On June 1st, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants returns to the Guildhall in London, confidentially 50 Best, an international ranking compiled by the British magazine Restaurant Magazine based on the recommendations of 837 experts, each of which indicates its own favorite restaurants. Enzo Vizzari, great head of the Espresso guides, wrote of the tortuous voting mechanism:
"1) The votes of the jurors are driven by exchanges between the area coordinators (" you vote the restaurants x and y, I vote the restaurants you indicate ")
2) The faces and names of these lobbies that operate the game are known
3) Most importantly, the voter is in no way required to prove that they have actually visited the restaurants to which they voted. In short, it works just like Tripadvisor.
And yet … and yet those 50 now pass, by definition, for "the best in the world". And the sponsors, San Pellegrino in the lead even if in the last two years it has partially slipped away, pretend not to know how little serious everything is. Just talk about it ".
On the value of the ranking, on how realistic a photograph of the best restaurants in the world is, controversy has never been lacking, the rules of the Academy, or rather of "The Diners Club® World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy", as they pompously call themselves, are worse than those in fight club.
1. Each vote must remain secret until the results are announced.
2. Each member of the Academy votes for 7 restaurants and only 3 of these may be outside their area of competence.
3. Each member communicates his 7 choices in order of preference (serves to resolve equality situations).
4. Anyone who votes for a restaurant must have been there in the last 18 months.
5. Each vote must be accompanied by the date of the last visit to the restaurant.
6. You cannot vote for your own restaurant or for a restaurant with which you have economic interests.
7. You vote for the restaurant, not the chef.
8. You cannot vote for a closed restaurant, nor for a restaurant that will close less than three months after the publication of the list on June 1, 2015. You cannot vote for "temporary restaurants" either.
9. The name of the restaurant must be mentioned, not the manager or chef (see point 7).
10. Academy members shouldn't tell anyone they are Academy members.
The organizers are so concerned by this aspect that the first official act of the 50 Best 2015 was a video explaining who they are and how the jurors of the ranking vote.
A quick review of the 2014 edition allows us to remember that the 50 Best restaurant first classified was the Noma in Copenhagen, downgraded to number 2 by the 2013 winner, the Spanish El Celler de Can Roca, the Osteria Francescana stable in third place by Massimo Bottura, other Italian restaurants present Piazza Duomo by Enrico Crippa, Le Calandre by the Alajmo brothers and Combal. Zero by Davide Scabin.
Among the internationals, the Central restaurant in Lima, chef Virgilio Martinez, who climbed 35 positions and Gaggan, Gaggan Anand's restaurant in Bangkok, directly entered seventeenth position, stood out.
To infect you with the typical foodie frenzy of the World's 50 Best Restaurants, or in short, to start doing it, let's go through the 2014 ranking again from 50th to 11th place. We will dedicate a post of their own to the top ten.
50
WAKU GHIN - SINGAPORE
Chef: Tetsuya Wakuda.
Compared to 2013: new entry.
A Japanese chef who studied in Australia and who manages the kitchen of a sumptuous luxury restaurant in Singapore: the dining room is divided into 4 private rooms, each of which has its own cook at its disposal. The place's Siamble dish is Tasmanian beef, grazed and served with Wasabi mustard.
49
COI - SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
Chef: Daniel Patterson.
Compared to 2013: new entry.
One of the goals of the 50 Best American jury is to demonstrate the value of the new American cuisine. In short, not just hamburgers and hot dogs. Chef Patterson is an ingredient freak, he cultivates his vegetable garden and carefully cares for the appearance of the dishes.
48
THE TEST KITCHEN - CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
Chef: Luke Dale-Roberts.
Compared to 2013: new entry.
An English chef, in the most artsy suburb of Cape Town, who cooks Mozambican lobsters inside a sphere and directly on the table. Need to say more?
47
THE FAT DUCK - BRAY ENGLAND
Chef: Jonny Lake (in addition to owner Heston Blumental)
Compared to 2013: it had lost 15 positions.
