Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca has reclaimed its crown as the No.1 restaurant in The World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards. 2014’s winner, Noma, was knocked off the top spot and dropped to third place, with Italy’s Osteria Francescana taking second.
The triumphant Girona restaurant owned by the Roca brothers – Joan, Josep and Jordi, pictured above – is famous for its cutting-edge interpretations of classic Catalan cooking and last took the top spot in 2013.
Speaking to the audience at London’s Guildhall upon collecting the award, Josep Roca said: “It would be nice if all you chefs had the opportunity to be up here some day. This is the best thing in the world. Thanks team.”
Speaking to Square Meal before the results were announced, Noma co-owner and chef René Redzepi said he wasn’t worried about the possibility of losing out. The Danish eatery has won four times since 2010, its run only interrupted by El Celler de Can Roca in 2013 and this year.
He said: “I’m not nervous about the result. It’s our 10th time on the list. We might lose the number one spot, but then we can win it back.” René also revealed he would announce plans later this year for a new restaurant in Denmark. “We’ve been working on something for a couple of years, a Noma 2.0.”
Chef-patron of Modena’s Osteria Francescana, Massimo Bottura (pictured above at the event next to the Lavazza bar), will be in London at the end of this month, cooking at Sotheby’s auction house from 27-29 June. Diners can expect a seven-course tasting menu inspired by the work of artists such as Damien Hirst, Ai Weiwei and Picasso.
Only two UK restaurants made the top 50 this year:
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (above and bottom), which fell two places to No.7, and
The Ledbury (below), which dropped 10 spots to No.20. Dinner’s executive chef Ashley Palmer-Watts told Square Meal: “There’s always a lot of hype and negativity around the list, it’s always controversial. But it's a great accolade to be part of, wherever we come on the list. It’s just amazing to be part of the whole thing and to be here among some of the greatest chefs who have ever cooked.”
The highest new entry on the list was Moscow’s White Rabbit, which came in at No.23, while the Lifetime Achievement Award went to New York-based French chef Daniel Boulud.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards were founded in 2002, and it was announced this week that the ceremony will be held in New York in 2016, having always previously been held in London.
Click here for a list of the top 50
This article was published 2 June 2015.
Top image credited to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2015 in association with S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, and onEdition Photography, the official photographers for the ceremony.