Osteria Francescana reclaims top spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018 list

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.

• Which restaurants ranked 51-100 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018 list?
• What is The World’s 50 Best Restaurants?
• Who is Massimo Bottura?

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

1. Osteria Francescana – Modena, Italy
2. El Celler De Can Roca – Girona, Spain
3. Mirazur – Menton, France
4. Eleven Madison Park – New York, USA
5. Gaggan – Bangkok, Thailand
6. Central – Lima, Peru
7. Maido – lima, Peru
8. Arpège – Paris, France
9. Mugaritz – San Sebastian, Spain
10. Asador Etxebarri – Axpe, Spain
11. Quintonil – Mexico City, Mexico
12. Blue Hill At Stone Barns – Pocantico Hills, USA
13. Pujol – Mexica City, Mexico
14. Steirereck -Viene, Austria
15. White Rabbit – Moscow Russia
16. Piazza Duomo – Alba, Italy
17. Den – Tokyo, Japan
18. Disfrutar – Barcelona, Spain
19. Geranium – Copenhagen, Denmark
20. Attica – Melbourne, Australia
21. Alain Ducasse Au Plaza Athenēnēe
22. Narisawa – Tokyo, Japan
23. Le Calandre – Rubano, Italy
24. Ultraviolet By Paul Pairet – Shanghai, China
25. Cosme – New York, USA
26. Le Bernardin – New York, USA
27. Boragō– Santiago, Chile
28. Odette – Singapore
29. Allēno Paris Au Pavillon Ledoyen – Paris, France
30. D.O.M – Sāo Paula, Brazil
31. Arzak – San Sebastian, Spain
32. Tickets – Barcelona, Spain
33. The Clove Club – London, UK
34. Alinea – Chicago, USA
35. Maaemo – Oslo, Norway
36. Reale – Castle Di Sangro, Italy
37. Restaurant Tim Raue – Berlin, Germany
38. Lyle’s – London, UK
39. Astrid Gastōn – Lima, Peru
40. Septime – Paris, France
41. Nihonryori – Tokyo, Japan
42. The Ledbury – London, UK
43. Azurmendi – Larrabetzu, Spain
44. Mikla – Istanbul, Turkey
45. Dinner By Heston Blumenthal – London, UK
46. Saison – San Francisco, USA
47. Schloss Schauenstein – Fürstenau, Switzerland
48. Hiša Franko – Kobarid, Slovenia
49. Nahm – Bangkok, Thailand
50. The Test Kitchen – Cape Town, South Africa