There is not much to say about the restaurant (one of the) that belongs to Blumenthal, one of the most original chefs in the world, except that the times of the very first places in the rankings seem distant. In the meantime, the chef has become a small multinational, the most recent opening in Melbourne last March.
46
LE CALANDRE - RUBANO, ITALY
Chef: Massimiliano Alajmo.
Compared to 2013: it had 19 fewer positions.
Despite the modest ranking, the Alajmo family continued to expand their empire of clubs with the Caffè Stern in Paris, while consolidating the Quadri in Venice.
45
HOF VAN CLEVE - KRUISHOUTEM, BELGIUM
Chef: Peter Goossens.
Compared to 2013: it had dropped by 20 positions.
A singer from his homeland Peter Goossens, who has been in the 50 Best for 9 years. The restaurant set on a Flanders farm specializes in local food and features a vegetarian tasting menu called: 'Field, Garden and Wood'.
44
THE FRENCH LAUNDRY - YOUNTVILLE, USA
Chef: Thomas Keller.
Compared to 2013: it obtained 3 more positions.
In the heart of Napa Vallley, the restaurant serves fine produce from around the world, cooked by a volcanic chef in a continual state of grace, and lots of French inspiration.
43
SCHLOSS SCHAUENSTEIN - FÜRSTENAU, SWITZERLAND
Chef: Andreas Caminada.
Compared to 2013: it had dropped by 1 position.
The surprising Italian-Franco-German mix that represents the chef's origins, with the addition of the best Swiss products, gives its best in a fairy tale castle from the 1800s.
42
GERANIUM - COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
Chef: Rasmus Koefed.
Compared to 2013: it obtained 3 more positions.
Among the many followers of Rene Redzepi from Noma, Rasmus is the most loyal and the most glossy, qualities that make his restaurant much loved by the Danes. However, it has not yet achieved the third Michelin star.
41
QUIQUE DACOSTA - DÈNIA, SPAIN
Chef: Quique Dacosta.
Compared to 2013: it had 15 fewer positions.
In addition to being a chef and charming, Quique Dacosta is also an expert botanist. Together with the brothers Roca de El Celler he is one of the most accredited heirs of Ferran Adrià. Technological cuisine therefore, with dishes that force you to clench your biting jaw, when it remains wide open in surprise.
40
DANIEL - NEW YORK
Chef: Daniel Boulud.
Compared to 2013: it had lost 11 positions.
Daniel Boulud has built an empire of très chic cafes and restaurants, but this Upper East Side venue in Manhattan is where it all began. Too bad the slip of 11 positions.
39
PIAZZA DUOMO - ALBA, ITALY
Chef: Enrico Crippa.
Compared to 2013: it obtained 3 more positions.
Who is the most promising pupil of Gualtiero Marchesi will be tired of hearing it, the icy Crippa with a wax face who brings an ephebic delicacy to his dishes, and an unparalleled style.
38
L’ASTRANCE - PARIS, FRANCE
Chef: Pascal Barbot.
Compared to 2013: it had lost 15 positions.
A paradox: the last of the French in the standings is an advocate of anti-French cuisine, free of butter and cream but full of references to the South Pacific area, where Pascal Barbot worked for a long time.
37
RESTAURANT ANDRE - SINGAPORE
Chef: André Chiang.
Compared to 2013: it had gained a position.
Speaking of himself, André Chiang mentions his philosophy, baptized “Octaphilosophy”, a mix of textures, memory, purity, territory, salt, south and craftsmanship.
36
MANI - SAN PAOLO, BRAZIL
Chef: Helena Rizzo and Daniel Redondo.
Compared to 2013: it conquered 10 positions.
The beautiful Helena and her husband Daniel met in the workplace, the legendary El Celler del Can Roca. Cooking techniques have been imported from Spain, Brazil is fundamental for the richness of the always original raw material. Helena was also awarded the award for best female chef of 2014.
35
MARTÍN BERASATEGUI - SAN SEBASTIÀN, SPAIN
Chef: Martín Berasategui.
