One of my favorite things about traveling is eating. Eating all types of foods in all types of places, from fine dining to street stalls. However I admit, one of my biggest passions is eating in fine dining restaurants. I often mention restaurants I eat in around the world in my writing and consider myself a foodie.
Living in New York City, I have been to some of the worlds best restaurants right in my own town and through travel I have been to many others around the globe. Tomorrow, The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2013 will be announced at Guildhall in London. I can’t wait to see the results!
The top 50 list; sponsored by Diners Club International; which proclaims “If you believe culture can be tasted, you belong”; is a reflection of the finest dining establishments in the world and is selected by The Diners Club Worlds 50 Best Restaurants Academy, comprised of more than 900 leading chefs, food journalists and gourmands around the world.
The 2012 top 50 list featured 11 restaurants that I have eaten in from all over the world. While I agree that they were all fabulous, I do disagree with some of the ranking order based on my own experiences. But that’s what fun about a rankings list! Everyone can have their own opinion and it draws attention to the restaurants ranked. We all have our favorites, and from the 2012 list, my favorites are Per Se in New York and Le Chateaubriand in Paris.
I am fortunate to have met some celebrity chefs over the past few years and even played in a celebrity golf tournament with one of them. Chefs are an interesting breed and fascinating to me. They live and breathe food and their passion shines through-especially at the top level.
At The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2013 tomorrow, a lifetime achievement award will be given to Alain Ducasse. I have never met Alain but I have eaten in several of his restaurants in three different countries and each one has been better than the last.
The award acknowledges Ducasse’s reputation for innovation in French cuisine (my favorite) and indisputable influence over today’s generation of chefs and restaurateurs around the globe.
I really wish I could attend the awards tomorrow in London but I will be paying close attention from here in South Africa. While the 2012 list was top heavy with 42 of the 50 restaurants coming from America, Europe and Japan; I am interested to see what new names make the list and perhaps some restaurants from lesser-known countries. Some of my favorite culinary experiences come from some of the most unexpected places!
But again, that’s what’s fun about a list. It gets everyone talking and everyone has an opinion! What’s your favorite?
Disclaimer: I did receive financial compensation for this post. Everything stated in the article is completely true and are my words but I was paid to write this and post this on my site.
I have been to 4 of these restaurants in Japan and New York.
Awesome Akiko…that’s a good amount of them!
Lee! I didn’t even know such a list existed. I live in London and haven’t been to any of the restaurants on the list. Cheers to you because you’ve given me some fun girls nights out to try these amazing restaurants.
Glad to hear it Tamara! Let me know how the London ones are and who knows, after tomorrow there might be a few more for you to try!
The Ledbury in London is my favorite all-time restaurant. Nice to see it made the list. Have you eaten there, Lee?
Daniel, I’ve not eaten there but it is #1 on my list next time I am in London!
There is not one restaurant on the list from Indonesia. Indonesia is the 4th most populous country in the world and we have many fantastic restaurants in Jakarta and all over the country. This list seems very biased to the west. I hope tomorrow they will recognize the great culinary achievements of Indonesia and other developing nations. I am glad to see Thailand and Singapore on the list but Indonesia has better food.
Hi Tana, ya I agree I’d like to see more from developing nations as I said in the post. I do love the food in Indonesia and hopefully they get one on the list tomorrow! If not, it doesn’t make the food any less good!
I personally think Le Bernardin and Eleven Madison Park are not worthy of such high praise. I understand Le Bernardin and it is very good but I think it’s been holding onto its reputation as opposed to its food. Eleven Madison Park is good, not great in my opinion. I can name 10 NYC restaurants I would put ahead of it, including Per Se. This list is great for me because I will be in Paris in a few weeks and will definitely check a few of them out and take your recommendation on Le Chateaubriand. With a name like that, you can’t go wrong!
Emily, I am surprised Eleven Mad made the list…at least as high as it did although it is excellent-obviously. Le Bernardin is excellent and while its been at least 5-6 years since I’ve been there, it is still a New York classic like Daniel or Per Se now. Let me know what you think of Le Chateaubriand-it’s excellent!
i wonder what dinner is served at the awards? Must be some serious pressure on the kitchen.
That’s the best comment ever! Also an amazing question! Who does cater an event for the 50 best restaurants on Earth?! I am going to try and find that out!
This is my next goal, to try all of these restaurants. Well graduating Uni first then save up money and hopefully try one!
Haha good luck Trevor!
This is definitely a list I would like to take a bigger bite out of! That was really corny but it is true!
Lisa, corny yes but still kind of funny and true! I think we’d all like to try more of these!
I would like to eat at just one of these restaurants. I did not see one in India though.
Anshuman, I don’t recall seeing one in India either although I did see at least one in the 51-100 rankings for last year…we’ll see what happens tomorrow!
I love Eleven Madison Park, I work across the street and eat there often.
Erika, that is nice and convenient…I am going to guess that you work either in financial services/insurance or law!
French Laundry is amazing…thanks for posting this Lee…it’s fun to look through them.
Thanks Allison and yes it is great!
You know any guys you can set me up with to take me to one of these restaurants in New York?! Or you can take me as your adoring fan 🙂
Haha…I’m sure my friend Charlie would love to come up from DC to take you! I’ll try and set that up!
That was a joke…sorry had to clarify as you don’t know me and my sarcasm and you’ll be thankful not to go out with him-trust me!
I’ve just been sitting here googling all the restaurants and each sounds amazing. I am often in Mexico City so I now have my next foodie destination.
Sounds like a plan William! Let me know how it is, I will be in Mexico this Fall.
The original restaurant I was to meet Lionel Richie at was a Alain Ducasse place. It was too crowded so we left. So not happy now…
Haha, you could’ve been dancing on the ceiling and avoided all the people…cheesy I know!
Hi Lee … I travel to eat and I’ve been to 13 of last year’s top 50 with two more coming up shortly – Narasawa in Tokyo and Amber in Hong Kong. You’re a foodie? I’m a foodie tragic!
Very impressive! Let me know they are, especially Amber as I will be in Hong Kong later this year!