Worlds best restaurant
 

Noma in Copenhagen has just been voted the worlds best restaurant. http://www.noma.dk/main.php?lang=en . No for Nordic and Ma for mad (food)

This "the world's 50-best restaurant" contest is a big fake. Firstly, a ranking of restaurants is as ridiculous as ranking books, travel destinations or music pieces. Secondly, this contest is sponsored by multinational food trust Nestlé in order to promote their mineral waters (San Pellegrino, Acqua Panna). Miraculously, the list includes restaurants an all continents and in many countries. The ranking has nothing to do with the restaurants' quality - more with Nestlés international marketing strategy.

And: Does really anyone believe that the British are qualified to speak about food? Just look here - it is authentic:

http://www.uknet.com/gallery/BritishFood/teapot

Sorry, Soljet, no offense. Denmark is a beautiful country and I love Copenhagen. Sild is excellent. For gourmet food, I travel elsewhere.

And: Does really anyone believe that the British are qualified to speak about food? >>>

Anyone with a brain in their head. We are the world capital of cooking these days. Yes we are. So there. No returns.

<i>Does really anyone believe that the British are qualified to speak about food? </i>

The voters for each area are chosen by local experts.

<i>Denmark is a beautiful country and I love Copenhagen. Sild is excellent. For gourmet food, I travel elsewhere.</i>

You haven't been to Noma, then. Or Formel B. Or Bo Bech. Or MR. Or Kiin Kiin. Or Søllerød Kro. You will pay through the nose, but each of these restaurants are excellent. Noma, especially, is absolutely deserving of every accolade it gets. Truly amazing food.

FWIW, there is another thread here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/fodo...-the-world.cfm

Noma actually appeals to me - no pseudo-science used like at El Bulli and Fat Duck, just good local ingredients. No "Mediterranean" food - just good Scandinavian dishes, with a modern twist. Very appealing.

This list was put together by critics around the world for Reed Publishing I believe.

Whilst I don't particularly care for such lists if Noma is a sign of things to come in the restaurant world then I for one say hallelujah!

And just because Michael, owner of that website, chooses to publish photos of garbage food does not mean every Briton eats such junk. It's like saying every American lives off KFC, McD and biscuits and gravy.

>>>We are the world capital of cooking these days. Yes we are. So there. No returns.<<<

...and someone wrote you had no humour!

It just seems silly to me to have a World's Best anything by vote--what percentage of the world's restaurants did they actually dine out, no matter how expert the votes are. It's just the restaurant that got the most votes by those people who happened to vote in this "election" with only the restaurants they happened to dine in having a chance to even be considered.

Oh, gosh, and there were a whole 4,000 voters to represent the world's billions. That's really authoritative. Silly. Silly. Silly.

Read the menu on Noma website. Things I never heard of. Live me lutefisk and lefse and I am happy. :)

<i>and there were a whole 4,000 voters to represent the world's billions. </i>

Actually it is 4k votes, not 4k voters, many of these folks ate at multiple restaurants. And, frankly, these knocks on the authoritativeness of these rankings is more than a bit overblown. The potential pool of Top 100 restaurants is pretty well winnowed down. There are some misses, surely, but the idea that the Top 10 or so wouldn't make pretty much any Top 50 list or so, is probably not true.

Doesn't El Bulli always win these things? (although I wouldn't eat there for a bet).

The idea of going to what is basically a surplus bit of Germany to eat is very very very funny though.

Best in this case is a misnomer IMO - favorite would be the word - as a result of a vote.

The 'best' restaurant may well be one that only locals somewhere have discovered.

<i>Doesn't El Bulli always win these things? (although I wouldn't eat there for a bet).</i>

That is why it was pretty big news. Noma also leapfrogged The Fat Duck.

<i>The 'best' restaurant may well be one that only locals somewhere have discovered.</i>

I doubt that. This is the internet age, and the belief that somehow there are these fantastic hidden gems that rival the best restaurants in the world, yet have ZERO influence beyond their little mountain hamlet is expecting a bit much. The best chefs, the real innovators, all know each other's work. These guys are well-traveled and the cross-pollination is pretty significant. The chef at Noma, for example, worked at both El Bulli and French Laundry.

If the restaurant is that good, word will get out. The only exception may be some of the Japanese restaurants, where the chefs can be distrustful of outsiders and somewhat myopic in their vision, but even there...

Within the US or Europe, I find it next to impossible to believe that a truly world-class restaurant would remain unnoticed for long. I mean, Noma is 6 years old and has risen to become the top restaurant in the rankings. It was ranked 15th after only 3 years (really 2, when you consider when the voters would have dined). And Restaurant magazine is even behind the curve, as Noma was rated best in the world by TripAdvisor 2 years ago.

None of this is to say that there aren't some great, undiscovered restaurants, but the restaurants on this list, by and large, are aiming for something greater and are far more innovative than that "perfect" little bistro that is the type to be some hidden gem known only by locals.

Within the US or Europe, I find it next to impossible to believe that a truly world-class restaurant would remain unnoticed for long>

why would the world's 'best' restaurant have to be 'world class'

what does 'world class' mean - too expensive for most peoples' taste - an elitist place

no the world's 'best' restaurant could be some rib shack in Detroit for all i know.

best means best amongst who is voting and what is their criteria.

<i>why would the world's 'best' restaurant have to be 'world class'</i>

I guess there is no need for standards at all then. That local high school version of Hamlet was the best! It isn't about being elitist, it is about recognizing singular talent and giving credit for those restaurants that strive to be something more than just a rib shack (and I LOVE ribs). When a restaurant aims for grander things and, when it achieves it is, frankly, deserving of praise in a way than those that aim low are not.

OK i can buy that.

It's unlikely El Bulli will win much of anything for a few years, since the restaurant is shutting down for two years while a cooking school is being started up.

Who cares?

I have my own list.

Thin

The best restaurants are those that actually give me enough food to fill my belly. I doubt any of these restaurants that these "experts" recommend give you any more than a nickel-sized piece of food on a 24 inch plate.