 months in advance and be willing to pay $800 for a meal for two.
This year No.3 was rewarded to Mirazur located in Menton, France and lead by Argentinian born Mauro Colagreco. Inspired by the French Riviera, Colagreco presents progressive dishes with Argentinian and Italian influences. Colagreco grows most of his produce and gets the rest from local markets and thus creates seasonal menus with outstanding dishes like Oysters with tapioca, shallot cream and pear, or blue lobster with French coco beans and chamomile. So if you are heading to the Cote D”Azur make your reservation a year in advance and be prepared to pay $800 for a meal for two.
Dining at the best restaurants in the world has been described as a “surreal dining experience.” We think it’s time to add some items to your bucket list!
