2008 S. Pellegrino’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants

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Unveiled at a special event at the Freemason’s Hall in London on 21 April, which was attended by some of the world’s greatest chefs and restaurateurs, the 2008 list represents the collation of 3,140 votes from the Academy judges from all over the world.

For the third year running, Fernan Adria’s El Bulli (Roses, Spain) was chosen as the best restaurant in Europe and the rest of the world, pipping Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck (Berkshire, UK) to the post yet again. Pierre Gagnaire (Paris, France) came in third place, followed by Mugaritz (Renteria, Spain), which was also voted the Chefs’ Choice, The French Laundry (Yountville, USA), which was also voted the Best Restaurant in the Americas, Per Se (New York, USA), Bras (Laguiole, France), Arzak (San Sebastian, Spain), Tetsuya (Sydney, Australia), also voted the Best Restaurant in Australasia, and Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark).

The country with the largest number of restaurants in the top 50 is France with 11, followed by USA with eight, Spain with seven, UK with six, Italy with five, Germany with three, Australia with two, and Denmark, South Africa, Switzerland, Belgium, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden and Brazil all with one a apiece.

First published by Restaurant magazine in 2002 and now in its seventh year, The S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants is recognised around the world as the most credible indicator of the best places to eat on Earth. It stimulates fervent debate and sometimes controversy, but the excitement it generates amongst those who aspire to make the list, and the massive interest it brings to the restaurant industry in general, have seen it grow into an eagerly anticipated, internationally influential event.

The list is compiled by The Nespresso World’s 50 Best Academy, a group of prominent food writers, critics, publishers and commentators, who each represent a different global region and chair a carefully selected voting panel for that region.

Published
23/04/2008