The annual award ceremony of the 50 best restaurants in the world, organized by Restaurant magazine and sponsored by San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna was held on Monday June 1st in London, England. During the eagerly anticipated event—which brings together the best chefs in the world—the most outstanding restaurants in the current international gastronomic scene were announced. The rigorous selection fell in the hands of 900 international experts.
Roca brothers.
The Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain, recovered the first place on the prestigious list. Last year’s place of honor was awarded to René Redzepi’s Noma restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark, which this year finished in third place. El Celler de Can Roca—led by the fabulous Roca brothers—has been part of San Pellegrino’s Top 50 list for ten years, reaching the first spot in 2013.
The genial Roca brothers: Joan, the chef; Josep, the sommelier; and Jordi, the pastry chef seem to have no limits. Combining the traditional ingredients of Catalan cuisine with an incredible variety of cooking methods that stimulate the senses and emotions, the extended family creates flavor and sensory experiences that turn a meal into an unforgettable and magic experience.
This year the second place went to the Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, directed by the talented chef Massimo Bottura. After two consecutive years in third place, the ambitious creations of the Italian chef—as well as his efforts to recover products from the Emilia-Romagna region—captivated the jury, which rewarded him with the second place.
Spain stands out with seven restaurants on the list of the top 50 in 2015. Among them: Mugaritz, which ranks 6; and the Asador Etxebarri, which enters strongly at No. 13. France, meanwhile, has five restaurants on the coveted list. The top-ranked—in 11th place—is Menton´s Mirazur, in the south of France; while L’Arpege in Paris, has climbed 13 places and this year takes the 12th position.
With seven renowned restaurants in the prestigious San Pellegrino list, Asia is especially proud as two of its restaurants are—for the first time—among the ten best in the world. Gaggan–in Bangkok, Thailand–climbed seven places to finish at number 10 while the Japanese Narisawa, in Tokyo, scaled from 10th to 8th place. China also welcomed a new entry at number 24: the Ultraviolet restaurant in Shanghai, run by chef Paul Pairet.
The US also has good reasons to celebrate, as it has six restaurants on the 2015 list. The top-ranked— in fifth place— is the famous New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park, where Swiss chef Daniel Humm displays his talent and creativity every day.
South America boasts nine restaurants on the list. At the top is Central restaurant in Lima, Peru, by young chef Virgilio Martínez, which climbed 13 places to end up becoming the fourth best restaurant in the world. This is a great recognition of the virtues and qualities of the current Peruvian culinary prevalence.
Next year, the award ceremony for the top 50 restaurants in the world will leave the British capital for the first time in 14 years, and will be held in New York. Until then, the restaurant Celler de Can Roca, which has amply demonstrated its merits, will shine in the zenith of the haute cuisine universe. ■