Compared to 2013: he had retained his position.
In the Basque Country, Berasategui is a true institution, loved for iconic dishes such as smoked eel millefeuille, foie gras, spring onions and green apple, which have remained on the tasting menu since 1995
34)
ASADOR ETXEBARRI - ATXONDO, SPAIN
Chef: Victor Arguinzoniz.
Compared to 2013: it conquered 10 positions.
A little technological cuisine unusual in Spain with a menu that changes at a crazy pace, practically every day. An hour's drive from San Sebastiàn, it is better known for grilling than for sous-vide.
33
NIHONRYORI RYUGIN - TOKYO, JAPAN
Chef: Seiji Yamamoto.
Compared to 2013: it fell by 11 places.
Yamamoto loves authentic Japanese cuisine, soups and dashi broth. But he personalizes a lot, especially the desserts, based on fruit shells frozen in nitrogen and filled with their juice.
32
ATTICA - MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
Chef: Ben Shewry.
Compared to 2013: it fell by 11 places.
Ben Shewry is from New Zealand, origin that must have helped him to become the precursor of foraging, the recovery from the territory of what the territory produces itself: from its parts roots, rare herbs, blackthorn berries, beech leaves. The shy nature of a mysterious chef contributes to success.
31
L’ATELIER SAINT-GERMAIN DE JOËL ROBUCHON - PARIS, FRANCE
Chef: Axel Manes.
Compared to 2013: it lost 7 positions.
Joël Robuchon, owner of the venue, owns one of the most entrenched catering empires in the world, with offices in London, Las Vegas and Hong Kong. He did argue that the tablecloth had been removed from all the tables in his elite restaurants.
30
FOR SE - NEW YORK
Chef: Thomas Keller.
Compared to 2013: it lost 19 positions.
Thomas Keller stacks up on awards and recognition he also takes with this restaurant, a lucky replica of the Californian The French Laundry at position 44.
29
DE LIBRIJE - ZWOLLE, HOLLAND
Chef: Jonnie Boer.
Compared to 2013: he was back in contention after a year of exclusion.
Chef Boer also follows the contemporary wave and prefers local products, but he is also a born innovator, exemplary in this sense is his ceviche marinated with tea, kombucha (a yeast) and vanilla.
28
AQUA - WOLFSBURG, GERMANY
Chef: Sven Elverfeld.
Compared to 2013: it gained 2 positions.
Elverfeld is considered the scrapper of German cuisine, which he rebuilt giving an unknown kindness. The decoration with Art Deco pieces and the shots of the American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe contribute to the success of his restaurant.
27
LE CHATEAUBRIAND - PARIS, FRANCE
Chef: Inaki Aizpitarte.
Compared to 2013: it lost 9 positions.
Rock star chef if there is one, a bistro with a monastic simplicity and that nickname: "kitchen for vagabonds". In the superb Paris, it is not easy to assert yourself for your Basque origins and irreverent attitude, Inaki Aizpitarte succeeded.
26
AZURMENDI - LARRABETZU, SPAIN
Chef: Eneko Atxa.
Compared to 2013: new entry.
Chef Eneko Atxa, a meritorious enterprise, entered 26th place directly. In order not to miss anything, in 2014 he also won the award for the most sustainable restaurant. A hot name that can have a bright 2015.
25
L’ARPÉGE - PARIS, FRANCE
Chef: Alain Passard.
Compared to 2013: it lost 9 positions.
30 years of honorable career for chef Passard, spent driving one of the most luxurious restaurants in the French capital, and the new 2.5 hectares of biodynamic garden to supply the restaurant.
24
AMBER - HONG KONG
Chef: Richard Ekkebus.
Compared to 2013: up 12 positions.
The chef made his fortune in the east, or at least in the very internationalized east of Hong Kong, blending the local raw material with the techniques he learned in his Netherlands and a deep love for French cuisine.
23
RESTAURANT FRANTZÉN - STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
Chef: Björn Frantzén.
Compared to 2013: it dropped 11 positions.
In the triad at the top of the new Nordic cuisine, together with Noma and Geranium, the Swedish restaurant of chef Frantzén amazes with dishes based on pig ears and skin, then blood and liver. But also with more ethereal combinations of cream, cherries and violets in the beautiful desserts.
22
VILA JOYA - ALBUFEIRA, PORTUGAL
Chef: Dieter Koschina.
Compared to 2013: up 15 positions.
Despite the richness of the local scene, where chefs with interesting proposals have emerged in recent years, the only Portuguese restaurant among the 50 Best has an Austrian chef in the kitchen.
21
LE BERNARDIN - NEW YORK
Chef: Eric Ripert.
Compared to 2013: it lost 2 positions.
Eric Ripert is considered untouchable by New Yorkers in love with French cuisine, like Le Bernardin, a luxurious restaurant considered among the best in the world for seafood.
20
PUJOL - MEXICO CITY
Chef: Enrique Olvera.
Compared to 2013: it dropped by 3 positions.
There are not a few who consider Mexican cuisine one of the most interesting in the world, Pujol is the restaurant that celebrates it. Tradition reinterpreted in the light of technique and unusual ingredients including insects and worms.
19
FÄVIKEN - JÄRPEN, SWEDEN
Chef: Magnus Nilsson.
Compared to 2013: up 15 positions
Nilsson is the chef of extreme foraging, as he works probably in the most isolated restaurant in the world - same latitude as Iceland. And it doesn't matter if the 20,000 objects of his "hunt" are frozen for a good half of the year.
18
ASTRID Y GASTÓN - LIMA, PERU
Chef: Gastón Acurio.
Compared to 2013: it dropped by 3 positions.
Acurio is the most famous chef in Peru and one of the most rightly known in the world. He brought contemporary cuisine to his country and the truly exciting tasting journey is a tribute to his roots: from the Pacific to the desert, from the Alps to the plateau.
17
GAGGAN - BANGKOK, THAILAND
Chef: Gaggan Anand.
Compared to 2013: new entry.
India has been one of the most innovative countries in the world for years, haute cuisine is no exception. This is demonstrated by the surprising new entry among the 50 Best, directly to the 17th post, by Gaggan Anand, the new man of Indian cuisine.
16
CENTRAL - LIMA, PERU
Chef: Virgilio Martinez.
Compared to 2013: up 35 positions.
In 2014 no one does it better than Virgilio Martinez, who grew up at the school of the brilliant Gastón Acurio, and quickly became one of the most talented emerging chefs on the planet.
14
NARISAWA - TOKYO, JAPAN
Chef: Yoshihiro Narisawa.
Compared to 2013: up 6 positions.
Narisawa in 2013 had won the award for the most sustainable restaurant, in 2014 he continued his acesa and won the attention of the world with strokes of Japanese cuisine mediated by French influence.
13
NAHM - BANGKOK, THAILAND
Chef: David Thompson.
Compared to 2013: it went up by 19 positions.
Last year it also took home the award for best Asian restaurant, and Bangok is confirmed among the cities most present in the 50 Best, after Paris and New York. David Thompson is Australian, with a European background and a visceral curiosity for ancient Thai recipes.
12
VENDÔME - BERGISCH GLADBACH, GERMANY
Chef: Joachim Wissler.
Compared to 2013: it lost 2 positions.
Joachim Wissler is the chef of the moment in Germany, an exponent of a cuisine that is experiencing a lucky season and is slowly winning the attention of the world.
11
MIRAZUR - MENTON, FRANCE
Chef: Mauro Colagreco.
Compared to 2013: up 17 positions.
A truly extraordinary chef, Colagreco was born in Argentina and lives between France and Italy. Arriving 11th is like taking 29 at the University: rare and cruel. However, if you go up 17 positions in a year for the contagious verve of your cuisine, tasty and original, you just have to know how to wait. Let's see how it will go in 2015.
