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

[Kevin_Lloyd]

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.

That is why I always loved Jonathan Gold’s list for LA restaurants. It included everything from comically expensive tasting menu places to taco trucks.

[J_Rock]

As far as I’m aware, this is a generally a well-respected list. The only one I’ve been to is Borago, but I think it’s an amazing experience, and I’m happy to see they won the Sustainable Restaurant Award this year.

[Barry_L_i_p_t_o_n]

Is Cosme really all that good?

[Sarah_Kirschbaum]

I always enjoy this list. I don’t get too caught up in the literal meaning of words like “best,” so nothing about it bothers me particularly. It’s just fun to read and explore. I think of it as a source of information about some great fine dining restaurants around the world, which has been useful in the past when planning trips, especially to places I don’t already know well. And like several others have said, the ones I’ve been to have almost all been excellent, even if not all of them would have made my personal “best” list.

[Robert_Dentice]

Is Cosme really all that good?

It would not be on my top 50. I will say it is a unique experience in the NYC dining scene, some dishes excellent and for those reasons it is worth visiting.

[Robert_Dentice]

I always enjoy this list. I don’t get too caught up in the literal meaning of words like “best,” so nothing about it bothers me particularly. It’s just fun to read and explore. I think of it as a source of information about some great fine dining restaurants around the world, which has been useful in the past when planning trips, especially to places I don’t already know well. And like several others have said, the ones I’ve been to have almost all been excellent, even if not all of them would have made my personal “best” list.

I agree completely on it being a good source of information. Especially the 50-100 slots. I use this, OAD and my proprietary instagram sussing method to find new restaurants when I travel.

[Robert_Dentice]

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.

That is why I always loved Jonathan Gold’s list for LA restaurants. It included everything from comically expensive tasting menu places to taco trucks.

Of course Jonathan’s reporting was amazing. NYC has always needed someone like him.

But how would you possibly do this for the world? Japan alone could have a top 1000! If you will fund me, I am willing to give it a try : )

[Andrew_Kotowski]

Funny that #23 Arpege shows a chicken in hay as its food shot.

A signature dish. He also makes it by sewing half a duck and half a chicken together. Both are fantastic and visually dramatic.

It’s definitely an interesting shot to choose, given the restaurant’s pivot to vegetarian food. Great episode of Chef’s Table on it, fwiw.

Chef's Table: Netflix offers up food porn par excellence

[M.Kaplan]

Poor photo of Arpege duck+chicken cooked in hay as it was served to us in 2018.

[G_Keeler]

I always enjoy this list. I don’t get too caught up in the literal meaning of words like “best,” so nothing about it bothers me particularly. It’s just fun to read and explore. I think of it as a source of information about some great fine dining restaurants around the world, which has been useful in the past when planning trips, especially to places I don’t already know well. And like several others have said, the ones I’ve been to have almost all been excellent, even if not all of them would have made my personal “best” list.

Was going to post the same thing but you said it better than I could. I reference lists like this when doing travel planning as a jumping off point. I rarely agree with the rankings, for instance I would have Brooklyn Fare much higher on the list and especially ahead of Single Thread, Le Bernardin, Atomix and Benu (all of which I enjoyed but feel BF is next level and hits my tastes right in the center). Brat is another that would be much higher for me as it’s really how I like to eat these days. Arzak
and Atelier Crenn would not make my top 100. But like I said, even if I don’t agree on some there is always something new to learn. We are planning a Seoul and Mingles looks interesting….

[saul_cooperstein1]

Is Cosme really all that good?

No. 50 best ranks it higher numerically for the world than I would rank it in NYC alone. I suspect the voter base for USA region is outsized in NYC and had some comaraderie around the 2019 vote and then the 2021 results were much of the same pool returning to the prior rankings. I think the regionalized voting has a very big impact on the list versus OAD which provides regionalized lists with a worldwide voter base (that are then ranked on voter experience). I’m sure statistically OAD could figure out a worldwide top list which would be pretty amazing. I’ve talked to a few folks who may or may not be voters and everyone knows lots of 50 best votes go to places that have never been visited based on reputation, expectation etc.

[Nick_Gangas]

Just a few comments.

First, the idea of a best or rankings is in and of itself ridiculous. Food is too subjective to be able to objectively rate restaurants like this with any degree of accuracy.

Second, as has been said, for foodies to use such a list for recommendations as they travel is a valid use of the list as long as you don’t take it much to heart.

Last, the most important criteria to get on such a list is the power of your PR firm. Without one, you have no shot.

[Kelly_Walker]

Friends are taking us in the next few years. They’ve been to all of the heavy hitters and say that there are many other restaurants which are even better.

Going to the Galapagos late next year bouncing off of Peru. Maybe need to add some culinary adventure to that trip.

I’ll ask for recs and send them to you. Feel free to remind me…

i am politely reminding you

[Ramon_C]

Greatly enjoyed Maido in Lima 2 years ago.
Central was just too quirky for my simple palate.

Plenty of other very good eats in Lima-Cusko to consider, as well.

[todd_waldmann]

Going to the Galapagos late next year bouncing off of Peru. Maybe need to add some culinary adventure to that trip.

I’ll ask for recs and send them to you. Feel free to remind me…

i am politely reminding you

We were in Lima four years ago. We really enjoyed Maido (though I can’t imagine placing it in the top 50 restaurants in the world) and I would recommend it. It’s a great example of Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian cuisine). We did not eat at any of the other big names, so I can’t speak to them. However, I can not recommend El Mercado highly enough. It is casual, mostly seafood, open only for lunch- and absolutely fantastic. Every dish was simple. And nearly perfect. We had a 3+ hour lunch (and would have gone on longer if we hadn’t had a plane to catch) with our 12 and 14 year old sons, both of whom would have gladly stayed longer if we could have. My oldest still talks about the octopus…

[alan_weinberg]

Troisgros didn’t make it. All of us can find restos that we love that aren’t on the list.

[M.Kaplan]

Alain Passard posted this short video on Instagram today. Much better than the photo I posted above. It is a striking presentation and a delicious dish.

[Scott_Brunson]

Troisgros didn’t make it. All of us can find restos that we love that aren’t on the list.

I’m working my own spin on Salmon and Sorrel.
Starting with growing my Sorrel.

[Josh_Grossman]

I thought the recent NYTimes list was bad. Chapman’s isn’t close to the best restaurant in Ohio, or even Columbus:

The 2021 Restaurant List (Published 2021)

[alan_weinberg]

Troisgros didn’t make it. All of us can find restos that we love that aren’t on the list.

I’m working my own spin on Salmon and Sorrel.
Starting with growing my Sorrel.

I was reading Modern Cuisine today and didn’t know that Troisgros’ salmon sorrel recipe was the very first plated dish of a restaurant. Before that service was either a bowl/plate brought to a table or service by the waitstaff. Evidently revolutionized restaurant service allowing less staff.