Move Aside, Noma: Osteria Francescana is World’s Best Restaurant

Many of the globe’s most talented culinary masterminds convened at New York’s Cipriani Wall Street Monday night for the announcement of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2016, the first time the superlatives have been handed out outside of Europe. The esteemed awards, which many in the food world would argue are the most important ranking system for the dining scene in existence (even more so than Michelin), crowned chef Massimo Bottura’s 20-year-old, 12-table restaurant in Modena, Italy, Osteria Francescana, the king of them all. This marks the first time ever an Italian restaurant has topped the list.

“Our job is all about artwork,” said Bottura, who is known for his distinctive Italian style of cooking, after he accepted his award. “I think the most important ingredient for the future is culture. Culture brings knowledge, knowledge opens consciousness, and from the consciousness there’s a sense of responsibility.”

He trumped last year’s winner, El Celler de Can Roca in Catalonia, Spain (which earned the No.2 slot), and New York’s Eleven Madison Park earned third best on the list. The other New York restaurants that made the cut? Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Estela (an exciting new addition to the list), and Le Bernardin. Thomas Keller’s Per Se, however, did not make the cut for Top 50 this year. (Gasp!)

Also missing from the list? Female chefs. It was a big night for Dominique Crenn of San Francisco’s Atelier Crenn and Petit Crenn, who won World’s Best Female Chef 2016. But aside from Crenn, there were very few ladies who made the cut. Even star chef April Bloomfield, who provided the light bites after the ceremony, was not included.

Most surprising, however, was Rene Redzepi’s acclaimed Danish restaurant, Noma, drop from the No.3 to No.5 on the list. Previously, it had ranked in the top three since 2009.

Here, the top 10 restaurants in the world for 2016. To see the full list, visit TheWorlds50Best.com. Good luck getting at a table at any of these spots in the near future…

1. Osteria Francescana Modena, Italy

2. El Celler de Can Roca Girona, Spain

3. 11 Madison Park New York, NY, U.S.A.

4. Central Lima, Peru

5. Noma Copenhagen, Denmark

6. Mirazur Menton, France

7. Mugaritz San Sebastian, Spain

8. Narisawa Tokyo, Japan

9. Steirereck Vienna, Austria

10. Asador Etxebarri Bizkaia, Spain

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