Cover The team at Noma, the world's best restaurant in 2021. Credit: Ditte Isager
The team at Noma, the world's best restaurant in 2021. Credit: Ditte Isager
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See the full list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, featuring Hong Kong’s The Chairman and Singapore’s Odette
The city of Copenhagen became the food capital of the world as it dominated the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, held on October 5. Five-time winner Noma claimed the top prize with Geranium placing second. For the second year in a row, The Chairman was Hong Kong’s only restaurant to rank in the top 50, climbing to tenth from 41 last year.
Owner Danny Yip and chef Kwok Keung-tung’s hidden Central venue serving vibrant Cantonese cuisine was also named the Best Restaurant in Asia on this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. However, Julien Royer’s Odette ranked as the highest Asian restaurant on the global list in eighth place.
Read more: Hong Kong's The Chairman Tops Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021
Above The Chairman. Credit: Stephanie Teng
The Chairman. Credit: Stephanie Teng
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Tokyo institutions featured heavily on the list, with Den, Narisawa and Florilège each named. German restaurant Sühring in Bangkok came 40th, while the experimental Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet in Shanghai also received a nod. In a separate commendation, Will Goldfarb from Room4Dessert in Ubud, Indonesia picked up World’s Best Pastry Chef.
The three Michelin-starred Noma emerged triumphant yet again after winning three consecutive times from 2010 followed by a future top placing in 2014. Chef and owner Rene Redzepi, who was 25 when Noma opened in 2003, paid tribute to his team’s resilience throughout the pandemic and spoke of the impact of the awards on both the restaurant and Denmark’s food industry throughout the years.
In case you missed it: The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Honours Dominique Crenn with the Icon Award 2021
“Just over a year ago, I thought it was all going to end. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s how fragile our dreams can be and how incredibly gruelling and difficult this industry can be. It feels weird to be standing on this stage knowing there are so many people still fighting,” he said.
Announcing that Noma was entering “a different, post-covid cycle,” Redzepi elaborated: “We spent the last year and half dreaming. We are going to go and build it now.” To the awards, he said: “You do not know what you’ve done for our team and our region. Thank you for a wild ride.”
Above Odette in Singapore is the highest ranked Asian restaurant on the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2021 list
Odette in Singapore is the highest ranked Asian restaurant on the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2021 list
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Although the first 13 editions of World’s 50 Best were held in London, since 2015, the event has moved between cities throughout the world. Following a break from the awards in 2020, this year’s ceremony was streamed live from Antwerp in Belgium. The awards are based on a list that originally appeared in the British magazine Restaurant and its popularity saw 50 Best established as an influential, taste-making event in the culinary world. The former Catalonian restaurant El Bulli dominated in the early years of the award, winning five times within the first eight years.
Twenty-six regional panels of 40 members casting ten votes each make up the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, whose votes form the ranking.
Related: World's 50 Best Restaurants 2021: These 3 Hong Kong Restaurants Made It Onto The 51-100 List
World’s 50 Best Restaurants - The Full List
1. Noma, Denmark
2. Geranium, Denmark
3. Asador Etxebarri, Spain
4. Central, Peru (Best restaurant in South America)
5. Disfrutar, Spain
6. Frantzén, Sweden
7. Maido, Peru
8. Odette, Singapore (Best restaurant in Asia)
9. Pujol, Mexico
10. The Chairman, Hong Kong (Highest climber award)
11. Den, Japan
12. Steirereck, Austria
13. Don Julio, Argentina
14. Mugaritz, Spain
15. Lido 84, Italy (Highest new entry)
16. Elkano, Spain
17. A Casa Do Porco, Brazil
18. Piazza Duomo, Italy
19. Narisawa, Japan
20. Diverxo, Spain
21. Hiša Franko, Slovenia
22. Cosme, New York, USA
23. Arpège, France
24. Septime, France
25. White Rabbit, Russia
26. Le Calandre, Italy
27. Quintonil, Mexico
28. Benu, San Francisco, USA
29. Reale, Italy
30. Twins Garden, Russia
31. Restaurant Tim Raue, Germany
32. The Clove Club, UK
33. Lyle’s, UK
34. Burnt Ends, Singapore
35. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, Shanghai, China
36. Hof Van Cleve, Belgium
37. SingleThread, California, USA
38. Boragó, Spain
39. Florilège, Japan
40. Sühring, Thailand
41. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, France
42. Belcanto, Portugal
43. Atomix, New York, USA
44. Le Bernardin, New York, USA
45. Nobelhart & Schmutzig, Germany
46. Leo, Colombia
47. Maaemo, Norway
48. Atelier Crenn, San Francisco, USA
49. Azurmendi, Spain
50. Wolfgat, South Africa
