Consolidated "Pellegrino World's Best Restaurants" thread
The S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants made local news for the inclusion (again) of some top Sydney restaurants (Tetsuya in the Top Ten and Rockpool - falling down the list due to its change from fine-dining to casual dining).
Care to name drop those which you have tried and whether you would return? I've always wanted to try Tetsuyas. These awards mean it will be more popular than ever (if that's possible), despite subtle changes that may occur due to staffing changes. What about your city's restaurants, or cities where you travel? Would you go on the basis of the award or wait for the buzz to flatten a little? The list (2008): (Linked list includes + or - change from 2007) 1 El Bulli Spain World's Best Restaurant, Best in Europe 2 The Fat Duck UK 3 Pierre Gagnaire France 4 Mugaritz Spain Chefs Choice 5 The French Laundry USA Best Restaurant in Americas 6 Per Se USA 7 Bras France 8 Arzak Spain 9 Tetsuya's Australia Best Restaurant in Australasia 10 Noma Denmark 11 L'Astrance France 12 Gambero Rosso Italy 13 Restaurant Gordon Ramsay UK 14 L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon France 15 Le Louis XV France 16 St John UK Highest Climber 17 Jean Georges USA 18 2 Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée France 19 Hakkasan UK 20 Le Bernardin USA 21 Alinea USA 22 Le Gavroche UK 23 Dal Pescatore Italy 24 Le Cinq France 25 Troisgros France 26 El Celler de Can Roca Spain 27 Re-entry L'Hotel de Ville - Philippe Rochat Switzerland 28 Hof Van Cleve Belgium 29 Martin Berasategui Spain 30 Nobu London UK 31 Can Fabes Spain 32 Enoteca Pinchiorri Italy 33 Re-entry Le Meurice France 34 New entry Vendome Germany Highest New Entry 35 Re-entry Die Schwarzwaldstube Germany 36 Le Calandre Italy 37 Chez Panisse USA 38 Charlie Trotter's USA 39 Chez Dominique Finland 40 D.O.M Brazil 41 Daniel USA 42 Oud Sluis Netherlands 43 Ristorante Cracco Italy 44 New entry Asador Etxebarri Spain 45 Les Ambassadeurs France 46 L'Arpege France 47 Re-Entry Tantris Germany 48 Oaxen Skärgärdskrog Sweden 49 Rockpool Austrailia 50 Le Quartier Francais South Africa Best in Middle East and Africa http://www.theworlds50best.com/resta...aurant_01.html [El Bulli profile] http://www.theworlds50best.com/resta...aurant_02.html [Fat Duck profile] (etc) Likewise, to get past lists, just change the year in this link for 2007, 2006 etc: http://www.theworlds50best.com/2007_list.html |
The list is pretty ridiculous (I made another thread up for it here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=815849)
I saw in egullet a theory about how they decided on the ranking. According to this http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/item/1558/23/5/3 We have 682 reviewers, 3410 votes (about 5 each on average). The theory was that if 100 people visited a conveniently located and famous restaurant but only half of them liked it enough to give it a vote it would still get 50 votes, if 10 people went to a less well known/harder to reach restaurant and all of them gave their vote that should mean that the restaurant was better (as it scored 100% rather than 50%) but it would still only get 10 votes. Considering the sheer number of outstanding restaurants in Asia (and perhaps in Australia) and the small proportion of voters assigned these regions in comparison to other parts of the world, it's no surprise that they hardly get a look in. As it stands, meaningless. |
LapLap, just to clarify, your thread is about the list overlooking Japan's restaurants - therefore none of the restaurants on the list.
Next you'll tell me Eurovision is rigged! :eek: My question is not about the fairness of the voting system but whether this list will affect FTers' attitude or patronage of the listed restaurants. Most discussion will indeed belong in the NYC, UK and other region forums but as it is a publicity tool for tourism, there may be some worthwhile discussion here in DB. It is interesting that, per your thread, Japanese dining chains like Nobu are included, along with Japanese-chef institutions like Tetsuya in Sydney. It must be biased according to the UK market's target customers. Perhaps a few representatives of Japan's restaurant association should complain, too? |
In the past year, I've had memorable meals at
3 Pierre Gagnaire France 4 Mugaritz Spain Chefs Choice 11 L'Astrance France Memorable, each and every one. I recommend lunches rather than dinners. In France. The price is significantly less. In Spain, I don't think there is any difference between lunch and dinner prices. Pierre Gagnaire was fascinating, but a bit more odd in terms of tastes. I'll definitely return to Mugaritz and L'Astrance when in the area and able to get reservations. (L'Astrance is notoriously difficult to get in.) |
Originally Posted by BiziBB
(Post 9616907)
LapLap, just to clarify, your thread is about the list overlooking Japan's restaurants - therefore none of the restaurants on the list.
