New American style restaurant Alinea in the US city of Chicago has beaten out the competition to claim first place in a list of the top ten restaurants in the world, according to the latest rankings from luxury travel magazine and Verdict sister title Elite Traveler.
This is the sixth time the three Michelin star restaurant has been named in Elite Traveler’s top ten restaurants in the world.
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This year marks the seventh year for the reader-voted awards and several old favourites are making reappearances.
Here are the top 10 restaurants in the world for 2018. We’ve included a link to their website, address, average price per customer, and information from top restaurant critic Andy Hayler for each.
Top 10 restaurants in the world 2018
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By GlobalDataAddress: 1723 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
Michelin stars: Three
Average price per customer: $283
Alinea founder Grant Achatz said:
It’s been a busy year, but this recognition by Elite Traveler and everything we’ve accomplished makes all the hard work worthwhile.
Andy Hayler’s thoughts:
“It is impossible not to admire the sheer talent on display here. The technical trickery here is done with intent, and the flavours are never forgotten amongst the wizardry; dishes have many elements, but they are logical and there to add a useful texture or flavour, and dishes were very carefully balanced.”
2. Azurmendi, Larrabetzu, Spain
Address: Corredor del Txorierri, Salida 25, Barrio Legina, s/n Larrabetzu, Larrabetzu, 48195, Spain
Michelin stars: Three
Average price per customer: $213
Andy Hayler’s thoughts:
“I freely admit to generally preferring classical to modernist cooking, but this is a restaurant where the chef manages to pull it off successfully. All the toys in the kitchen are put to use but using top class ingredients, and flavour combinations are logical and complementary rather than there to shock or show off. This is some of the best modernist food that I have eaten anywhere, and the location, staff, wine list and pricing all add up to a world class dining experience.”
3. Eleven Madison Park, New York
Address: 11 Madison Avenue, New York, 10010, United States
Michelin stars: Three
Average price per customer: $200
Andy Hayler’s thoughts:
“This was a really enjoyable experience, with good ingredients, classy technique and interesting, inventive dishes. This restaurant is one of the few in New York to receive a four star rating from Frank Bruni of the New York Times.”
Address: 10 Columbus Circle (at 60th Street), New York, 10019, United States
Michelin stars: Three
Average price per customer: $485
Andy Hayler’s thoughts:
“This was certainly a marathon, 20 courses over a six hour dinner, yet the dishes appeared at a steady pace, and the time passed by without any of us realising how long we had been eating… the service was perfection, attention to detail was great, there were no obvious technical flaws and certain dishes were very clever indeed.”
5. Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy
Address: Via Stella 22, Modena, Italy
Michelin stars: Three
Average price per customer: $240
Andy Hayler’s thoughts:
“Overall this was a very enjoyable meal indeed. A great deal of effort has clearly gone into rediscovering, and in some cases reinventing, traditional dishes of the area, and it was noticeable how many dishes that we tried used produce from this region, such as the Parmesan, the balsamic, the local cherries. The best dishes of this meal were top class.”
6. Robuchon au Dôme, Macau, China
Address: Grand Lisboa Hotel, 2-4 Avenida de Lisboa, Macau, China
Michelin stars: Three
Average price per customer: $265
Andy Hayler’s thoughts:
“This was a stunning meal, even better than my previous one here. Even in a three star Michelin restaurant it is exceptional to find such a high standard of food from the beginning to the end, with superb dish following superb dish in a cascade of fabulous textures and flavours. It was a tour de force of world class cooking.”
7. The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, USA
Address: 900 Meadowood Lane, St. Helena, 94574, United States
Michelin stars: Three
Average price per customer: $260
Andy Hayler’s thoughts:
“Overall this was certainly a highly enjoyable meal, with some very good dishes that in particular showcased the local vegetables, grown on the grounds. Sometimes the cooking seemed to me to be trying a little too hard to be inventive, whereas the scallop and crayfish dish demonstrated that the kitchen can deliver a lovely, simple dish with plenty of flavour if it chooses to. My main caveat is a certain inconsistency; over a lengthy tasting menu you are unlikely to encounter dish after perfect dish, but for me there were just a few too many ups and downs. However, this was certainly an excellent restaurant with much to like about it.”
8. Le Bernardin, New York, USA
Address: 155 West 51st Street (between 6th & 7th Avenues), New York, 10019-6019, United States
Michelin stars: Three
Average price per customer: $200
Andy Hayler’s thoughts:
“Regular readers will know that this is exactly the kind of food I like: simple dishes, plenty of seafood, no jarring taste combinations. It is therefore all the more disappointing to me that I found it such a consistently pleasant, yet somehow uninteresting experience. If this was in Paris it would have one Michelin star, in my view.”
9. Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville, Crissier, Switzerland
Address: 1 Rue d’Yverdon, Crissier, Switzerland
Michelin stars: Three
Average price per customer: $355
Andy Hayler’s thoughts:
“A shining example of why French cuisine is still top of the tree at the pinnacle of world cuisine. Magnificent ingredients, superb culinary technique, attractive presentation and harmonious dishes – Hotel de Ville is as good as food gets.”
Address: 1 High Street, Bray, England, SL6 2AQ, United Kingdom
Michelin stars: Three
Average price per customer: $485
Andy Hayler’s thoughts:
“The theatrical side of the dining experience seems to me to have rather taken a greater emphasis compared to the flavours on the plate, elaborate and technically skillful though the meal undoubtedly is. Of course this is still assured cooking, but so it should be at this price. It would have been nice to see a brand new menu after such a long break, rather than a mix of new and old. Overall The Fat Duck still offers an impressive overall dining experience, but felt to me as if the culinary innovation that originally made its name was feeling a bit long in the tooth.”
Top 100 restaurants in the world 2018:
Here are the rankings for the rest of the restaurants named on this year’s Elite Traveler list.
1. Alinea, Chicago, US
2. Azurmendi, Larrabetzu, Spain
3. Eleven Madison Park, New York, US
4. Per Se, New York, US
5. Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy
6. Robuchon au Dôme, Macau, China
7. The Restaurant at Meadowood, California, US
8. Le Bernardin, New York, US
9. Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville, Crissier, Switzerland
10. The Fat Duck, Bray, UK
11. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain
12. Restaurant Guy Savoy, Paris, France
13. Daniel, New York, US
14. D.O.M., São Paulo, Brazil
15. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London, UK
16. Pierre Gagnaire, Paris, France
17. La Pergola, Rome, Italy
18. Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico
19. Steirereck, Vienna, Austria
20. L’Ambroisie, Paris, France
21. Arpège, Paris, France
22. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London, UK
23. Jean-Georges, New York, US
24. Le Calandre, Padua, Italy
25. Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo, Japan
26. The French Laundry, California, US
27. Victor’s Fine Dining, Perl-Nennig, Germany
28. Restaurant Schwarzwaldstube, Baiersbronn, Germany
29. Mizai, Kyoto, Japan
30. Restaurant Vendôme, Cologne, Germany
31. Aqua, Wolfsburg, Germany
32. DiverXO, Madrid, Spain
33. Hof van Cleve, Kruishoutem, Belgium
34. Da Vittorio, Bergamo, Italy
35. The Ledbury, London, UK
36. Villa Crespi, Novara, Italy
37. Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse à l’Hôtel de Paris, Monte Carlo, Monaco
38. Amber, Hong Kong, China
39. Maaemo, Oslo, Norway
40. Astrance, Paris, France
41. Next, Chicago, US
42. Geranium, Copenhagen, Denmark
43. Maison Pic, Valence, France
44. La Maison Troisgros, Ouches, France
45. Martín Berasategui, San Sebastián, Spain
46. Test Kitchen, Cape Town, South Africa
47. Saison, San Francisco, USA
48. Quique Dacosta, Alicante, Spain
49. Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantinho Hills, USA
50. Auberge du Vieux Puits, Fontjoncouse, France
51. Les Prés d’Eugénie, Eugénie-les-Bains, France
52. Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark
53. Epicure, Le Bristol, Paris, France
54. Atelier Crenn, San Francisco, USA
55. Manresa, Los Gatos, USA
56. Mugaritz, San Sebastián, Spain
57. The NoMad, New York, USA
58. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, Paris, France
59. Al Sorriso, Novara, Italy
60. Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan
61. Ledoyen, Paris, France
62. Tantris, Munich, Germany
63. Bras, Laguoile, France
64. Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, New York, USA
65. Vue de Monde, Melbourne, Australia
66. Arzak, San Sebastián, Spain
67. La Vague d’Or, Saint-Tropez, France
68. Toque, Québec, Canada
69. Attica, Melbourne, Australia
70. Coi San, Francisco, USA
71. Made in China, Beijing, China
72. Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin, Ireland
73. Kitcho, Kyoto, Japan
74. Momofuku Ko New York, New York, USA
75. Quay, Sydney, Australia
76. Dal Pescatore, Mantua, Italy
77. Taillevent, Paris, France
78. Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico
79. De Librije, Zwolle, Netherlands
80. Mirazur, Menton, France
81. Benu, San Francisco, USA
82. ABaC Restaurant, Barcelona, Spain
83. Le Cinq, Paris, France
84. La Palme d’Or, Cannes, France
85. Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India
86. Single Thread, San Francisco, USA
87. Marea, New York, USA
88. Cosme, New York, USA
89. Mélisse, Los Angeles, USA
90. The Modern, New York, USA
91. Quince, San Francisco, USA
92. Sat Bains, Nottingham, UK
93. Le Coucou, New York, USA
94. Masa, New York, USA
95. Brae, Birregurra, Australia
96. The Loyalist, Chicago, USA
97. Bibendum, London, UK
98. Joel Robuchon, Las Vegas, USA
99. Spondi, Athens, Greece
100. La Dame de Pic London, London, UK
Chefs being awarded:
In addition to the restaurants themselves, Elite Traveler is honouring some particular chefs too.
French chef Daniel Boulud, best known for his eponymous New York restaurant wins the Lifetime Achievement award.
Chef of the Year goes to Éric Ripert, owner of Le Bernardin which clinched the eighth spot on this year’s list.
Finally, John Shields has won Rising Star of the Year. Shields is known for his work as the executive chef at Smyth And The Loyalist in Chicago.
Other interesting data about the world’s top restaurants:
In addition to the list itself, Elite Traveler has unearthed plenty of interesting data about luxury food around the world.
Firstly, New York has finally beaten Paris in terms of the number of restaurants on the list. New York has 13 restaurants, compared to Paris’ 10.
Still, as Verdict covered in our article about how to best to obtain three Michelin stars, French cuisine is still on top in terms of luxury.
With a grand total of 13 listed restaurants in New York City alone, it should come as no surprise that the USA is the best country in the world for fine dining. Over a quarter of the entire list is made up of American restaurants. France has the next biggest slice with 18 of the 100 restaurants.
Meanwhile, Spain comes third with eight. And Italy and UK round out the top five countries in the world with seven each.
