After a blank year due to a pandemic, the World's 50 Best had an appointment with gourmets around the world, this Tuesday, October 5 from Antwerp, to unveil its top 50 of the best restaurants in the world.
Unsurprisingly, the winner is Noma (Copenhagen), second in the last edition, in June 2019 in Singapore - won by the Mirazur of Mauro Colagreco (Menton).
This is not a first for René Redzepi's table, which had already been crowned no less than four times in the past (in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014).
The restaurant, whose name is a fusion of “nordisk” (Nordic) and “mad” (food), opened in 2003, closed in February 2017 and reopened in February 2018 in a new location, with its own vegetable garden.
It is this move that allowed him to return to the competition - since 2019, the 50 Best has thus decided to take out all the former winners of the prize list to integrate them into the “Best of the Best” club.
Club where the original Noma of Christianshavn therefore already has its napkin ring.
Chance of the calendar, just three weeks ago, Noma won his third star in the Michelin Guide.
René Redzepi, a true star of new Nordic cuisine, serves complex signature dishes, very inspired by nature and which change with the seasons in three menus of approximately 20 courses (around € 375): the ocean (January to May), vegetables (June to September), game and forest (October to December).
He notably experiments with fermentation, to which he has devoted a book, which serves as a bible on the subject for many chefs on the planet.
Three restaurants in France only in the top 50
Copenhagen is the big winner of this list since the second step of the podium is occupied by Geranium, of chef Rasmus Kofoed.
Lima, Peru, is also asserting itself as a world capital of gastronomy since in addition to the prize for best chef of the year awarded to Pia Leon, Central (where the winner officiates alongside Virgilio Martinez) is in 4th place and Maido at the 7th.
The rest of the top 10 sees Asador Extebarri (Axpe, Spanish Basque Country) in 3rd place, Disfrutar (Barcelona) in 5th, Frantzen (Stockholm) in 6th, Odette (Singapore) in 8th, Pujol (Mexico City) in the 9th and The Chairman (Hong Kong) in the 10th.
No table located in France at the top of the ranking therefore.
From 5 in 2019, they drop to 3 in 2021. If the Mirazur enters the “Best of the Best” and Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée disappears due to closure, Alain Passard's Arpège loses fifteen places (23rd), Septime by Bertrand Grébaut nine (24th) and Yannick Alléno at the Pavillon Ledoyen sixteen (41st).
About ten days ago, the World's 50 Best announced its ranking of positions 51 to 100, in which four French restaurants appear: Épicure au Bristol by Éric Frechon (83rd), Le Clarence by Christophe Pelé (84th), David Toutain (86th) and La Grenouillère by Alexandre Gauthier at La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil (91st).
Seven tables out of 100 in total, therefore, it is very little for a country which asserts itself as that of gastronomy!
Launched in 2002 by the British magazine
Restaurant
, then bought by the William Reed group, the World's 50 Best has long been the subject of criticism, because of its sponsors (San Pellegrino, in particular) but especially the opacity of its panel. 1040 voters (chefs, journalists and
“globe-trotting gastronomes”
), audited since 2016 by the firm Deloitte.