The 50 Best Restaurants in the World, 2017

For only the second time in the awards’ 15-year history, the World’s Best Restaurant title has gone to a fine dining establishment outside of Europe.

New York's Eleven Madison Park overtook Italy’s Osteria Francescana to claim the top spot, pushing Spain's El Celler de Can Roca into third after seven years of steadily climbing the ranks.

The 2017 awards ceremony was held in Melbourne, Australia, on April 5, moving from New York, where it took place the previous year.

Eleven Madison Park is the first U.S. restaurant to win since California’s French Laundry took the top prize back in 2004.

Led by Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm, who, along with co-owner Will Guidara, brings a modern European dining experience with a New York twist to an art deco building just off Manhattan’s Madison Park.

The restaurant’s ever-changing tasting menu, served in a way that blurs the boundaries between kitchen and dining room, reflects the city’s vibrant history and cultural diversity.

Call it a culinary partnership, but as Will Guidara shared exclusively with Dinogo right after the award ceremony: “Whenever we achieve something, it’s essential to reflect on what brought us here. For us, it’s this relationship, this trust, this energy.”

“I’m working with my best friend, and that means that when we succeed, we succeed together; and when we fall, we fall together.”

Swiss-born Humm added, “Our goal was to create one of the world’s greatest dining rooms, and we could only do it because we have each other. There’s nothing we can’t accomplish together.”

The venue for the World’s 50 Best Awards was nothing short of spectacular: Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building, a 1880s domed pavilion, served as the backdrop to a red carpet bustling with familiar faces at what’s often referred to as the Oscars of the culinary world.

Each of the top 50 chefs – well, 47 of them who attended – donned a red sash, while culinary giants like Heston Blumenthal roamed the hall, trailed by eager selfie hunters.

The pioneer of multi-sensory cuisine – and don't bring up molecular gastronomy – Blumenthal received a standing ovation as he accepted the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dominique Ansel, the French-born mastermind behind the cronut at his New York bakery, was honored with the World’s Best Pastry Chef award.

The Sustainable Restaurant Award was claimed by Septime in Paris, while the highest new entry of the year went to Le Pavillon Ledoyen by Yannick Alleno, also in Paris.

The Chef’s Award, determined by a vote from fellow chefs, was presented to Virgilio Martinez from Central in Lima.

Barcelona's Disfrutar earned the title of 2017’s One to Watch. Last year’s honoree, Tokyo’s Den, made an impressive debut in the Top 50 at No. 45.

Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca, crowned the World’s Best Restaurant in both 2013 and 2015, took home the prestigious Art of Hospitality Award.

While female representation was scarce across the awards, Slovenia’s Ana Ros, the chef behind Hiša Franko in the Soca Valley, was named the World’s Best Female Chef.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

1. Eleven Madison Park (New York City)

2. Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy) – *Best restaurant in Europe*

3. El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain)

4. Mirazur (Menton, France)

5. Central (Lima) – *Best restaurant in South America*

6. Asador Etxebarri (Biscay, Spain)

7. Gaggan (Bangkok) – *Best restaurant in Asia*

8. Maido (Lima, Peru)

9. Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain)

10. Steirereck (Vienna)

11. Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantico Hills, New York) – *Biggest riser*

12. Arpege (Paris)

13. Alain Ducasse Au Plaza Athenee (Paris) – *Highest re-entry*

14. Restaurant Andre (Singapore)

15. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)

16. D.O.M. (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

17. Le Bernardin (New York City)

18. Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)

19. Geranium (Copenhagen)

20. Pujol (Mexico City)

21. Alinea (Chicago)

22. Quintonil (Mexico City)

23. White Rabbit (Moscow)

24. Amber (Hong Kong)

25. Tickets (Barcelona)

26. Clove Club (London)

27. The Ledbury (London)

28. Nahm (Bangkok)

29. Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)

30. Arzak (San Sebastian, Spain)

31. Alleno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris) *highest new entry*

32. Attica (Melbourne) *best restaurant in Australasia*

33. Astrid (Lima, Peru)

34. De Librije (Zwolle, Netherlands)

35. Septime (Paris) *sustainable restaurant award*

36. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (London)

37. Saison (San Francisco)

38. Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Spain)

39. Relae (Copenhagen)

40. Cosme (New York) *new*

41. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet (Shanghai)

42. Borago (Santiago)

43. Reale (Castel di Sangro, Italy) *new*

44. Brae (Birregurra, Australia) *new*

45. Den (Tokyo) *new*

46. L’Astrance (Paris)

47. Vendome (Bergisch Gladbach, Germany)

48. Restaurant Tim Raue (Berlin)

49. Tegui (Buenos Aires) *new*

50. Hof Van Cleve (Kruishoutem, Belgium)