The Oscar awards for restaurants
The Noma restaurant, in Copenhagen, received the honorary title of world’s best restaurant yesterday, in a glamorous ceremony held in London.
The prestigious San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards is viewed as the Oscars of fine dining. The world’s top chefs attend the venue and the restaurants that enter the competition are considered to be the best from around the globe.
Still, European venues have been dominating the list for the past 12 years since the debut of the awards.
As for the Danish big winner of the event, this award was not the first, but the fourth win for the minimalist pioneer of foraged menus.
‘In the last year (after the restaurant was awarded second place) my staff and I looked into each others' eyes and said 'let's just really really work hard.' We made a plan and said 'let's make this the best year we've ever had,’ said Rene Redzepi, Noma’s head chef, after picking up his award.
Rumors have it that, after winning the same award in 2010, Noma made so many reservations in the following day that it could have kept its 45 seats filled for a decade.
The second and third position on the podium of best restaurants were taken by the Spanish El Celler de Can Roca, which was last year’s winner and, respectively, Italy’s Osteria Francescana.
Although little changes were registered among the top ten list, other restaurants made big moves since last year. Lima’s restaurant Central jumped from number 50 to 15 this year and Gaggan from Bangkok made its debut directly on number 17.
Top 10 of San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants for 2014
- Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
- El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain
- Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy
- Eleven Madison Park, New York
- Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London
- Mugartiz, San Sebastian, Spain
- D.O.M., Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain
- Alinea, Chicago
- The Ledbury, London
