New York played host to this year's World's 50 Best Restaurant awards where a new top dog was announced. Girona's El Celler de Can Roca was knocked from the number-one spot by Chef Massimo Bottura's restaurant, Osteria Francescana. Located in Modena, Italy, the now number one restaurant has been bombarded with requests to reserve a table and is now fully booked until November. Featured on the Netflix series Chef's Table, the three Michelin starred restaurant is known for its eccentric interpretation of Italian cuisine.
Following an accident one day in the kitchen with one of the dessert dishes, came his now infamous dessert 'Oops I dropped the lemon tart'. This is the first time an Italian restaurant has been named number one and in accepting the award, Bottura addressed the 800 guests with a plea to join him in the soup kitchen he is opening in the favelas of Rio during the Olympics as well as thanking his team and attributing the accomplishment to just "hard work". Fifteen years ago, Bottura was close to giving up with the restaurant being unsuccessful, only to be persuaded to carry on by his wife Lara. After a Michelin inspector came by chance, stranded by a road accident and awarded them their first Michelin star, the pair never looked back.
"There is a community that has been created around 50 Best," said Bottura. "We are not in competition with each other."
When asked how it felt to be the first Italian restaurant to hold the award Bottura answered, "In Italy we have three things that are untouchable - football, the Pope and food. It's something so important."
Closer to home, Melbourne's Attica restaurant was named 33 on the list, dropping one rank from 2015 and was awarded the title of Best Restaurant in Australasia.
This year's 'One to Watch' was awarded to Tokyo-born chef Zaiyu Hasegawa and his Tokyo restaurant, Jimbocho Den.
In 2017, the annual awards will be held in Melbourne.
The 2016 World's 50 Best Restaurants are:
- Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy
- El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain
- Eleven Madison Park, New York, USA
- Central, Lima, Peru
- Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Mirazur, Menton, France
- Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain
- Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
- Steirereck, Vienna, Austria
- Asador Etxebarri, Axpe, Spain
- D.O.M, Sao Paolo, Brazil
- Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico
- Maido, Lima, Peru
- The Ledbury, London, UK
- Alinea, Chicago, USA
- Azurmendi, Larrabetzu, Spain
- Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy
- White Rabbit, Moscow, Russia
- Arpege, Paris, France
- Amber, Hong Kong, China
- Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain
- The Test Kitchen, Cape Town, South Africa
- Gaggan, Bangkok, Thailand
- Le Bernardin, New York, USA
- Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico
- The Clove Club, London, UK
- Saison, San Francisco, USA
- Geranium, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Tickets, Barcelona, Spain
- Astrid y Gaston, Lima, Peru
- Nihonryori Ryugin, Tokyo, Japan
- Restaurant Andre, Singapore
- Attica, Melbourne, Australia
- Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin, Germany
- Vendome, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
- Borago, Santiago, Chile
- Nahm, Bangkok, Thailand
- De Librije, Zwolle, Netherlands
- Le Calandre, Rubano, Italy
- Relae, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Faviken, Jarpen, Sweden
- Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai, China
- Biko, Mexico City, Mexico
- Estela, New York, USA
- Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London, UK
- Combal Zero, Rivoli, Italy
- Schloss Schauenstein, Furstenau, Switzerland
- Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantino Hills, USA
- Quique Dacosta, Denia, Spain
- Septime, Paris, France
