Restaurants from 26 countries were awarded on the list. (Source: The World’s 50 Best/Twitter)Mirazur, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Menton, France, has been crowned the world’s best restaurant at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2019, which were organised British trade magazine, Restaurant.
This is the first time in the award’s 18-year history that a French restaurant has won the top spot. Run by Mauro Colagreco, an Argentine chef, Mirazur’s highlights include “salt-crusted beetroot from the garden with caviar cream” and “eggs from the chicken coop with smoked eel and hazelnuts and a brioche of potatoes with melting egg and white truffle”, according to the website.
William Drew, director of content for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, said, “This year we are thrilled to see Mirazur claim the top spot after rising through the ranks since making its debut on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list at No 35 in 2009: it’s been brilliant to witness its progress. This has been a wonderful, progressive year for the list as a whole, with so many new entries from all corners of the globe.”
Noma in Copenhagen, which reopened as a new restaurant in February 2018, bagged the second spot. Although a new rule set in place barred previous winners from the list, an exception was made for Noma which has previously won the accolade in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 in its first location.
Spain’s Asador Etxebarri was on the third place followed by Bangkok’s Gaggan, whose owner-chef Gaggan Anand has won praise for his modern spin on native Indian cuisine.
Restaurant magazine, owned by William Reed Media, launched the awards in 2002. However, their criteria to select the best restaurants has faced criticism in the past, especially from several French chefs who say it remains unclear.
There are no criteria for putting a restaurant on the list, which is based on an anonymous poll of more than 1,000 chefs, restaurant owners, food critics and other industry insiders from around the world.
Restaurants from 26 countries were awarded on the list. The UK, Italy, Japan, China, Thailand and Russia all have two restaurants on the list, while Leo became the first Colombian restaurant to win a spot.
New York City’s Cosme, run by the World’s Best Female Chef 2019 Daniela Soto-Innes, came in 23rd place on the list which features five other US restaurants.
However, more than 1,000 judges, made up of international restaurant industry experts and “well-travelled gourmets” chose just five restaurants run by female chefs – the same number as last year.
While the Best Pastry Chef was won by Jessica Préalpato (Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, Paris), Icon Award was awarded to José Andrés (ThinkFoodGroup, Washington DC).
Art of Hospitality Award was won by Den, Tokyo, Japan while Sustainable Restaurant Award was awarded to Schloss Schauenstein (Fürstenau, Switzerland).
Here is a full list of the 2019 World’s 50 Best Restaurants winners.
1. Mirazur (Menton, France)
2. Noma (Copengagen, Denmark)
3. Asador Etxebarri (Atxondo, Spain)
4. Gaggan (Bangkok, Thailand)
5. Geranium (Copenhagen, Denmark)
6. Central (Lima, Peru)
7. Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain)
8. Arpège (Paris, France)
9. Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain)
10. Maido (Lima, Peru)
11. Den (Tokyo, Japan)
12. Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico)
13. White Rabbit (Moscow, Russia)
14. Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Spain)
15. Septime (Paris, France)
16. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (Paris, France)
17. Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)
18. Odette (Singapore)
19. Twins Garden (Moscow, Russia)
20. Tickets (Barcelona, Spain)
21. Frantzén (Stockholm, Sweden)
22. Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)
23. Cosme (New York City, US)
24. Quintonil (Mexico City, Mexico)
25. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris, France)
26. Boragó (Santiago, Chile)
27. The Clove Club (London, UK)
28. Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantico Hills, US)
29. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)
30. Elkano (Getaria, Spain)
31. Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)
32. Nerua (Bilbao, Spain)
33. Lyle’s (London, UK)
34. Don Julio (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
35. Atelier Crenn (San Francisco, US)
36. Le Bernardin (New York City, US)
37. Alinea (Chicago, US)
38. Hiša Franko (Kobarid, Slovenia)
39. A Casa do Porco (São Paulo, Brazil)
40. Restaurant Tim Raue (Berlin, Germany)
41. The Chairman (Hong Kong)
42. Belcanto (Lisbon, Portugal)
43. Hof Van Cleve (Kruishoutem, Belgium)
44. Test Kitchen (Cape Town, South Africa)
45. Sühring (Bangkok, Thailand)
46. De Librije (Zwolle, Netherlands)
47. Benu (San Francisco, US)
48. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet (Shanghai, China)
49. Leo (Bogotá, Colombia)
50. Schloss Schauenstein (Fürstenau, Switzerland)
