[url]Denmark's Noma continued to dominate the awards, securing the top spot for the third year in a row.
The second and third spots on this year's ranking replicated those from 2011, going to two Spanish restaurants El Celler De Can Roca and Mugaritz. The latter's chef, Andoni Luis Aduriz, won the chef's choice award for 2012.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, which re-invents dishes from as far back as the 14th century, was the highest ranked new entrant on the list, taking the No. 9 spot. This award was won last year by another London restaurant The Ledbury, helmed by Australian chef Brett Graham. It rose 20 places this year, the biggest jump of any on the list, to secure the No. 14 ranking.
The World's 50 Best Restaurants is judged by more than 800 food critics, writers and chefs from around the globe. It is considered a guide to emerging trends in dining, honouring those on the forefront of culinary innovation. This year marks its 10th anniversary.
In the lead-up to the release of the list, two other awards were announced. Elena Arzak Espina from Spanish restaurant Arzak was named the best female chef. Her restaurant was judged the eighth best this year.
Thomas Keller, whose Californian restaurant The French Laundry topped the list in 2003 and 2004, was honoured with a lifetime achievement award. His restaurants are still major players in the international food scene. The French Laundry re-entered the top 50 this year at no. 43 (it was ranked 56 in 2011) and his New York restaurant Per Se was the highest ranked of all US restaurants at No. 6.
Success on the list can have a dramatic impact on a business. In an interview with Bloomberg after his first ever top placing for Noma, chef Rene Redzepi said they went from not being able to fill tables for the lunch service to more than 100,000 people trying to book a table in the restaurant online.
"So in one day, we could have filled our restaurant for almost 15 years," he told the publication.
"It was a crazy thing."
Read more: http://www.theworlds50best.com/
We're thinking that [/url=http://www.dinnerbyheston.com/]"Dinner By Heston" may be the venue for Hen's half century birthday celebration.
