(Paris) Disfrutar in Barcelona, a restaurant founded by three chefs from the legendary elBulli, the pioneer of molecular cuisine, was crowned “best restaurant in the world” 2024 on Thursday by the 50 Best Restaurants ranking.
“Imaginative dishes are executed with exceptional technical skill and served in the most playful way possible,” comments 50 Best. The menus of Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas consist of 30 different dishes.
The ranking launched by a British press group, in response to Michelin, once again gives pride of place to Spanish restaurants. Asador Etxebarri, in the Basque village of Axpe, comes second, and Diverxo, in Madrid, fourth.
The third is a Parisian restaurant, Table, by chef Bruno Verjus, which was 10th the previous year.
The best South American restaurant, Maido in Lima, came fifth and the best North American restaurant, Atomix in New York, came sixth.
Four French restaurants, all in Paris, are in this ranking: besides Table, we find Septime by Bertrand Grébaut (11th), Plénitude by Arnaud Donckele (18th), and Arpège by Alain Passard (45th).
The “50 Best” ranking has been awarded since 2002 by more than 1,000 “independent experts” (chefs, specialized journalists, restaurant owners, etc.) who submit their ratings to Restaurant magazine, from the William Reed group.
The legitimacy of this ranking, sponsored by several brands, is regularly contested, in particular by French chefs who accuse it of complacency and opacity. But it is considered more daring than Michelin in discerning new trends in gastronomy.
Its French, but also Japanese and American, detractors launched “The List” in 2015, a ranking of 1000 tables around the world. According to this ranking, the best restaurant in the world is Le Bernardin in New York, which does not appear among the “50 Best”.