Glamour, intrigue, controversy and the planet’s most talented culinary chefs gathered last night at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Hotel to attend the 18^th iteration of ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ sponsored by San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. The annual event, which launched back in 2002, aims at highlighting the diversity of the world’s culinary arts. The winners are elected based on a panel of more than 1,000 culinary experts combined with a structured and audited voting procedure.

Unlike previous years, this year’s new rule changes constituted a welcome change for restaurants that have never made it to the top spot. On the other hand, those that have (7 thus far), could no longer qualify, leaving room for just about everyone else.

Danish Chef’s Rene Redzepi’s Noma, the co-owned two-Michelin star restaurant in Copenhagen, which has already won the title four times was automatically knocked-out of contention. This opened the possibility for other reputed eateries such as Mauro Colagreco’s Mirazur in Menton, France; Gaggan Anand’s Gaggan in Bangkok, as well as Virgilio Martinez and Pia Leon’s Central in Lima to win the title.

The rule change, industry experts speculate, is a diversity initiative. Furthermore, an equally noteworthy rule states that restaurants, which relocated their physical location are also disqualified from the top spot. On a different note, this rule, some believe is intended to dispel years of criticism surrounding the award as being biased toward white European male chefs.

To the surprise of many, Mauro Colagreco’s Mirazur, a two-Michelin star restaurant located at the French Riviera and bordering Italy set an unprecedented win for being the award’s first-best French eatery. It is most renowned for its salted beetroot with caviar cream. (See picture below)

Other notable changes saw the organizers removing previous winners from this year’s list, a decision presumed to further promote a bigger ‘turnover’. The 2019 winners saw five female-run restaurant chefs with the honorary title of ‘World’s Best Female Chef’ going to North-Irish Chef Clare Smyth. Enrique Olvera’s Pujol in Mexico City won the top ranking of all nominated North American restaurants and Leo became the award’s first Colombian restaurant to make the list.

The full list

The world’s 50 best restaurants

1. Mirazur (Menton, France)
2. Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark) *Highest-ever new entry*
3. Asador Etxebarri (Axpe, Spain)
4. Gaggan (Bangkok) *best restaurant in Asia*
5. Geranium (Copenhagen, Denmark)
6. Central (Lima, Peru) *best restaurant in South America*
7. Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain)
8. Arpege (Paris, France) Alain Passard’s property
9. Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain) *last year’s highest new entry*
10. Maido (Lima, Peru)
11. Den (Tokyo, Japan) *Art of Hospitality Award*
12. Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico) *Best Restaurant in North America*
13. White Rabbit (Moscow, Russia)
14. Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Spain) *Highest Climber Award*
15. Septime (Paris, France)
16. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (Paris, France)
17. Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)
18. Odette (Singapore)
19. Twins Garden (Moscow, Russia) *new entry*
20. Tickets (Barcelona, Spain)
21. Frantzén (Stockholm, Sweden)
22. Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)
23. Cosme (New York City)
24. Quintonil (Mexico City, Mexico)
25. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris, France)
26. Boragó (Santiago, Chile)
27. The Clove Club (London, UK)
28. Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantico Hills, New York)
29. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)
30. Elkano (Getaria, Spain)
31. Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)
32. Nerua (Bilbao, Spain)
33. Lyle’s (London, UK)
34. Don Julio (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
35. Atelier Crenn (San Francisco)
36. Le Bernardin (New York City)
37. Alinea (Chicago)
38. Hiša Franko (Kobarid, Slovenia)
39. A Casa do Porco (São Paulo, Brazil)
40. Restaurant Tim Raue (Berlin, Germany)
41. The Chairman (Hong Kong, China)
42. Belcanto (Lisbon, Portugal)
43. Hof van Cleve (Kruishoutem, Belgium)
44. Test Kitchen (Cape Town, South Africa) *Best restaurant in Africa*
45. Sühring (Bangkok, Thailand)
46. De Librije (Zwolle, Netherlands)
47. Benu (San Francisco)
48. Ultraviolet (Shanghai, China)
49. Leo (Bogotá, Colombia)
50. Schloss Schauenstein (Fürstenau, Switzerland)

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants