‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ winners announced

Who has the best restaurant in the world? According to the latest edition of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, it’s Osteria Francescana, helmed by chef Massimo Bottura. The tiny venue located in Modena, Italy bested last year’s winner, Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca, which fell to number two. New York’s Eleven Madison Park, headed by Will Guidara and Daniel Humm, rose to claim the No. 3 spot. One of the biggest drops was by Heston Blumenthal‘s Dinner, which fell from No. 7 to No. 45. 

There were some sponsored special category awards. Cacao Barry sponsored the Best Pastry Chef award, won by Pierre Hermé. The Chef’s Choice Award, sponsored by Estrella Dram, went to Joan Roca of last year’s No. 1 restaurant. Alain Passard won The Diner’s Club Lifetime Achievement Award.    

Critics of the ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ note its Euro-centric focus and lack of women-run establishments. 2016’s edition will do little to quell this criticism, as the number of female-led restaurants actually fell from three to two. Central, located in Lima, Peru and headed by husband/wife team Virgilio Martinez and Pia Leon, clocked in at No. 4, while San Sebastian’s Arzak, led by father/daughter Juan Mari and Elena Arzak, fell to 21 on the list. Champagne maker Veuve Clicquot did sponsor a prize for Best Female Chef, which was won by Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn. 

The rankings are compiled by the global consulting firm Deloitte using data contributed by approximately 1,500 judges. These judges include food writers, chefs, restaurateurs, and ‘well-traveled gastronomes.’ Unlike most other critics, including inspectors for Michelin guides, there is no requirement for the judges to pay for their meals, although they are supposed to dine anonymously.   

Many of the chefs in the rankings have published cookbooks, so even if a trip to their esteemed restaurants is out of reach, you may still be able to get a glimpse of what makes these destinations so special. You’ll find many of the books at Phaidon, which specializes in beautifully crafted cookbooks by the world’s best chefs and authors. Phaidon has just announced  a new sale for EYB Members with up to 75% off select chef and cookery books, including several by chefs on the World’s 50 best list such as Massimo Bottura’s Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef and René Redzepi’s A Work in Progress, at 25 and 30% off, respectively. (You’ll find even bigger discounts on volumes like Coi by Daniel Patterson and The Silver Spoon Quick and Easy Italian Recipes, both discounted 75%.)