New York City's Eleven Madison Park has been named as the best place to eat on the planet, coming in at No 1 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2017 list.
The fine dining restaurant, owned by Will Guidara and Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm, is housed in an art deco building overlooking Madison Park, and offers a multi-course seasonal tasting menu that pays homage to New York’s culinary scene. It is said to blur the line between kitchen and dining room, introducing a “sense of fun” to the experience, and items on the menu include sea urchin custard with baby squid, bay scallop and apple; and pear poached with honey and acorn. The latest menu costs US$295 ($423) plus tax for 11 courses.
The list was announced last night at an awards ceremony at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building, and honoured restaurants from 22 countries representing a wide variety of cuisines. A panel of more than 1000 chefs, food writers and other experts have their say.
Two Australian restaurants made the top 50 — Attica in Melbourne (No 32), which has New Zealand chef Ben Shewry at the head of its kitchen, rose one place to retain its title as The Best Restaurant in Australasia, while Brae in rural Victoria, headed by chef Dan Hunter, came in at No 44.
Gaggan, which was named Asia's top restaurant in Bangkok earlier this year, came in at No 7.
When Copenhagen restaurant Noma first won in 2010, 100,000 people tried to book online the following day. And after El Celler de Can Roca’s 2013 victory, its website received 12 million hits. Three extra employees were hired to turn turn down requests for tables, and the waiting list grew to one year, according to chef Joan Roca.
This is the first time that a U.S. restaurant has won since chef Thomas Keller’s French Laundry in Yountville, California, took the title in 2003 and 2004. All the subsequent winners have been European.
The Top 50 (Last year's place in parentheses)
Eleven Madison Park, New York (3)
Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy (1)
El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain (2)
Mirazur, Menton, France (6)
Central, Lima (4)
Asador Etxebarri, Axpe, Spain (10)
Gaggan, Bangkok (23)
Maido, Lima (13)
Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain (7)
Steirereck, Vienna (9)
Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, New York (48)
Arpege, Paris (19)
Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee, Paris (58)
Restaurant Andre, Singapore (32)
Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy (17)
D.O.M., São Paulo, Brazil (11)
Le Bernardin, New York (24)
Narisawa, Tokyo (8)
Geranium, Copenhagen (28)
Pujol, Mexico City (25)
Alinea, Chicago (15)
Quintonil, Mexico City (12)
White Rabbit, Moscow (18)
Amber, Hong Kong (20)
Tickets, Barcelona (29)
The Clove Club, London (26)
The Ledbury, London (14)
Nahm, Bangkok (37)
Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy (39)
Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain (21)
Pavillon Ledoyen, Paris (72)
Attica, Melbourne (33)
Astrid y Gaston, Lima (30)
De Librije, Zwolle, Netherlands (38)
Septime, Paris (50)
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London (45)
Saison, San Francisco (27)
Azurmendi, Larrabetzu, Spain (16)
Relae, Copenhagen (40)
Cosme, New York (96)
Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai (42)
Borago, Santiago (36)
Reale, Castel di Sangro, Italy (84)
Brae, Birregurra, Australia (65)
Den, Tokyo (77)
L'Astrance, Paris (57)
Vendome, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany (35)
Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin (34)
Tegui, Buenos Aires (68)
Hof van Cleve, Kruishoutem, Netherlands (53)
— Additional reporting by the Washington Post
