Top restaurant owners around the world wait eagerly for one announcement each year: the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. In mid-June the latest ranking was revealed, with Osteria Francescana of Modena, Italy, claiming the top spot. Run by chef Massimo Bottura, the restaurant has steadily climbed the list in recent years, placing third in 2013 and second in 2014. The results were unveiled at a special awards ceremony in New York.
This year’s list represents restaurants from 23 countries across six continents, offering what the organizers describe as an annual snapshot of the finest dining experiences worldwide. Winners are chosen by The Diners Club World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, a panel made up of nearly 1,000 international industry leaders and experts.
Spain fared particularly well, placing four restaurants in the top 10. France also earned notable recognition: renowned pâtissier Pierre Hermé received the 2016 World’s Best Pastry Chef award; chef Alain Passard of Arpège, ranked No. 19, was honored with the 2016 Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award; and French-born chef Dominique Crenn, now based in San Francisco, was named the World’s Best Female Chef.