World’s 50 best restaurants of 2017

Maureen O'Hare
By Maureen O'Hare and Chris Dwyer, CNN
Updated 11:28 AM EDT, Wed April 5, 2017
<strong>World's best restaurants: </strong>The top 20 leading fine dining venues of 2017 were revealed at a ceremony in Melbourne, Australia. Click through the gallery to discover the top 20 finest places to eat on the planet.
World's best restaurants: The top 20 leading fine dining venues of 2017 were revealed at a ceremony in Melbourne, Australia. Click through the gallery to discover the top 20 finest places to eat on the planet.
Getty Images
<strong>25. Tickets (Barcelona): </strong> The pet project of brothers Ferran and Adrià, Tickets' innovative tapas bites and playful interior are a nod to Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory. Click through the gallery to see the top 25 winners of the 2017 <a href="http://www.theworlds50best.com" target="_blank" target="_blank">World's 50 Best Restaurants</a> Awards.
25. Tickets (Barcelona): The pet project of brothers Ferran and Adrià, Tickets' innovative tapas bites and playful interior are a nod to Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory. Click through the gallery to see the top 25 winners of the 2017 World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards.
Moises Torne
<strong>24. Amber (Hong Kong): </strong>Richard Ekkebus's Amber wowed The World's 50 Best Restaurants' judges with its quality ingredients and top-notch contemporary French cooking.
24. Amber (Hong Kong): Richard Ekkebus's Amber wowed The World's 50 Best Restaurants' judges with its quality ingredients and top-notch contemporary French cooking.
Amber
<strong>23. White Rabbit (Moscow): </strong>Chef Vladimir Mukhin creates luxurious spin on classic Russian dishes at White Rabbit. The "Alice in the Wonderland"-inspired restaurant has a spectacular 360-degree view of Moscow.
23. White Rabbit (Moscow): Chef Vladimir Mukhin creates luxurious spin on classic Russian dishes at White Rabbit. The "Alice in the Wonderland"-inspired restaurant has a spectacular 360-degree view of Moscow.
Courtesy White Rabbit
<strong>22. Quintonil (Mexico City): </strong>A protégée of Pujol's Enrique Olvera, Jorge Vallejo serves a menu focusing on vegetables and herbs -- many of which are picked from the chef's nearby garden.
22. Quintonil (Mexico City): A protégée of Pujol's Enrique Olvera, Jorge Vallejo serves a menu focusing on vegetables and herbs -- many of which are picked from the chef's nearby garden.
Courtesy Quintonil
<strong>21. Alinea (Chicago): </strong>Blending art and food, a dinner at Alinea is a theatrical and multisensory experience. One of chef Grant Achatz's famous inventions is an edible green apple helium balloon that floats past diners' tables.
21. Alinea (Chicago): Blending art and food, a dinner at Alinea is a theatrical and multisensory experience. One of chef Grant Achatz's famous inventions is an edible green apple helium balloon that floats past diners' tables.
Courtesy Alinea
<strong>20. Pujol (Mexico City): </strong>Celebrity chef-owner Enrique Olvera serves up Mexican haute cuisine in Mexico City's upscale Polanco district. The signature dish is the Mole Madre -- reheated for more than 1,200 days.
20. Pujol (Mexico City): Celebrity chef-owner Enrique Olvera serves up Mexican haute cuisine in Mexico City's upscale Polanco district. The signature dish is the Mole Madre -- reheated for more than 1,200 days.
Pujol
<strong>19. Geranium (Copenhagen): </strong>Helmed by ex-Noma chef Rasmus Kofoed, Geranium's terroir-driven cuisine has already earned it three Michelin stars.
19. Geranium (Copenhagen): Helmed by ex-Noma chef Rasmus Kofoed, Geranium's terroir-driven cuisine has already earned it three Michelin stars.
Geranium
<strong>18. Narisawa (Tokyo): </strong>Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa spent eight years training in Europe before opening this award-winning eatery, where he delivers French cuisine featuring Japanese ingredients.
