The 2011 Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards
Whether you love them, hate them, or (like Ferran Adrià) just think they need a little reform, the annual rankings were revealed tonight in London. We were nerdy enough to watch the live streaming event in our pyjamas and to post the play-by-play on our Facebook page. Rene Redzepi’s restaurant Noma retained the #1 spot, followed by two Spanish restaurants, El Celler De Can Roca and Mugaritz. The highest ranked Paris restaurant was Le Chateaubriand, which broke the the top ten for the first time this year.
Paris Results
- Le Chateaubriand – #9 in 2011, up from #11 in 2010, #40 in 2009
- L’Astrance – #13 in 2011, #16 in 2010, #11 in 2009, #11 in 2008
- L’Atelier Saint-Germain de Joël Robuchon #14 in 2011, #29 in 2010, #18 in 2009, #14 in 2008
- Pierre Gagnaire – #16 in 2011, down from #13 in 2010, #9 in 2009 #3 in 2008
- L’Arpège – #19 in 2011, not ranked in 2010 or 2009, #46 in 2008
- Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée – #45 in 2011, down from #41 in 2010, not ranked in 2009, #18 in 2008
Among the Paris rankings, there are some very different stories. Le Chateaubriand, which broke the top ten for the first time this year (and is the only French restaurant to do so) has been rising dramatically since its entry in 2009. Pierre Gagnaire, on the other hand, has steadily slipping ever since its highest point at #3 in 2008. L’Astrance, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and L’Arpège are all on a comeback kick, while Alain Ducasse has been tumbling consistently down in the rankings. Anne-Sophie Pic was named as the World’s Best Female Chef, but her restaurant (Maison Pic, Valence) didn’t make the top 50. Also ranked in the second tier was Le Meurice, squeaking in at #97.
So how do we explain the fact that Le Chateaubriand and L’Arpège are rising while Ducasse and Gagnaire are slipping? And what about all those three-star Michelin chefs (Frechon, Alleno, Savoy) who didn’t make the cut? What does it mean that David Chang’s noodle bar outranks the founder of the Collège Culinaire de France?
Full Results
- Noma, Denmark
- El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
- Mugaritz, Spain
- Osteria Francescana, Italy
- The Fat Duck, UK
- Alinea, USA
- D.O.M, Brazil
- Arzak, Spain
- Le Chateaubriand, France
- Per Se, USA
- Daniel, USA
- Les Creations de Narisawa, Japan
- L’Astrance, France
- L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, France
- Hof van Cleve, Belgium
- Pierre Gagnaire, France
- Oud Sluis, Netherlands
- Le Bernardin, USA
- L’Arpege, France
- Nihonryori RyuGin, Japan
- Vendome, Germany
- Steirereck, Austria
- Schloss Schauenstein, Switzerland
- Eleven Madison Park, USA (second highest climber)
- Aqua, Germany
- Quay, Australia
- Iggy’s, Singapore
- Combal Zero, Italy
- Martin Berasategui, Spain
- Bras, France
- Biko, Mexico
- Le Calandre, Italy
- Cracco, Italy
- The Ledbury, UK (highest new entry)
- Chez Dominique, Finland
- Le Quartier Francais, South Africa
- Amber, China
- Dal Pescatore, Italy
- Il Canto, Italy
- Momofuku Ssam Bar, USA
- St John, UK
- Astrid Y Gaston, Peru
- Hibiscus, UK
- Maison Troisgros, France
- Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee, France
- De Librije, Netherlands
- Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville, Switzerland
- Varvary, Russia
- Pujol, Mexico
- Asador Etxebarri, Spain
I am among one of the few contributors here who think Anaki Aizpitarte has talent but, but, but, fails to deliver so many times that I’ve become discouraged.
I’ve already stated my opinion on both his career http://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/john_talbotts_paris/2010/05/aizpitarte-the-la-famille-family-and-me-a-short-history.html and recentist effort at Le Dauphin http://johntalbottsparis.typepad.com/john_talbotts_paris/2011/03/le-dauphin-in-the-11th-rems-not-fixed-things-yet.html which I’ll not dwell on, but Yvonne, you are not alone.
Chateaubriand was a MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT. We were a group of 3 and left not only disappointed with the food served to us (none of the dishes arrived warm) but equally DISGUSTED with the arrogant service from the staff. We told the waiter that we were not pleased with the food served and instead of trying to find out what went wrong, he boldly said, “at least it’s good value for money at $55 Euros for the menu”. The audacity of him to suggest that $55 is good value for money when one of my desserts was actually mushrooms with chocolate sauce (literally just that with nothing creative behind it except the wild notion of putting the two items together on a plate and serving it to paying guests). It felt as if I should feel privileged to dine at Chateaubriand. Ridiculous to see the long queue waiting for the 2nd service. A restaurant to run….run away from.
I know the 50 Best list is supposed to be just a bit of fun (although, as soon as something becomes corporatised as has happened in its case, then the fun does tend to drain somewhat), BUT Ducasse’s erratic placings over the years really expose the weakness of their judging system.
Is it really that inconsistent? I very much doubt it.
While I am in grouch mode, Momofuku Ssam Bar has no business being on this list, as far as I am concerned. Way too crude.
Well done to Noma, though. That’s one restaurant the 50 Best and I do agree on.