Another List to disparage: "World's 50 Best Restaurants 2021"

I wonder what percentage of the world’s restaurants they visited to compose the list.

FWIW, Eric Ripert (Le Bernardin) was celebrating being on the list, so it’s probably not completely bogus.

I’m in the tank for Ripert and don’t begrudge him whatever juice he can squeeze out of the list. Le Bernadine is on my short list of places to visit that I’ve never been.

But I will die on this hill: ordinal rankings are usually garbage, and “worlds best” rankings are always garbage. Those are easily in my top 10 hot takes. This one seems particularly dubious given the emphasis on “pretty food.”

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This is a highly respected accolade within the industry, I for one would not disparage it. Obviously not the track record of Michelin, but it doesn’t equate to Wine Enthusiast’s top 100 or something.

It’s also not really to suggest that #46 is exactly 2 places worse than #44 or 20 better than #64. More like what are the top 100 fine dining restos in the world right now. Agree that they emphasize presentation. You will not find any food trucks on the list.

Interesting that once a restaurant is number 1 on the list the restaurant is not eligible to be listed. For example The French Laundry was number 1 in 2003-2004 so it cannot be on the list anymore.

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it looks like a pretty good list to me; all the restaurants I’ve eaten at on the list have been exceptional.

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Nice to see Alo on the list at 98. The only Canadian restaurant on the list and certainly worthy of 2, maybe on a great night, 3 Michelin stars. Unfortunately the Michelin Guide refuses to come to Canada.

I’ve driven/walked past most of these restaurants. [wow.gif]

Interesting that Lima has so many restaurants on the list. I knew there was a foodie wave going there but the showing is impressive.

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That’s a cool feature. “Retire the jersey!”

I’m not sure that’s correct. Noma was #1 four other times, and is back after a 7 year break.

“Noma was voted The World’s Best Restaurant in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, before it closed in 2016 and moved to a new location in 2018. Now back on top form with a seasonal dining structure, Noma 2.0 is wowing diners again with its endlessly innovative tasting menus.”

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Make sure on the same trip you add #22, Cosme. Easily my favorite place in NYC, and has been for 4 years. The wine list is a bit hard to navigate (too much odd natural wine), but some gems can be found. It’s really about the food though.

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So wait . . . you’re saying that this isn’t The World’s 50 Best Restaurants?"

It’s just a stupid and self-congratulatory exercise. A small group of chefs at astronomically expensive restaurants and “well-traveled gourmets” get together and decide which members of their little club get to be one of the 50 best restaurants in the world this year.

There are more than a million restaurants in the US, ad the rules require that to vote for a place the voter has to have visited in the last 18 months. Do the math.

Wake me when they include a little banh mi spot in Hue or a fish house in Mozambique.

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Pas vaut le detour?

ne paiera pas le pot-de-vin

That is what the voting rules state.

Noma was permitted to be included because the old Noma which was formerly number 1 closed and the new Noma is a completely different restaurant. Not sure I buy that.

No top 100 list could ever satisfy everyone. I have eaten at over half on the list and all deserve to be on there. Of course there lots of restaurant that are not on their that should be on.

Neal - just curious have you been to any of the restaurants on the list?

This maybe a new rule.

The following restaurants have been named No.1 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants since the list’s inception and were therefore not eligible for voting in 2021 or beyond.
El Bulli (2002, 2006-2009)
The French Laundry (2003-2004)
The Fat Duck (2005)
Noma – original location (2010-2012, 2014)
El Celler de Can Roca (2013, 2015)
Osteria Francescana (2016, 2018)
Eleven Madison Park (2017)
Mirazur (2019)

Neal - I made an unfortunately unintended snide comment to a friend in the food and wine world I said why are there so many damn awards for restaurant and wine professionals, top 30 under 30, top 40 under 40 best of this and that I said I rarely have seen this for bankers and lawyers. He looked me straight in the yet and said you get your award every year its called a bonus! Think about…

It is definitely a new rule instituted a few years ago? I am guessing the new rule was because the top 3-5 never changed.