Highlights include Noma's record-breaking debut and Singapore's Odette climbing up ten places
If there’s one thing we expected from this year’s The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, which took place this evening at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, it would be that we would have a new number one following the awarding body’s new ranking system that precludes previous list-toppers like Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy), El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain) and Eleven Madison Park (New York, USA) from taking the top spot again.
This time around, Mirazur on the Cote D'Azur in Menton, France made history when it earned the top spot with its distinct, season-focused menu, becoming the first French restaurant to take the No.1 spot. Argentinean-born chef Mauro Colagreco, who moved to France in his 20s and trained under culinary superstars like Alain Passard and Alain Ducasse, said in his thank you speech that this win celebrates "France and its values we all share: liberté, egalité and fraternité".
He also paid tribute to Argentina, Brazil and Italy, saying: "Argentina is where I had memories of my childhood, Brazil gave me the love of my life, and Italy is where half of my team comes from ... cooking made me understand that cuisine crosses all boarders."
His win, though, was no surprise to many pundits and fellow chefs, given the restaurant's steady climb to the top since it debuted on the list at No.35 in 2009. This year, it also earned the coveted three Michelin stars, and is the first French restaurant by a non-French chef in France to earn three stars.
Landing on second place, and also this year's Highest New Entry, is the new Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark) by acclaimed Danish chef René Redzepi, while Asador Etxebarri (Atxondo, Spain) and Gaggan (Bangkok, Thailand) were No.3 and No.4, respectively. The top five was completed by another restaurant from Copenhagen, Geranium by chef Rasmus Kofoed.
