It’s a long way from baked beans or greasy fish and chips: a converted English pub serving bacon-and-egg ice cream and snail porridge has been named the world’s best restaurant by Restaurant magazine. The list of the world’s top 50 restaurants was compiled by an international panel of more than 500 chefs, food critics and restaurateurs, comparing factors including culinary excellence, service and overall dining experience.
The Fat Duck in Bray, a riverside village west of London, took top honours in Restaurant magazine’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. Founded by British chef Heston Blumenthal, the Fat Duck has championed “molecular gastronomy”, the application of laboratory science to cooking. The results have included sardine on toast sorbet, snail porridge – the restaurant’s signature dish – and salmon poached with liquorice. Fourteen of the magazine’s top 50 were British, including 11 in London.
The revival of British cuisine has been recognised in the US as well. America’s leading food magazine, Gourmet, last month named London as the best place to eat in the world. It was the first time the magazine had dedicated a single issue to Britain.
The editor of Restaurant, Ella Johnston, said the list showed the strength of Britain’s restaurant business. “It is now an extension of the entertainment industry,” she said. “Chefs are stars. We are a nation that loves to eat out. It is a huge part of our culture now.”
Restaurant Magazine’s Top 10:
- The Fat Duck, Bray, England
- El Bulli, Montjoi, Spain
- The French Laundry, Yountville, California.
- Tetsuya’s, Sydney, Australia
- Gordon Ramsay, London
- Pierre Gagnaire, Paris
- Per Se, New York
Get Emails Updates
