This afternoon the 2021 World’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S. Pellegrino and Aqua Panna, were celebrated in Antwerp, the first time since 2019.  Noma in Copenhagen was announced as the number 1 restaurant in the world.

South Africa remains on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant List, despite The Test Kitchen having closed down last week. It represented our country on this List over the past few years. Wolfgat crept into the list at number 50 today, also winning Best Restaurant in Africa.

 

Chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana was the host of the show, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes introduction of the event as the famous chefs arrived at the red-carpet event. Some of these chefs included Dominique Crenn (Photograph right), Pia León and Virgilio Martinez of Kjolle and Central respectively, and Éric Ripert of Le Bernardin in New York.  Unfortunately Massimo did not introduce the chefs he greeted by name or mention the names of their restaurants. But it felt very exciting to see the event via Livestream, as if one was there. It is my dream to attend one of these World’s 50 Best Award events.

The Chefs were delighted to attend the event, and to meet up with each other after a break of two years at this gastronomic event, many of the top chefs being good friends.

Many top international Restaurants closed down during Lockdown: The Ledbury in London, Tickets and Enigma in Barcelona, The Test Kitchen in Cape Town, and Gaggan in Bangkok.

Last week the 50 Top restaurants bubbling under the World’s 50 Best List were announced, ranked 51 – 100, with La Colombe and FYN, both from Cape Town, being the South African Restaurants on this List.

Two Cape Town Restaurants ranked in World’s 50 Best Restaurants Top 100 List!

A number of different awards were presented:

#  One to Watch: Ikoyi in the United Kingdom

#  Best Pastry Chef: Will Goldfarb of Room4Dessert, Indonesia

#   Best Sustainable Restaurant: Borago, Santiago,  Chile

#   Best Female Chef: Pia León of Kjolle in Lima, Peru (Photograph)

#.  Chef’s Choice Awards : Victor Arguinzoniz of Asador Etxebarri

#   Highest New Entry: Lido 84

#   Art of Hospitality Award:  Steiereck in Vienna

#   Icon Award : Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn in San Francisco

#  Highest Climber Award: The Chairman, Hong Kong

 

The 2021 World’s 50 Best Restaurant List is as follows:

1. Noma, Denmark

2.  Geranium, Denmark

3. Asador Etxebarri, Spain

4. Central (Lima, Peru)

5. Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain)

6. Frantzén (Stockholm, Sweden)

7. Maido (Lima, Peru)

8. Odette (Singapore)

9. Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico)

10. The Chairman (Hong Kong, China)

11. Den (Tokyo, Japan)

12. Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)

13. Don Julio (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

14. Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain)

15. Lido 84 (Gardone Riviera, Italy)

16. Elkano (Getaria, Spain)

17. A Casa do Porco (São Paulo, Brazil)

18. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)

19. Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)

20. Diverxo (Madrid, Spain)

21. Hiša Franko (Kobarid, Slovenia)

22. Cosme (New York City, USA)

23. Arpège (Paris)

24. Septime (Paris, France)

25. White Rabbit (Moscow, Russia)

26. Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)

27. Quintonil (Mexico City, Mexico)

28. Benu (San Francisco, USA)

29. Reale (Castel di Sangre, Italy)

30. Twins Garden (Moscow, Russia)

31. Restaurant Tim Raue (Berlin, Germany)

32. The Clove Club (London, UK)

33. Lyle’s (London, UK)

34. Burnt Ends (Singapore)

35. Ultraviolet (Shanghai, China)

36. Hof Van Cleve (Belgium)

37. SingleThread (Healdsburg, USA)

38. Borago (Santiago, Chile)

39. Florilège (Tokyo, Japan)

40. Suhring (Bangkok, Thailand)

41. Alléno (Paris, France)

42. Belcanto (Lisbon, Portugal)

43. Atomix (New York City, USA)

44. Le Bernardin (New York City, USA)

45. Nobelhart & Schmutzig (Berlin, Germany)

46. Leo (Bogotá, Colombia)

47. Maaemo (Oslo, Norway)

48. Atelier Crenn (San Francisco, USA)

49. Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Spain)

50. Wolfgat (Paternoster, South Africa)

 

Wolfgat Chef and owner reacted as follows to his entry on to the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurant List:

“What an incredible honour for Wolfgat to be included in this iconic list. All our heroes – local and international chefs and restaurants that we admire and have been looking up to – are featured here, so it seems quite surreal and undeserved that we should be ranked amongst them. We are honoured to be selected, and proud to represent South Africa, and Paternoster in particular, on the global food stage. Given the extremely challenging past year-and-a-half we’ve faced globally, especially in the hospitality industry, recognition of this kind comes as a welcome moral boost, as well as an incentive to keep doing what we do in our own small way – moreover since our slightly unconventional, West Coast approach to food and service does not necessarily fit the average idea of what constitutes “fine dining.  I am immensely proud of the passionate Wolfgat team: Rochelle Karolus, She-Earl Pietersen, Emily Williams, Emmerson Bester and Alicia Bester – whom, with no formal hospitality training, are recognised for their hard work amongst the best in the industry, internationally. What a rewarding moment for the community of Paternoster, and a shining example for the next generation of young South Africans.’

In my restaurant travels around Europe, the USA, the UK and South America since 2016 I have eaten at a number of World’s 50 Best Restaurants, it being my restaurant bible. The last list was announced in 2019, the year in which I ate at the South American World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The restaurants that are still on the list this year are: Central in Lima (number 4), Don Julio in Buenos Aires (number 13), Arpège in Paris (number 23), Septime in Paris (number 24), The Clove Club in London (number 32), Borago in Santiago (number 38), and Le Bernardin in New York (number 44). I can’t wait to travel overseas again and to eat at more excellent restaurants. Denmark is on my travel list, with the number 1 and 2 on the 2021 World’s Best List being in Copenhagen.

Restaurant Review: Peruvian Ecosystem central to Central in Lima in Peru, focus on Altitude but has no Attitude as the 6th Best Restaurant in the World!

Restaurant Review: Don Julio Parrilla in Buenos Aires earns its 34th World Best Restaurant ranking with exceptional service!

Restaurant Review: Septime understated and hidden in Paris, 50th World’s 50 Best Restaurant, Michelin 1 star!

Restaurant Review: Boragó in Santiago in Chile has the worst Wine Service, despite 26th Best on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list!

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein, My Cape Town Guide/Mein Kapstadt Guide Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide