Kiwi chef's restaurant lands top-50 spot

Ben Shewry credits recipes like crab with sorrel and pear and cinnamon to his rural roots.

A top Kiwi chef's restaurant in Melbourne has been named among the best in the world.

Ben Shewry's Attica was ranked 33rd in the prestigious World's 50 Best Restaurants list, which was announced in New York this week.

The eatery has dropped a place since last year's ranking, but remains the only restaurant in Australasia to make the list.

Shewry said it was an honour to be among the world's best.

"It's been an amazing year after taking full ownership of Attica with my wife Natalia a year ago," he told the Herald Sun from New York.

"This is the icing on top of that."

Taranaki-born Shewry is no stranger to accolades, with Attica named Australia's best eatery by Restaurant magazine in 2013. He was also named chef of the year in 2010 by The Age Good Food Guide, and best new talent in 2008 by Gourmet Traveller.

Shewry is known for his trailblazing and eclectic flavour combinations which he credits to growing up in rural, coastal Awakino where his family grew and caught their own food.

He apprenticed at Wellington's Roxburgh Bistro under Mark Limacher, then Michael Lambie and Andrew McConnell in Melbourne and David Thompson at Nahm in London, before taking over Attica's kitchen in 2005.

The best restaurant in the world this year was Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy.