World's 50 Best Restaurants 2006

[Daniel]

I just went to Gagniare for lunch and it might have been my all time favorite meal.. In terms of creativity, execution and flavors, it easily is the best restaurant I have been to... I dont know if people have been there lately, but the meal was just flawless... For people who havent gone back in awhile, I would tell that you have to go.. At 90 euros for lunch is a great value.. I can not say enough good things about this place..

Edited April 16, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[pedro]

A list that includes St. John among the fifty best restaurants in the world has little credit to me, John, or at least tells me a lot about the demographics of those 600 hundreds professionals.

The shocking aspect, if we look at it with some time perspective, is that the first French restaurant comes in the third place and that only three French restaurants are in the top ten.

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Pedro: Could you translate your response? Please? !?I think it is wonderful that Mugaritz is 10th on the list of the worlds' best restaurants. This is music to my ears. Judith Gebhart

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Well, Judith, I guess that translation is that I believe that the only value of the list is the publicity that the restaurants are getting.

The inclusion of St. John is actually one of the redeeming qualities of this list (tho not placed as it was below Berasategui). That and seeing more Spanish restos, though again Mugartiz # 10 and Celler de Can Roca at 21? WHY? And no Carme Ruscalleda?  The top ten make sense--well, almost--and then the list just degenerates into random chaos. Bocuse!?....And nada in Tokyo probably the  world's greaest restaurant capital not just for Japanese but for Western food as well. Oh well..

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I strongly believe that St. John is one of the most overrated restaurants in the planet. That doesn't mean you can't have a good meal there, or even a very good meal, but that's pretty much it. Sorry about that.

[PauloR]

A list that includes St. John among the fifty best restaurants in the world has little credit to me, John, or at least tells me a lot about the demographics of those 600 hundreds professionals.

The shocking aspect, if we look at it with some time perspective, is that the first French restaurant comes in the third place and that only three French restaurants are in the top ten.

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After a recent, and excellent lunch at Pierre Gagnaire, Marc Veyrat is still the best restaurant in France, in my opinion...... I can't see it in the list....

[Andy Lynes]

As much as we might respect Restaurant magazine's opinions, and those of this informed league, did you find it slightly disrespectful that about 4/5ths of the world's restaurants were ignored?

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With the world carved up into twenty regional panels, and each members only being allowed to use two of their five votes for restaurants for their own region, the opportunity was there for everyone to get a fair shout. What has obviously happened is that many of those 3 "spare" votes from North Amercia have gone to Europe rather than Asia, and from the UK to France rather than South America and so on.

How many of the world's food writers, restauratuers and chefs (who make up the panel) really understand the cuisine of Japan or have travelled extensively enough through the Middle East or North Africa to be able to nominate in those areas? Perhaps a better way would be for the regional panels to vote only in their own regions - for each to be given equal weight. But then you might end up with a politcally correct list that still isn't a "true" reflection of world cuisine now.

[Le Zouave]

After a  recent, and excellent  lunch at Pierre Gagnaire,  Marc Veyrat is still the best restaurant in France, in my opinion...... I can't see it in the list....

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Veyrat was in the list, actually: number 71... The other french places were: Taillevent (51), Auberge de l'Ill (53), Meurice (54), Roellinger (55), Les Ambassadeurs (58), Guy Savoy (59), La Tupina (79), Georges Blanc (81), Lucas Carton (88), Apicius (95) and le Clos de Cimes (Régis Marcon, #100).

[Judith Gebhart]

On another matter, I’m surprised that no one has questioned the high score for Gagnaire and presence of Bocuse.

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Well, the presence of Bocuse is the very thing that renders this list useless to me.

Although I *am* looking forward to my trip to elBulli in exactly 2 weeks...

Si

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I for one question the exalted position of Pierre Gagnaire in the French rankings. I am appalled that Bocuse is included at ALL! Even more appalling is the exclusion of Olivier Roellinger's, newly three starred, superb Michelin restaurant (the 3 stars were long overdue) in Cancale. Chef Roellinger is an amazing French talent with a status similar to Michel Bras and Marc Veyrat (who was also excluded). I am truly perplexed with these exclusions.

Hope your elBulli experience is exciting and exceptional; our elBulli experience has never failed to excite us even after 10 years.

As an unabashed Spanish enthusiast who is also eternally enamored of the best , most talented chefs of France such as: Bras, Roellinger, Veyrat and younger talents like Chef Edourad Loubet, of Lourmarin and the chef Stephane Carrade of Chez Ruffet, I am grateful that Mugaritz in Spain has rightly joined the ranks of Spain's most talented chefs. We know that Andoni Aduriz has great support in France by many great chefs including Ducasse, Bras and Roellinger. All of these great cookers know the abilities each has to offer regardless of their country; they heartily support each other with absolute understanding and respect. Judith Gebhart

[PauloR]

I strongly believe that St. John is one of the most overrated restaurants in the planet. That doesn't mean you can't have a good meal there, or even a very good meal, but that's pretty much it. Sorry about that.

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Chef Roellinger is an amazing French talent with a status similar to Michel Bras and Marc Veyrat (who was also excluded). I am truly perplexed with these exclusions.

Comparativily, I do not see any explanation, for the inclusion of St John, and the exclusion of Marc Veyrat and the Maisons de Bricourt.

A recent dinner, here in Portugal, in the restaurant Fortaleza do Gincho, chef Antoine Westermman, was far better than my experience at St John. This does not mean, that Fortaleza do Guincho should be in the top 50......

Edited April 23, 2006 by PauloR (log)

[bleudauvergne]

I am moving this topic from the France Forum to the Food Media & News Forum for further discussion.

Here's the Here's the official list sent out by Restaurant Magazine.

Any more thoughts?

[scordelia]

A list that includes St. John among the fifty best restaurants in the world has little credit to me, John, or at least tells me a lot about the demographics of those 600 hundreds professionals.

The shocking aspect, if we look at it with some time perspective, is that the first French restaurant comes in the third place and that only three French restaurants are in the top ten.

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The inclusion of St. John is actually one of the redeeming qualities of this list

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Amen to that! Any top 50 list that includes Charlie Trotter's should not be taken seriously. I had one of the best meals of my life at St. John, and one of the worst at Charlie Trotter's!

My Dinner at Chucky T's

[ulterior epicure]

Amen to that! Any top 50 list that includes Charlie Trotter's should not be taken seriously. I had one of the best meals of my life at St. John, and one of the worst at Charlie Trotter's!

Alas, I have not made it to St. John's, but I would have to agree with you on C.T.'s... My one dinner there was unremarkable - not disastrous, just really deflating. I could name a dozen other restos that are more worthy that didn't make the list!

u.e.

[LordBalthazar]

Here's the link to the list -

http://www.theworlds50best.com/bestlist.aspx

I've eaten at approximately 0 of them. Anybody here tried any of them? Thoughts on any of the restaurants listed - or the list itself? I'm somewhat surprised that Hong Kong and Japan didn't crack the top 50.

[david coonce]

The list seems very euro-american centered. Hmmm. Anyway, I've eaten at French Laundry and Chez Panisse, both deserve their spot, in my opinion.

[Ling]

I've eaten at 1.5 (if I count my dinner at Chez Panisse cafe as the 0.5)

French Laundry was good, but I don't think my experience there would make me rank it as #4 in the world. I guess the problem with eating so many courses is that you will invariably find some that are just "good" or "very good" when you look at the meal as a whole. I don't regret my dinner at FL (far from it, in fact) but I thought there would be more dishes that would blow my mind. The meal can't be evaluated just on the food alone, though, and I must say I've never experienced such perfect, polished, and unobtrusive service, and that made the meal unforgettable.

I am kind of surprised to see some of the restaurants listed. I haven't eaten at many of them, obviously, but it seems like the list reads a bit like a compliation of the most popular restaurants in the world, as opposed to the best.

Edited May 2, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Mandarin]

I've eaten at eight of these restaurants and of those (St John) included, I certainly think they deserve their inclusion on the list.

Am feeling that there is a tendency to critisize the list even though some of you are not familiar with the restaurants. Everyone's views are subjective anyway, but how can you diss somewhere if you haven't experienced it?

