Spain’s El Celler De Can Roca edged past Denmark’s Noma and Italy’s Osteria Francescana to be named the world’s best restaurant on Monday in a ceremony in London.
The restaurant owned by the three Roca brothers Joan, Jordi and Josep, captured the top spot on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list organized by Britain’s Restaurant magazine and sponsored by the mineral water company S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.
Another Spanish eatery, Mugaritz, in San Sebastian, and New York’s Eleven Madison Park rounded out the top five.
“El Celler de Can Roca in Girona has long been hailed as one of Spain’s most exciting places to eat, and having spent two years at No. 2 on the list, the three brothers have swapped places with Denmark’s Noma, which held the top ranking for the last three years,” organizers said in a statement.
“The Roca brothers’ restaurant has gained global acclaim for its combination of Catalan dishes and cutting-edge techniques and the passion that they share for hospitality,” it added.
Spanish restaurants captured three of the top 10 spots and five on the entire list announced at London’s Guildhall. Arzak, also in San Sebastian, came in at No. 8, just behind London’s Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, which was seventh.
D.O.M. in Sao Paulo, Brazil, placed sixth, while Steirereck in Vienna, Austria, was ninth and Vendome in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, was tenth.
The Test Kitchen number 61 and wins “One to Watch Award”
Chef Luke Dale-Roberts’ The Test Kitchen was given the “Cacao Barry One To Watch Award” at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards gala ceremony.
This prestigious award is given to a restaurant which Restaurant Magazine feels is right up there with the very best of the top restaurants in the world. Each year one restaurant is named One To Watch, signifying a belief that come next year this restaurant will most likely appear on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
For a restaurant that is only two and a half years old, as The Test Kitchen is, this is an enormous accolade.
The Test Kitchen also made an impressive 61st placement, up 13 places from their 74th position as a new entry last year when they first appeared as a New Listing, causing quite a stir of excitement, as it had only been operational since November 2010.
Congratulations once again to Luke and his team. We look forward to a bumper year in 2014.
The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français is number 53 in the world
Huge congratulations to Margot Janse and her team for once again cracking the Top 100 in the world list and Le Quartier Français remains the most lauded restaurant in South Africa.
For the full list of the Top 100 restaurants in the world click here.