Restaurant Magazine's Annual List

[Meaghan]

I know nothing about the academy or its board, but no doubt thought this could be an interesting conversation piece. I thought the board members were really a list of detainees at first <joke>.

Anywho, have a look...

(opps, possessive issue in that topic heading. )

[Ferhat Yalcin]

I dont see any chinese or japanese

[Sthitch]

I think that many restaurants are on this list purely out of reputation. Trotter's for instance is not even the best restaurant in Chicago, but yet they ignore Tru. There are a number of other restaurants on this list that are decent, but I would not put them on my Top 50.

And what is going on with the neurotic place names. Restaurants in New York and London are listed as such, and Alain Ducasse - Plaza Athenee in Paris is listed as France, Paris yet Pierre Gagnaire is also in Paris but listed only as France. Plus, Dieter Muller is in Germany, but Schwarzwaldstube is in Deutschland

[Joe H]

This is at least the third successive year that this English publication has published this list. It's interesting because this returns El Bulli to #1 after listing the Fench Laundry there last year. Also note the Fat Duck at number 2. It's 60 or so miles west of London. Gagnaire at number three shares a very real creative bent that the first two do although they are even more extreme. I would also note that 3 of the top 14 are in the UK while Gambero Rosso is the highest rated Italian at #13 and then it drops to 29 and 31 for Enoteca Pinchiorri and Le Calandre. Germany is slammed in this with Dieter Muller (outside of Cologne) at 34 followed by Schwarzwaldstube at 41. Personally having been to both of the German restaurants and three of the four Italians listed along with Gordon Ramsey and a half dozen of those in France there is a bit of hometown chauvinism associated with this. And, the intent to sell a few magazines with three English restaurants in or near London all rated among the top 14 in the world and a remarkable 6 among the top 36.

Simply, according to Restaurant, there are 50% more English restaurants in the World's best 50 than Italian ones and the same number found in England as in Spain including one, Le Gavroche, listed as "Best Value." I've been to Le Gavroche. It's as expensive as The Inn at Little Washington.

I can't imagine ANY London restaurant listed as the best value on any list!

Remarkable.

[Tweaked]

Funny that they list non-NYC based US restaurants as being in USA but NYC based restaurants as being in New York.

[brendanc]

Nobu? I mean a chain? you're telling me that Nobu London is a better sushi/whatever fusion thing than, oh I don't know, EVERY RESTAURANT IN JAPAN, or even the US. This is schlock. Although I do concur with the omission of Circle Bistro this year.

[qwertyy]

I'd happily eat at any of these places once I marry rich.

[shogun]

This just in! A top n list isn't all that some spectators expect it to be!

It's interesting that this year's list isn't as blatantly UK-weighted as last year's. I remember the outcry on eGullet. I like how John Mariani is the North America panel chairman. Trotter's on there, too.

[Keithstg]

Nobu? I mean a chain? you're telling me that Nobu London is a better sushi/whatever fusion thing than, oh I don't know, EVERY RESTAURANT IN JAPAN, or even the US. This is schlock. Although I do concur with the omission of Circle Bistro this year.

Good point. Masa in the US would certainly be right up there as well...

[Joe H]

Do Alain Ducasse or Joel Robuchon now qualify as having a chain? Serious. How many restaurants does Ducasse have? Ten? Twelve? More? Even an Italian restaurant in Paris and another in Italy. Robuchon with several in Paris, several in Vegas, several in Japan and, I believe, more on the way.

On Chowhound this would have been moved to the General board. I remember a moderator once claiming three cities or more qualified as a chain...