(CNN) – The soft clink of glasses, the murmur of conversation, soft lights, and scents that whet your appetite.
All of this was sorely missed when restaurants around the world were forced to close their doors in 2020 and 2021, ovens went cold, and owners and workers faced an uncertain future.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards, an event considered the Oscars of the fine dining world, were also forced to take a hiatus last year, but they finally made a comeback, and the top two restaurants on the list are in Copenhagen.
The number 1 position this year is for what is perhaps the best known name in gastronomy: Noma. Danish chef René Redzepi’s three-star Michelin restaurant first opened in Copenhagen’s Christianshavn neighborhood in 2003 and took first place at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in 2010.
A new rule introduced in the 2019 awards made previous first title winners ineligible for the list, but Noma approved as it closed in 2016 and then reopened at a new location in Copenhagen two years later.
This fundamental rule change excludes New York’s Eleven Madison Park, The Fat Duck near London, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, and the 2019 winner Mirazur in Menton, France. These restaurants are now enrolled in a separate “Best of the Best” program, of which Noma is the newest member.
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Noma might as well be the most famous restaurant in the world. Courtesy of Noma
The fight for survival
Taking the stage at the Flanders Convention and Meeting Center in Antwerp, Belgium, Redzepi recalled the life-changing experience of winning the award for the first time 11 years ago: “In the wake of this victory, all dreams seemed open. It also gave us the opportunity to be part, a part, of a transformation of the food culture of an entire region ”.
He also reflected on the tough times facing the industry. “If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is how fragile our dreams can be, how incredibly strenuous and difficult this industry can be,” he said.
“I want to acknowledge all the restaurants and people in the industry who have struggled to survive. It feels a little strange to be standing on this stage knowing that there are still so many people fighting. ”
To end on a hopeful note, he said of the Noma team: “We spent the last year and a half dreaming something. We are going to build it now ”.
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Live well in Lima
Diners who can’t get a table at Noma can always try their Copenhagen neighbor Geranium, second, where chef Rasmus Kofoed serves an adventurous seasonal menu that speaks to his love of seafood. Ingredients offered include squid, melted smoked lard, and yeast essence.
Rasmus Kofoed’s Copenhagen restaurant Geranium was ranked second on the 2021 list. Claes Bech Poulsen / Geranium
In the rest of Western Europe, Spain’s performance this year was also strong. Larrabetzu’s Asador Etxebarri, where all dishes, including desserts, are cooked on the grill, came in third place, while chef Víctor Arguinzoniz was chosen by his peers as the winner of the Chefs’ Choice Award. Enjoy, in Barcelona, rose to number 5, Mugaritz from San Sebastián slipped to number 14, while DiverXO from Madrid reached number 20.
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Lima had two restaurants in the top 10: Central, by chefs Virgilio Martínez and Pía León, who rose two places to fourth place, and Maido at number 7, whose offer is Japanese-Peruvian fusion, highlighting the lucuma ice cream , topped with soy sauce and macambo foam.
Although renowned restaurants in Lima and elsewhere from Mexico City to Singapore are in the top 10, no restaurant outside of Europe or North America has ever won the World’s 50 Best award.
Since the start of the competition in 2002, the 18 winners have come from Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Italy and France.
Honoring female talent
Pía León de Central not only celebrated the award for Best Restaurant in South America, but was also named Best Female Chef in the World. It’s an honor that draws some controversy, as critics see it as reinforcing the inequality that event organizers say it helps address.
Dominique Crenn, of French origin, co-owner and chef of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco (number 48 on the list), won the Icon award.
William Drew, Director of Content for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, said: “Crenn is not just an outstanding chef and restaurateur, she is an example of someone who speaks truth to power in all aspects of her life, through his leadership, humanity and a never-ending campaign for social justice both inside and outside the hospitality sphere ”.
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Hiša Franko from Slovenia, led by Ana Roš, winner of the award for Best Female Chef in the World in 2017, also had a good night: she climbed 17 places in the ranking to No. 21.
Special Awards
The Art of Hospitality award went to Steirereck from Vienna, at number 12, where highlights could include sunflower and Jerusalem artichoke with lamb gizzards, or the characteristic charred fish cooked next to the table in beeswax with “pollen”. Of yellow carrot and sour cream.
Boragó, in Santiago, Chile, number 38 on the list, won the Sustainable Restaurant Award. He has his own biodynamic farm and a focus on hyperlocal ‘zero kilometer’ cuisine.
Ikoyi, at St. James’s in London, took home the “One to Watch” award. Run by childhood friends Jeremy Chan and Ire Hassan-Odukale, it serves authentic West African flavors in a stylish, modern setting.
Will Goldfarb of Bali Room 4 Dessert, born in the USA and star of the Netflix series “Chef’s Table”, won the award for Best Pastry Chef.
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The 50 best restaurants in the world and best restaurants in Paso Robles
1. Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark)
2. Geranium (Copenhagen, Denmark)
3. Asador Etxebarri (Axpe, Spain)
4. Central (Lima, Peru) * Best restaurant in South America *
5. Enjoy (Barcelona, Spain)
6. Frantzén (Stockholm, Sweden)
7. Maido (Lima, Peru) (Up three places)
8. Odette (Singapore) * Best restaurant in Asia *
9. Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico) * Best Restaurant in North America *
10. The Chairman (Hong Kong) * Highest Climb Award *
11. Den (Tokyo, Japan)
12. Steirereck (Vienna, Austria) * Art of Hospitality Award *
13. Don Julio (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
14. Mugaritz (San Sebastián, Spain)
15. Lido 84 (Gardone Riviera, Italy) * New Entry Grand Prize *
16. Elkano (Getaria, Spain)
17. The Casa do Porco (São Paulo, Brazil)
18. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)
19. Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)
20. DiverXO (Madrid, Spain)
21. House Franko (Kobarid, Slovenia)
22. Cosme (New York)
23. Arpège (Paris, France)
24. Septime (Paris, France)
25. White Rabbit (Moscow, Russia)
26. Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)
27. Quintonil (Mexico City, Mexico)
28. Benu (San Francisco, California)
29. Reale (Castel di Sangro, Italy)
30. Twins Garden (Moscow, Russia)
31. Tim Raue Restaurant (Berlin, Germany)
32. The Clove Club (London, UK)
33. Lyle’s (London, UK)
34. Burnt Ends (Singapore) * New entry *
35. Ultraviolet (Shanghai, China)
36. Hof van Cleve (Kruishoutem, Belgium)
37. SingleThread (Healdsburg, California)
38. Boragó (Santiago, Chile) * Sustainable Restaurant Award *
39. Florilege (Tokyo, Japan) * New entry *
40. Sühring (Bangkok, Tailandia)
41. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris, France)
42. Belcanto (Lisbon, Portugal)
43. Atomix (New York) * New entry *
44. Le Bernardin (New York)
45. Nobelhart & Schmutzig (Berlin, Germany) * New entry *
46. Leo (Bogota, Colombia)
47. Maaemo (Oslo, Norway)
48. Atelier Crenn (San Francisco, California)
49. Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Spain)
50. Wolfgat (Paternoster, South Africa) * Best restaurant in Africa *
