Noma named World’s Best Restaurant for second year

By Becky Paskin

- Last updated on GMT

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Rene Redzepi and the team from Noma pick up their award for the Best Restaurant in the World
Rene Redzepi and the team from Noma pick up their award for the Best Restaurant in the World
Noma in Copenhagen has been named the World’s Best Restaurant for the second year running in the S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Awards.

The innovative Danish restaurant run by Rene Redzepi has once more been recognised by the Electrolux World’s 50 Best Academy as offering the most exciting dining experience in the world, combining traditional and Modernist cooking techniques with Nordic produce.

Noma entered the S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best List in 2006 in 33rd position, but slowly continued to creep up the list to number 15 in 2007 then number 10 in 2008. By 2009, a year before Redzepi claimed the top spot, Noma had reached number three on the list, making it one of the most talked about venues in the world.

This year the restaurant topped the list ahead of El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain, and Mugaritz in San Sebastien, also in Spain.

El Bulli, a stalwart of the World’s 50 Best list, was retired from the judging process this year after co-owner Ferran Adria announced its closure in July.

Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Bray fell two places down the list to fifth position, usurped by Italian venue Osteria Francescana in Modena.

Upon accepting his award Rene Redzepi addressed his team at Noma: “Without you this never would have happened. We did it again, together.”

Restaurant results

The list, which is organised by BigHospitality’s sister publication Restaurant magazine, and voted for by more than 800 judges in 27 regions across the world, was announced at a ceremony held at the Guildhall in London this evening.

Brett Graham’s The Ledbury, also the winner of the National Restaurant Awards, was the highest new entry on the list at number 34. Other new entries this year included Amber in China, Astrid Y Gaston in Peru, Varvary in Russia and Pujol in Mexico.

Bras in France, Ristronate Cracco and Etxebarri in Spain all made re-entries to the list this year.

Eight restaurants dropped off the list this year, including: Die Schwartzwaldstube, Jaan Par Andre, last year's Best in South America La Colombe, Mathius Dahlgren, Ozxen Krog, Tetsuya's, WD-50 and Thomas Keller's Californian restaurant The French Laundry.

A long-lasting standing ovation from the crowd occured when a teary Juan Mari Arzak from Arzak restaurant in Spain, took to the stage to accept his Lifetime Achievement Award, the previous winners of which have been Paul Bocuse, Albert and Michel Roux and Eckart Witzigmann. His daughter, Elena, delivered

Anne-Sophie Pic, from Maison Pic in France, also graced the stage to accept her award as the inaugural World's Best Female Chef.

This year's Chefs' Choice award, voted for by the chefs themsleves, went to Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana in Modena Italy, while Sweden's Frantzen/Lindeburg, number 57 on the list, was named the One to Watch for 2011.

All the regional and additional awards for 2011 are:

Best in World and Europe:​ Noma, Denmark
Best in North America:​ Alinea, Chicacgo
Best in South America:​ D.O.M, Brazil
Best in Africa:​ Le Quartier Francais, South Africa
Best in Asia:​ Les Créations de Narisawa, Tokyo
Best in Australasia:​ Quay, Sydney
Highest climber:​ Nihonryori Ryugin, Japan
Highest new entry:​ The Ledbury, UK
Chefs' Choice award:​ Osteria Francescana, Italy
The One to Watch:​ Frantzen/Lindeburg, Sweden

To see the World's 51-100 Best Restaurants list, click here.

The 2011 S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best List:

1. Noma Copenhagen, Denmark

2. El Celler de Can Roca Girona, Spain

3. Mugaritz San Sebastián, Spain

4. Osteria Francescana Modena, Italy

5. The Fat Duck Bray, UK

6. Alinea Chicago, USA

7. D.O.M São Paolo, Brazil

8. Arzak San Sebastián, Spain

9. Le Chateaubriand Paris, France

10. Per Se New York, USA

11. Daniel New York, USA

12. Les Créations de Narisawa Tokyo, Japan

13. L’Astrance Paris, France

14. L’Atelier Saint-Germain de Joël Robuchon Paris, France

15. Hof van Cleve Kruishoutem, Belgium

16. Pierre Gagnaire Paris, France

17. Oud Sluis Sluis, Netherlands

18. Le Bernardin New York, USA

19. L’Arpège Paris, France

20. Nihonryori RyuGin Tokyo, Japan

21. Vendôme Bergisch Gladbach, Germany

22. Steirereck Vienna, Austria

23. Schloss Schauenstein Fürstenau, Switzerland

24. Eleven Madison Park New York, USA

25. Aqua Wolfsburg, Germany

26. Quay Sydney, Australia

27. Iggy’s Singapore

28. Combal Zero Turin, Italy

29. Martín Berasategui San Sebastián, Spain

30. Bras Laguiole, France

31. Biko Mexico City, Mexico

32. Le Calandre Padua, Italy

33. Cracco Milan, Italy

34. The Ledbury London, UK

35. Chez Dominique Helsinki, Finland

36. Le Quartier Français Franschhoek, South Africa

37. Amber Hong Kong, China

38. Dal Pescatore Mantua, Italy

39. Il Canto Siena, Italy

40. Momofuku Ssäm Bar New York, USA

41. St John London, UK

42. Astrid Y Gastón Lima, Peru

43. Hibiscus London, UK

44. Maison Troisgros Roanne, France

45. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée Paris, France

46. De Librije Zwolle, Netherlands

47. Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville Crissier, Switzerland

48. Varvary Moscow, Russia

49. Pujol Mexico City, Mexico

50. Asador Etxebarri Atxondo, Spain

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