After flying into the World’s 50 Best Restaurants List at number 50 in 2021, Wolfgat Restaurant in Paternoster has slid down to number 90 on the renowned List.
La Colombe has jumped up the World’s 50 Best Restaurant List by 25 positions, making number 56 on the 2022 List.
The whereabouts of FYN on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant List is a mystery!
Last year I found it extraordinary that Wolfgat jumped from nowhere into the 50th Best Restaurant in the World slot. It is usual for restaurants to start making an appearance on the secondary 51 – 100 Top Restaurants List, slowly climbing up the ladder until they climb into the coveted World’s 50 Best List. There is no precedent as far as I am aware of such a massive jump, bypassing the 51 – 100 List.
Noma new 2021 Top World’s 50 Best Restaurant; Wolfgat new SA and Africa restaurant representative !
My interpretation of the massive jump last year was that The Test Kitchen, which was at number 44 when the Awards were presented prior to the Corona Virus crisis in 2019, announced the closing of its doors at reasonably short notice in 2021. This left a hole in the World’s 50 Best Restaurant List, as the number 50 slot probably would have gone to The Test Kitchen. As a last minute solution, I believe Wolfgat was shot into the number 50 slot from nowhere.
Now reality and fairness have stepped in and Wolfgat faces the embarrassing slide down to number 90 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant List!
Current local best South African restaurant La Colombe entered the World’s 50 Best List in 2019 at number 114, in a year in which the world’s Top 120 restaurants were honoured to celebrate sponsor S. Pellegrino’s 120th anniversary. There were no awards issued in 2020. Last year La Colombe was ranked at number 81, and has climbed up 25 positions this year. It is not unlikely that the restaurant will make the Top 50 List next year, given its steady progress up the World’s 50 Best Restaurant List to date!
FYN Restaurant entered the List at number 92 in 2021. It is not in the 51 – 100 List this year, which means one of two things: it has flown right into the 2022 World’s 50 Best Restaurant List, or it has fallen off the Top 100 Restaurant List.
The List of restaurants making the 51 – 100 positions has not been published. I will add it to this post once it is available. Restaurants I know or have experienced on the 2022 number 51 – 100 Best Restaurant List are the following, with their ranking:
La Colombe, Cape Town 56
Kjolle in Lima, Peru 68
Lasai, Rio De Janeiro 78
Estela, New York 79
Restaurant Review: Estela small plate menu, small venue! 44th Best in world!
Wolfgat, Paternoster 90
The 2022 World’s 50 Best Restaurants will be announced in London at a ceremony on Monday 18 July. It can be viewed via Livestream.
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