Australia’s Tetsuya Wakuda has again been recognised on the world stage by retaining his Sydney restaurant’s position in the top ten of a high profile annual listing of the best restaurants around the globe.
However, the chef’s three hatted restaurant Tetsuya’s did suffer a drop in its standing this year in the S.Pellegrino World`s 50 Best Restaurants 2008, falling from position five last year to nine.
The only other Australian restaurant on the list Neil Perry’s Rockpool restaurant also again was named in the top 50 list but fell to number 49 this year—from 33 last year. It’s inclusion came despite Perry’s restaurant being relaunched as Rockpool (fish) at the end of last year as part of a change in direction for the restaurant.
At the top of the list for the third year in a row of the world-wide poll of industry experts was Ferran Adria’s El Bulli restaurant, followed by Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck and Pierre Gagnaires’s eponymous Parisian restaurant third.
Chef’s choice was Spain’s Mugaritz restaurant which came in at four this year.
Fergus Henderson’s St John was this year’s highest climber.
A restaurant’s ranking on the list is decided on the votes of a large panel of international judges, the Nespresso World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy which comprises almost 700 chefs, restaurateurs, food writers, and restaurant critics.
In a separate poll the academy was also asked to name their regional recommendations which for the Australasia and Oceania region also included Becasse Sydney, Quay Sydney, Sean`s Panaroma, Sydney, The Pier, Sydney, and Three One Two, Melbourne.
The San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants
1 El Bulli, Spain—World's Best Restaurant and best in Europe
2 The Fat Duck, UK
3 Pierre Gagnaire, France
4 Mugaritz, Spain—Chefs Choice
5 The French Laundry USA—Best Restaurant in Americas
6 Per Se, USA
7 Bras, France
8 Arzak, Spain
9 Tetsuya's Australia, Best Restaurant in Australasia
10 Noma, Denmark
11 L'Astrance, France
12 Gambero Rosso. Italy
13 Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, UK
14 L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, France
15 Le Louis XV, France
16 St John, UK—Highest Climber
17 Jean Georges, USA
18 Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, France
19 Hakkasan, UK
20 Le Bernardin, USA
21 Alinea, USA
22 Le Gavroche, UK
23 Dal Pescatore, Italy
24 Le Cinq, France
25 Troisgros France
26 El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
27 L'Hotel de Ville—Philippe Rochat Switzerland
28 Hof Van Cleve, Belgium
29 Martin Berasategui, Spain
30 Nobu London, UK
31 Can Fabes, Spain
32 Enoteca Pinchiorri, Italy
33 Le Meurice, France
34 Vendome Germany—Highest New Entry
35 Die Schwarzwaldstube, Germany
36 Le Calandre, Italy
37 Chez Panisse, USA
38 Charlie Trotter's, USA
39 Chez Dominique, Finland
40 D.O.M, Brazil
41 Daniel, USA
42 Oud Sluis, Netherlands
43 Ristorante Cracco, Italy
44 Asador Etxebarri Spain—new entry
45 Les Ambassadeurs, France
46 L'Arpege, France
47 Tantris, Germany
48 Oaxen Skärgärdskrog, Sweden
49 Rockpool (fish), Austrailia
50 Le Quartier Francais, South Africa