Ahead of the annual awards ceremony that will take place at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore next Tuesday, the World’s 50 Best Restaurants organization has revealed the first cut of restaurants in this year’s special 120 winners list.
This first announcement includes the restaurants placed from number 51 to 120 in the list of best in the world that is compiled by a voting Academy composed by over 1,000 international chefs, food writers and traveling gastronomes, half of them women, as the organization noted.
This year the list, that traditionally appoints the best 100 restaurants, was expanded to celebrate the 120th anniversary of S.Pellegrino which along with Acqua Panna are the main sponsors for the international event.
The 51 to 120 best restaurants list includes restaurants from 25 countries across five continents and boasts 21 new entries from 15 countries, marking a near 30% increase in new territories compared to previous years.
Italy deserved particular mention having three first time entrants, with the restaurant Uliassi at Senigallia in the Marche region in Italy, as the highest at No. 61. Lido 84 on Lake Garda, Italy (No.78) – this year’s winner of the Miele One To Watch Award – is another significant newcomer.
Japan and China, (including two from Hong Kong - Lun King Heen (No.88) and Belon (No.96), and one from Macau – Jade Dragon (No. 103) as well had three new restaurants making the list, Russia has two, both from St. Petersburg (Harvest (92) and Cococo (104), “challenging what has previously been Moscow’s domination,” noted the organizers.
Other less celebrated gastronomic locations made the list, including southern Spain’s Aponiente (No.94) in El Puerto de Santa Maria; Mexico’s Alcalde (No.109) in Guadalajara; Belgium’s Chambre Séparée (No.111) in Ghent; and Italy’s St. Hubertus (No.116) in the Dolomites.
There are six re-entries from four countries: Denmark, Japan, France and South Africa and a remarkable rise by the restaurant Nobelhart & Schmutzig in Berlin that went up 31 places from last year to No.57.
Similarly, the restaurant Indian Accent in New Delhi, India, advanced 30 positions to No.60. The US leads the list in volume with seven restaurants including one new entry. Japan and Spain have six restaurants each, including four new ones.
A highlight of this year’s list is “the strong female presence, most notably with an exciting new entry from Core by Clare Smyth in London (No.66) the restaurant led by the winner of The World’s Best Female Chef Award 2018,” according to the organizers. Other female-led restaurants include Elena Arzak’s Arzak in San Sebastian, Spain (No.53), Pim Techamuanvivit’s Nahm in Bangkok, Thailand (No.69), Helena Rizzo’s Maní in São Paulo, Brazil (No.73), Garima Arora’s Gaa in Bangkok, Thailand (No.95) and Anne-Sophie Pic’s eponymous restaurant in Valence, France (No.98).
The voting academy which was announced early this year is also an example of gender balance with over 500 female experts, chefs, food writers and restaurateurs.
“This year’s 51-120 list marks the most expansive representation of geographic diversity we’ve seen during the 18 years that 50 Best has been celebrating culinary excellence,” said William Drew, Director of Content of the organization. “Restaurants from world-renowned countries as well as lesser-known destinations are voted for and will be acknowledged at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in Singapore on 25th June. The advent of S.Pellegrino’s landmark anniversary marked the ideal opportunity for us to extend the list for one year only. We hope to see as many of them as possible again next year.”
The complete list of the restaurants is here and bellow and if you are planning to go to any or many of them here is a guide on how to book the venues and what to order. Bon Appétit.
51. Reale, Castel del Sangro, Italy
52. Mikla, Istanbul, Turkey
53. Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain
54. D.O.M., Sao Paulo, Brazil
55. Maeemo, Oslo, Norway
56. Relae, Copenhagen, Denmark
57. Nobelhart and Schmutzig, Berlin, Germany
58. Sud 777, Mexico City, Mexico
59. Burnt Ends, Singapore
60. Indian Accent, New Delhi, India
61. Uliassi, Senigallia, Italy
62. Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo, Japan
63. Florilege, Tokyo, Japan
64. The Ledbury, London, UK
65. Selfie, Moscow,Russia
66. Core by Clare Smyth, London, UK
67. Astrid y Gaston, Lima, Peru
68. Faviken, Jarpen, Sweden
69. Nahm, Bangkok, Thailand
70. Saison, San Francisco, US
71. SingleThread, Healdsburg, US
72. Aqua, Wolsfburg, Germany
73. Mani, Sao Paulo, Brazil
74. Lasai, Rio de Janiero, Brazil
75. DiverXo, Madrid, Spain
76. Momofuku Ko, New York, US
77. Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, New York, US
78. Lido 84, Gardone Riviera, Italy
79. Mingles, Seoul, Korea
80. Estela, New York, US
81. Quique Dacosta, Denia, Spain
82. Engima, Barcelona, Spain
83. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London, UK
84. Attica, Melbourne, Australia
85. Amass, Copenhagen, Denmark
86. Tegui, Buenos Aires, Argentina
87. Martin Berasategui, Lasate-Oria, Spain
88. Lun King Heen, Hong Kong, China
89. 108, Copenhagen, Denmark
90. Alo, Toronto, Canada
91. Sushi Saito, Tokyo, Japan
92. Harvest, St. Petersburg, Russia
93. La Cime, Osaka, Japan
94. Aponiente, El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain
95. Gaa, Bankok, Thailand
96. Belon, Hong Kong, China
97. Vendome, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
98. Anne-Sophie Pic, Valence, France
99. The Jane, Antwerp, Belgium
100. Oteque, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
101. Brae, Birregurra, Austria
102. Amber, Hong Kong, China
103. Jade Dragon, Macau, China
104. Cococo, St. Petersburg, Russiaa
105. Kadeau, Copenhagen, Denmark
106. Restaurant David Toutain, Paris, France
107. Il Ristorante Luca Fantin, Tokyo, Japan
108. L’Astrance, Paris, France
109. Alcalde, Guadalajara, Mexico
110. Neolokal, Istanbul, Turkey
111. Chambre Separee, Ghent, Belgium
112. St. John, London, UK
113. Vea, Hong Kong, China
114. La Colombe, Cape Town, South Africa
115. Per Se, New York, US
116. St. Hubertus, San Cassiano, Italy
117. Epicure, Paris, France
118. Ernst, Berlin, Germany
119. Atomix, New York, US
120. Sugalabo, Tokyo, Japan
