MASSIMO BOTTURA HAS LOST THE TITLE OF BEST RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD, BUT IS STILL ON THE PODIUM OF THE WORLD'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS, AT SPOT NUMBER 2. THE NUMBER ONE RESTAURANT IS ELEVEN MADISON PARK IN NEW YORK.

Massimo Bottura, chef of Osteria Francescana in Modena, has lost the crown of best restaurant in the world, but is still on the podium for the fifth consecutive year, at position number 2 on the "World's 50 Best Restaurants" 2017 (www.theworlds50best.com), unveiled in Melbourne. The Modena restaurant, though, has been crowned "The Best Restaurant in Europe".
The number one position instead went to "The Best Restaurant in North America", Eleven Madison Park in New York of Chef Daniel Humm, number three in 2016, while this year number three goes to El Celler de Can Roca in Gerona that won the prize "Art of Hospitality" awarded by the Trentino bubbles brand, Ferrari. But the awards to Italian haute cuisine do not end there. Chef Enrico Crippa, of Piazza Duomo in Alba climbed up two positions to number 15 (number 17 in 2016), the Alajmo brothers of Le Calandre Rubano are at spot 31 (from 39) and Niko Romito, who only a year ago was a new entry in the top 100, at number 84, has now jumped 41 spots, to number 43.
Scrolling down the second part of the ranking, from 51 to 100, there are two Italian restaurants - Combal.Zero Rivoli of Chef Davide Scabin, that dropped out of the top 50 best restaurants in the world (it was 46 in 2016) and stopped at number 59, while one step below, is the legendary Otto e Mezzo Bombana by Umberto Bombana, the only three-star Italian restaurant outside of Italy (in Hong Kong), that made a big leap forward from number 86 last year. Many chefs from all over the world received awards, which is probably the real strength of this classification that began in the UK in 2002.
The English chef Heston Bumenthal received the "Lifetime Achievement Award", in recognition of his career as chef at the famous Fat Duck, for years considered the most expensive restaurant in the world. One of the biggest surprises was Virgilio Martinez, chef of Central Lima, in Peru, who won the "Chef's Choice Award" voted by his colleagues, as well as "The Best Restaurant in South America" (in addition to position number 5 this year, down one spot from 2016).
The "World’s Best Restaurant in Asia" award went to Gaggan in Bangkok of the Indian chef Anand Gaggan, at number 7 this year. The "Highest Climber Award" was given to another New York restaurant, Blue Hill Farm, of the chef Dan Barber who jumped 37 positions, from number 48 to 11 (Niko Romito actually did better, but the award goes to those who climbed the most in the top 50, ed.). Great satisfaction for Ben Shewry, chef of Attica in Melbourne who received the award for "Best Restaurant in Australasia" (at number 32), as well as Chef Ana Roš of the Hiša Franko family restaurant, in Kobarid, Slovenia, awarded the " World’s Best Female Chef "(as WineNews had anticipated in early January, https://goo.gl/IJTxvA, ed.), and Chef Yannick Alléno of Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, as a new entry, placed directly at number 31.
Then there is the young Chef Bertrand Gribault, of Septime in Paris, awarded "Sustainable Restaurant" for the special attention given to the environment, while another Frenchman, Dominique Ansel, won the "World's Best Pastry Chef", and finally, the auspicious "One to Watch" award went to the most promising restaurant, Disfrutar in Barcelona.

Focus: “World’s 50 Best Restaurants”
1. Eleven Madison Park, New York (USA)

2. Osteria Francescana, Modena (Italy), “Best Restaurant in Europe”

3. El Celler de Can Roca, Gerona (Spain)
4. Mirazur, Menton (France)

5. Central, Lima (Peru), “Best Restaurant in South America”

6. Asador Etxebarri, Atxondo (Spain)

7. Gaggan, Bangkok (Thailand), “Best Restaurant in Asia”

8. Maido, Lima (Peru)

9. Mugaritz, San Sebastian (Spain)

10. Steirereck, Vienna (Austria)

11. Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Tarrytown (USA), “Highest Climber Award”

12. Arpège, Paris (France)

13. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, Paris (France)

14. Restaurant André, Singapore (Singapore)

15. Piazza Duomo, Alba (Italy)

16. D.O.M, Sao Paulo (Brazil)

17. Le Bernardin, New York (USA)

18. Narisawa, Tokyo (Japan)

19. Geranium, Copenhagen (Denmark)

20. Pujol, Mexico City (Mexico)

21. Alinea, Chicago (USA)

22. Quintonil, Mexico City (Mexico)

23. White Rabbit, Moscow (Russia)

24. Amber, Hong Kong (China)

25. Tickets, Barcelona (Spain)

26. The Clove Club, London (England)

27. The Ledbury, London (England)

28. Nahm, Bangkok (Thailand)

29. Le Calandre, Rubano (Italy)

30. Arzak, San Sebastian (Spain)

31. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, Paris (France), “Highest New Entry”

32. Attica, Melbourne (Australia), “Best Restaurant in Australasia”

33. Astrid, Lima (Peru)
34. De Librije, Zwolle (Holland)

35. Septime, Paris (France), “The Sustainable Restaurant Award”

36. Diner by Heston Blumenthal, London (England)

37. Saison, San Francisco (USA)

38. Azurmendi, Larrabetzu (Spain)

39. Relae, Copenhagen (Denmark)

40. Cosme, New York (USA), New Entry

41. Ultraviolet, Shanghai (China)

42. Boragò, Santiago (Chile)

43. Reale, Castel di Sangro (Italy), New Entry

44. Brae, Birregurra (Australia), New Entry

45. Den, Tokyo (Japan), New Entry

46. L'Astrance, Paris (France)

47. Vendôme, Bergisch Gladbach (Germany)

48. Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin (Germany)

49. Tegui, Buenos Aires (Argentina), New Entry

50. Hof Van Cleve, Kruishoutem (Belgium