Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana was once again named the World’s Best Restaurant for 2018 at a live ceremony last night in Bilbao, Spain. The Modena restaurant - which was awarded second place in last year’s list - overtook Eleven Madison Park to regain the top spot.
Osteria Francescana last held the title in 2016, and was the first Italian restaurant to do so. They were unseated last year by Daniel Humm and Will Guidara’s Eleven Madison Park but regained the title this year. Eleven Madison Park dropped to no. 4 and also retained their title of The Best Restaurant in North America.
Second place was awarded to El Cellar de Can Roca, Girona, Spain and Mauro Colagreco’s Mirazur in France moved up to third.
Four London restaurants placed in the list overall. It was a new entry for Lyle’s – a Shoreditch restaurant from chef James Lowe at no. 38. Previously at no. 26, Isaac McHale’s The Clove Club dropped to no. 33; Brett Graham’s The Ledbury dropped from no. 27 to no. 42 and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, which last year climbed to no. 36 returned to its 2016 position of no. 45.
As Noma 2.0 did open in time for voting, it was not included in the list this year.
Single Thread in California, USA was presented with the Miele One To Watch Award and placed at no.91.
The Best Restaurant in Africa 2018 was awarded to The Test Kitchen, Cape Town, which also made the list at no. 50. The Best Restaurant in Australasia 2018 was Attica, Melbourne, which placed at no. 20. Central, Lima retained the title of The Best Restaurant in South America and placed at no. 6 overall. Gaggan, Bangkok also retained their Best Restaurant in Asia award for another year and they were at no. 5.
Eneko Atxa’s three Michelin starred restaurant Azurmendi was the winner of the Sustainable Restaurant Award, sponsored by Dekton by Cosentino. It placed at no. 43.
Geranium in Copenhagen placed at no. 19 and also won The Ferrari Trento Art of Hospitality Award 2018.
The Highest New Entry at no. 18 was Disfrutar – an avant-garde Barcelona restaurant from former el-Bulli alumni chefs Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch. Just below them at no. 17 was Den in Toyko, awarded the Highest Climber 2018 for climbing an impressive 28 positions from last year.
Cédric Grolet, executive pastry chef at Le Meurice in Paris won The World’s Best Pastry Chef award, sponsored by Sosa.
The Chef’s Choice Award, sponsored by Estrella Damm was presented to chef and scientist Dan Barber of Blue Hill at Stone Barns. His farm-to-table restaurant placed at no. 12 on the list.
Clare Smyth was presented with elit Vodka World’s Best Female Chef 2018 but her restaurant Core by Clare Smyth did not place this year.
This year’s Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award 2018 was awarded to Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio.
A first for this year was the BBVA Scholarship Award, presented to Jessie Liu, an aspiring chef from Taiwan.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 1-50 – full list
Osteria Francescana – Modena, Italy
El Celler De Can Roca – Girona, Spain
Mirazur – Menton, France
Eleven Madison Park – New York, USA
Gaggan – Bangkok, Thailand
Central – Lima, Peru
Maido – lima, Peru
Arpège – Paris, France
Mugaritz – San Sebastian, Spain
Asador Etxebarri – Axpe, Spain
Quintonil – Mexico City, Mexico
Blue Hill At Stone Barns – Pocantico Hills, USA
Pujol – Mexica City, Mexico
Steirereck -Viene, Austria
White Rabbit – Moscow Russia
Piazza Duomo – Alba, Italy
Den – Tokyo, Japan
Disfrutar – Barcelona, Spain
Geranium – Copenhagen, Denmark
Attica – Melbourne, Australia
Alain Ducasse Au Plaza Athenēnēe
Narisawa – Tokyo, Japan
Le Calandre – Rubano, Italy
Ultraviolet By Paul Pairet – Shanghai, China
Cosme – New York, USA
Le Bernardin – New York, USA
Boragō– Santiago, Chile
Odette – Singapore
Allēno Paris Au Pavillon Ledoyen – Paris, France
D.O.M – Sāo Paula, Brazil
Arzak – San Sebastian, Spain
Tickets – Barcelona, Spain
The Clove Club – London, UK
Alinea – Chicago, USA
Maaemo – Oslo, Norway
Reale – Castle Di Sangro, Italy
Restaurant Tim Raue – Berlin, Germany
Lyle’s – London, UK
Astrid Gastōn – Lima, Peru
Septime – Paris, France
Nihonryori – Tokyo, Japan
The Ledbury – London, UK
Azurmendi – Larrabetzu, Spain
Mikla – Istanbul, Turkey
Dinner By Heston Blumenthal – London, UK
Saison – San Francisco, USA
Schloss Schauenstein – Fürstenau, Switzerland
Hiša Franko – Kobarid, Slovenia
Nahm – Bangkok, Thailand
The Test Kitchen – Cape Town, South Africa
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