[KatieLoeb]

The meal can't be evaluated just on the food alone, though, and I must say I've never experienced such perfect, polished, and unobtrusive service, and that made the meal unforgettable.

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. The service at FL is flawless. Truly. And everything seems to happen as if by magic. I don't ever remember being interrupted or inconvenienced in any way and yet my water and wine glasses were always filled.

My dining partner and I were so stuffed by the end of the meal we each had a just a single bite of our desserts and pushed them away. They were immediately whisked away and two NEW desserts appeared. When we asked the waiter why they brought us two new desserts he simply said, "We thought the others weren't to your liking Miss..." Unreal.

[Pontormo]

I've eaten at eight of these restaurants and of those (St John) included, I certainly think they deserve their inclusion on the list.

Am feeling that there is a tendency to critisize the list even though some of you are not familiar with the restaurants. Everyone's views are subjective anyway, but how can you diss somewhere if you haven't experienced it?

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No doubt all fifty restaurants meet standards of excellence. Precisely identifying those standards is the issue. There seems to be a cultural bias.

One of the reasons for criticism already expressed concerns the Eurocentric, or Euro-NORTH American emphasis of the restaurants chosen.

I am sympathetic to this kind of skepticism. However, I would go further by inviting you to click on the original list and look at all the different judges and the regions they represent.

There are two different committees representing France and Italy, both of equal, or at least, comparable size. The names in both groups appear to reflect the country members represent, at least their family roots and one presumes, culinary knowledge, although a few, understandable exceptions occur given the attraction both countries hold for others who love and live to eat.

Now take a look at this panel:

The Far East

Grant Thatcher (Chair Person)

Donald Berger

Ardyn Bernoth

Bonnie Brooks

Bobby Chinn

Amanda Gale

Michelle Garnault

Sian Griffiths

Susan Jung

Peter Knipp

Aun Koh

John Koh

John Krich

Anthony Lark

Handel Lee

Will Meyrick

Christopher Miller

Masa Nagasaka

Joanne Ooi

Bruce Palling

Lik Peng Loh

Uguyen Rinzin

Cynthia Rosenfeld

Chris Salans

Randy See

Emmanuel Stroobbant

Tan Su-Lyn

David Tang

Vincent Thierry

Randy Weddle

David  Yeoh

1) The Far East? At least the word "oriental" is not being used, but consider the difference between the size of China and either France or Italy, and the range of the cuisines of China's various provinces, let alone gastronomic developments in Hong Kong, Taiwan... Then, what about grouping Japan with China? Surely if the symbiotic relationship between the cooking of France and Italy nonetheless results in two different categories, Japan and China deserve acknowledgement of their independent traditions. Korea, etc.

2) Not even half of this group bears a name in which at least the first or last name is Asian. It does not mean that Randy Weddle was not born and raised in Hanoi, but, it does raise questions about the panels.

3) Mario Batali and Charlie Trotter are on the panel representing the United States. They would be great, qualified judges, but they are not impartial. This raises questions about panelists whose names are unfamiliar. Of course, impartiality is hard if not impossible. The size of each panel should help create balance.

4) Speaking of the size of each panel and the different parts of the world they represent, just what method was used to create a short list? How many people, especially without economic means, are able to travel and eat at the fifty restaurants that made the final list, let alone others that did not make the list? If that is not how the finalists were selected, what was done?

Edited May 4, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[aprilmei]

I was on the Far East panel (I'm one of the Asian names); none of the restaurants I selected for this region made it on to the list (if I remember correctly, we were allowed to pick only two - or was it three? - from our own region). I agree with Pontormo that our region was a remarkably large area to cover. I know there are incredible restaurants in Japan but I don't know many of them so of course I didn't pick any; I stuck with what I know best (Hong Kong).

But I'm happy that Felix (at the Peninsula) didn't make it onto the list this year (as it has in the past); everybody in Hong Kong agrees you don't go there for the food. I always thought it was outrageous that of all restaurants the past-panellists could pick in Hong Kong, it was that one.

Edited May 4, 2006 by aprilmei (log)

[Pontormo]

It's wonderful to have someone from a panel speak up.

Would you be willing to tell us more about the process of selection?