18. Narisawa (Tokyo): Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa spent eight years training in Europe before opening this award-winning eatery, where he delivers French cuisine featuring Japanese ingredients.
Sergio Coimbra
<strong>17. Le Bernardin (New York City): </strong>Chef Eric Ripert has headed up the kitchen of New York restaurant Le Bernardin for more than 20 years. He took over after the death of French co-founder Gilbert Le Coze, who set up the restaurant with sister Maguy LeCoze.
17. Le Bernardin (New York City): Chef Eric Ripert has headed up the kitchen of New York restaurant Le Bernardin for more than 20 years. He took over after the death of French co-founder Gilbert Le Coze, who set up the restaurant with sister Maguy LeCoze.
Le Bernardin
<strong>16. D.O.M. (Sao Paolo, Brazil): </strong>D.O.M.'s chef-patron Alex Atala is known for his use of traditional local fare such as palm hearts and cassava.
16. D.O.M. (Sao Paolo, Brazil): D.O.M.'s chef-patron Alex Atala is known for his use of traditional local fare such as palm hearts and cassava.
Wellington Nemeth
<strong>15. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy): </strong>Piazza Duomo -- helmed by chef Enrico Crippa -- showcases herbs, flowers and fruits, many of them sourced from the venue's own organic garden.
15. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy): Piazza Duomo -- helmed by chef Enrico Crippa -- showcases herbs, flowers and fruits, many of them sourced from the venue's own organic garden.
Piazza Duomo
<strong>14. Restaurant Andre (Singapore): </strong>Chef-owner Andre Chiang reinterprets Southern French cuisine over multiple courses, reflecting his upbringing in Taiwan and stints in France, Shanghai and the Seychelles.
14. Restaurant Andre (Singapore): Chef-owner Andre Chiang reinterprets Southern French cuisine over multiple courses, reflecting his upbringing in Taiwan and stints in France, Shanghai and the Seychelles.
Restaurant Andre
<strong>13. Alain Ducasse Au Plaza Athenee (Paris)</strong> Following refurbishment, the Plaza Athenee hotel in Paris has reopened and with it, the Alain Ducasse Au Plaza Athenee.<strong> </strong>The restaurant shot up to 13th place, making it the highest-placed re-entry.
13. Alain Ducasse Au Plaza Athenee (Paris) Following refurbishment, the Plaza Athenee hotel in Paris has reopened and with it, the Alain Ducasse Au Plaza Athenee. The restaurant shot up to 13th place, making it the highest-placed re-entry.
Pierre Monetta
<strong>12. Arpege (Paris): </strong>Now in its 31st year, the Art Deco Arpege has held three Michelin stars for two of those decades. The restaurant is noted for its pioneering use of vegetables.
12. Arpege (Paris): Now in its 31st year, the Art Deco Arpege has held three Michelin stars for two of those decades. The restaurant is noted for its pioneering use of vegetables.
Courtesy Arpege
<strong>11. Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantino Hills, New York), </strong>Helmed by native New Yorker Dan Barber, Blue Hill at Stone Barns was this year's highest climber.
11. Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantino Hills, New York), Helmed by native New Yorker Dan Barber, Blue Hill at Stone Barns was this year's highest climber.
Andre Baranowski
<strong>10. Steirereck (Vienna): </strong>Vienna restaurant Steirereck offers modern Austrian cuisine made with fresh ingredients from the chef's own farm.
10. Steirereck (Vienna): Vienna restaurant Steirereck offers modern Austrian cuisine made with fresh ingredients from the chef's own farm.
Steirereck
<strong>9. Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain): </strong>Led by chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, San Sebastian restaurant Mugaritz serves what's described as techno-emotional Spanish cuisine.
9. Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain): Led by chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, San Sebastian restaurant Mugaritz serves what's described as techno-emotional Spanish cuisine.
Mugaritz
<strong>8. Maido (Lima, Peru): </strong>At Lima's Maido, chef Mitsuharu Tsumura blends Peruvian and Japanese cuisines to create his own vision.
8. Maido (Lima, Peru): At Lima's Maido, chef Mitsuharu Tsumura blends Peruvian and Japanese cuisines to create his own vision.
Courtesy Maido
<strong>7. Gaggan (Bangkok): </strong>Bangkok's Gaggan has held on to the title of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2016/02/29/foodanddrink/asia-best-restaurant-2016/index.html" target="_blank">Asia's Best Restaurant</a> for two years running. Chef Gaggan Anand opened his eponymous restaurant in the Thai capital in 2010 with a mission and vision to "reinvigorate" Indian cuisine by exploiting contemporary techniques and adding molecular twists to traditional Indian dishes.
7. Gaggan (Bangkok): Bangkok's Gaggan has held on to the title of Asia's Best Restaurant for two years running. Chef Gaggan Anand opened his eponymous restaurant in the Thai capital in 2010 with a mission and vision to "reinvigorate" Indian cuisine by exploiting contemporary techniques and adding molecular twists to traditional Indian dishes.
Allwecandid
<strong>6. Asador Etxebarri (Biscay, Spain) </strong>Moving up four spots, Spain's Asador Etxebarri offers creative dishes cooked over a Spanish wood-fired barbecue.
6. Asador Etxebarri (Biscay, Spain) Moving up four spots, Spain's Asador Etxebarri offers creative dishes cooked over a Spanish wood-fired barbecue.
Asador Etxebarri
<strong>5. Central (Lima, Peru): </strong>Slipping down one place this year, Lima's Central managed to hold onto a slot in the top five. It's the current titleholder of <a href="http://www.theworlds50best.com/latinamerica/en/" target="_blank" target="_blank">Latin America's Best Restaurant</a>.
5. Central (Lima, Peru): Slipping down one place this year, Lima's Central managed to hold onto a slot in the top five. It's the current titleholder of Latin America's Best Restaurant.
Central
<strong>4. Mirazur (Menton, France): </strong>Mediterranean restaurant Mirazur, run by Argentinian-Italian chef Mauro Colagreco, sits on the French side of the Riviera, just steps from the Italian border.
4. Mirazur (Menton, France): Mediterranean restaurant Mirazur, run by Argentinian-Italian chef Mauro Colagreco, sits on the French side of the Riviera, just steps from the Italian border.
Anthony Lanneretonne Photographer
<strong>3. El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain): </strong>El Celler de Can Roca took the top spot in 2013 and 2015. This year it won the Art of Hospitality Award.
3. El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain): El Celler de Can Roca took the top spot in 2013 and 2015. This year it won the Art of Hospitality Award.
Courtesy of El Celler de Can Roca
<strong>2. Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy): </strong>In 2016 it was the first ever Italian winner. This year chef Massimo Bottura's Modena restaurant slipped down one place to No. 2.
2. Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy): In 2016 it was the first ever Italian winner. This year chef Massimo Bottura's Modena restaurant slipped down one place to No. 2.
PAOLO TERZI Fotografo, Modena
<strong>1. Eleven Madison Park (New York): </strong>The first US winner since California's French Laundry took the top slot in 2003 and 2004, Eleven Madison Park is helmed by Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm.
1. Eleven Madison Park (New York): The first US winner since California's French Laundry took the top slot in 2003 and 2004, Eleven Madison Park is helmed by Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm.
Eleven Madison Park
2017 World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards
CNN  — 