Next you'll tell me Eurovision is rigged! :eek: I've had lunch at Nobu London, wasn't that great. As far as I understood Nobu sells Japanese food but it isn't a Japanese chain. My response is that with no Japanese restaurants on the list (the city with the most Michelin stars in the world - with more to come in future editions) no Chinese restaurants and so few from any other parts of Asia the list is obviously a sham. As such, no, it's not going to affect my future choices in the slightest. Perhaps someone will be more likely to visit El Poblet in Denia (near Alicante) as a result of this list, but I'm not a molecular gastronomy devotee so I'll continue to ignore the place (I'd rather have a perfectly cooked 'Arroz a Banda' and have my fill of gastronomic porn with a divine dessert from Torreblanca's Pasteleria Totel) Interestingly, there are no mentions of El Poblet in Flyertalk, and the only person who's recommended Pasteleria Totel (in Elda, half an hour's bus ride from Alicante, where one of the world's greatest confectioners plies his trade and whose desserts wind up in some of the restaurants which did make it into the list) is me. |
The list makes me want to visit San Sebastian and Barcelona, so I can try MUGARITZ, ARZAK and EL BULLI.
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I listed Nobu as Japanese dining and am unsure of the ownership structure other than the fact that franchises seems to have 'celebrity' investors, possibly among others.
I don't recall if there is a Japanese person among the founders. Perhaps I should have listed it as celebrity dining instead. ;) Perhaps it is a list of the Top 50 restaurants which happen to offer Pellegrino. :D |
Originally Posted by broadwayboy
(Post 9617168)
The list makes me want to visit San Sebastian and Barcelona, so I can try MUGARITZ, ARZAK and EL BULLI.
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I think I'm in the LapLap camp here. Where a top 50 list does not include any restaurant in Asia (and does include restaurants like Rockpool which hasn't been considered at the top echelon of australian restaurants for years) it seems completely irrelevant to me. If anything it would make me less likely to visit those restaurants as the reviewers have such a different view of what a top restaurant is than me.
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I've been to exactly zero on the list. :(
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I have been to 7 on the list. While I liked them all, I certainly wouldnt agree with their ordering completely. I also have been to several I would place above some on the list. Of the 7 I have been to, however, I would place the highest on their list, Pierre Gagnaire, as the best of the 7.
Those 7 are: 3 16 17 20 37 41 46 I liked 16 a lot, been there quite a few times, but I would place all of the others ahead of it except maybe 41. I would also place #46 and maybe 41 ahead of all but #3 and 20. Heck, my rankings would be: 3 20 37 tie 46 tie 17 16 41 |
Originally Posted by BiziBB
(Post 9617270)
I listed Nobu as Japanese dining and am unsure of the ownership structure other than the fact that franchises seems to have 'celebrity' investors, possibly among others.
I don't recall if there is a Japanese person among the founders. Perhaps I should have listed it as celebrity dining instead. ;) Perhaps it is a list of the Top 50 restaurants which happen to offer Pellegrino. :D A more comprehensive background article on him: http://www.newyorkrestaurantinsider....t2007-nobu.asp |
It looks like I've eaten at 14 of those restaurants. I have to ROFL at #30 (Nobu London). I've dined there three times, and it's always below average. I've dined at all of the USA Nobus. They're usually a safe bet, but nothing world class. The London Nobu that I've been to (Park Lane) is by far the worst Nobu I've been to. Don't get me wrong -- it's still good and I'll go back for lunch if I'm across the street (Hilton Park Lane), but it's by no means a world class restaurant. The scene isn't all that either.
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I've been to just 2. #5 and 37. Our first visit to #5 was superb, that we were eager to try it again. Second visit left us less than satisfied that I doubt I'll be going back again.
#37 failed to live up to expectations. But I am willing to give it a second try. |
I've only eaten at #46... for lunch. Would absolutely go back.
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