For only the second time in its 15-year history, the World Best Restaurant Awards has named a fine dining venue outside of Europe as the planet’s greatest.

New York’s Eleven Madison Park knocked Italy’s Osteria Francescana into second place and pushed Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca into third, after seven years climbing the leader board.

The 2017 ceremony took place in Melbourne, Australia on April 5, having moved from New York the year before.

Eleven Madison Park is the first US winner since California’s French Laundry took the grand prize in 2004.

It’s helmed by Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm, who along with co-owner Will Guidara, delivers modern European food with a New York twist in an art deco building just off Manhattan’s Madison Park.

The restaurant’s seasonal tasting menu, served in a way that blurs the line between kitchen and dining room, celebrates the city’s rich history and cultural traditions.

Call it a culinary bromance, but as Will Guidara explained exclusively to CNN immediately following the award ceremony: “For us, any time you succeed in anything you need the ability to take stock of what got you there in the first place. For us it’s this relationship, this trust, this dynamic.

“I work with my best friend and it means that when we’re successful we succeed together and when we fall down, we fall down together.”

Swiss-born Humm added: “We wanted to create one of the great dining rooms of the world but this was only possible because we have each other. There was nothing in the world we can’t do.”

The stage for the World’s 50 Best Awards couldn’t have been grander, Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building, a domed pavilion from 1880 where a red carpet thronged with familiar faces in what has been coined the Oscars of the food world.

Each of the top 50 chefs – well, 47 of them who were present – wore a red sash, while stellar names like Heston Blumenthal wandered the floor followed by selfie-seekers.

The father of multi-sensory cuisine – don’t mention the words molecular gastronomy – Blumenthal brought on a standing ovation as he picked up the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Meet Virgilio Martinez, Peru's best chef

French-born Dominique Ansel, who created the cronut at his eponymous New York bakery, picked up the World’s Best Pastry Chef award.

The Sustainable Restaurant award went to Septime from Paris while the highest new entry was also taken by Paris in the form of Le Pavillon Ledoyen by Yannick Alleno.

The Chef’s award – voted for by fellow chefs – went to Virgilio Martinez from Central in Lima.

Barcelona’s Disfrutar was named 2017’s One to Watch. Last year’s One to Watch, Tokyo’s Den, made its debut in the Top 50 at No.45.

Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca – the World’s Best Restaurant in 2013 and 2015 – won the Art of Hospitality Award.

And while female-led restaurants were underrepresented in the awards overall, Slovenia’s Ana Ros – who helms Hiša Franko in the Soca Valley – was named World’s Best Female Chef.

The 50 best

1. Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy)

2. Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy) *best restaurant in Europe*

3. El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain)

6. Mirazur (Menton, France)

5. Central (Lima) *best restaurant in South America*

10. Asador Etxebarri (Biscay, Spain)

7. Gaggan (Bangkok) *best restaurant in Asia*

8. Maido (Lima, Peru)

9. Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain)

10. Steirereck (Vienna)

11. D.O.M. (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

12. Quintonil (Mexico City)

13. Maido (Lima) – Highest riser

14. Ledbury (London)

15. Alinea (Chicago)

16. Azurmendi (Near Bilbao, Spain)

17. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)

18. White Rabbit (Moscow)

19. Arpege (Paris)

20. Amber (Hong Kong)

21. Arzak (San Sebastian, Spain)

22. The Test Kitchen (Cape Town, South Africa)

23. Gaggan (Bangkok)

24. Le Bernardin (New York City)

25. Pujol (Mexico City)

26. Clove Club (London) – Highest new entry

27. Saison (San Francisco)

29. Tickets (Barcelona)

30. Astrid y Gaston (Lima)

31. Nihonryori RyuGin (Tokyo)

32. Restaurant Andre (Singapore)

33. Attica (Melbourne, Australia)

34. Restaurant Tim Raue (Berlin, Germany)

35. Vendome (Bergisch Gladbach, Germany)

36. Borago (Santiago)

37. Nahm (Bangkok)

38. De Librije (Zwolle, Netherlands)

39. Le Calandre (Padua, Italy)

40. Relae (Copenhagen)

41. Faviken (Jarpen, Sweden)

42. Ultraviolet (Shanghai, China)

43. Biko (Mexico City)

44. Estela (New York)

45. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (London)

46. Combal.Zero (Rivoli, Italy)

47. Schloss Schauenstein (Furstenau, Switzerland)

48. Blue Hill at Stone Barns (New York)

49. Quique Dacosta (Denia, Spain)

50. Septime (Paris)

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