# Europe Forum > Travelling & Living in Europe >  San Pellegrino's World 50 Best Restaurants

## Maciamo

Michelin may be the reference in awarding stars for gourmet eateries, but Italy's San Pellegrino has become famous over the last 8 years for attempting to list the 50 most outstanding restaurants _in the world_. It goes without saying that such a ranking will always be subjective and debatable. But since it is a team of professionals who are paid just to do that, it is nevertheless interesting.  

The ranking has been extended to 100 since 2009, but only the top 50 get an award.

El Bulli on the Costa Brava in Catalonia has been nominated best restaurant in the world five times since 2002, including the last four years. Strong of 3 Michelin stars, a meal there will set you back roughly 200 euro.

The French Laundry in California's Napa Valley, and the Fat Duck in Berkshire (just outside London) compete for the second place in the last 8 years' average. Pierre Gagnaire and the Louis XV (by Alain Ducasse) in Paris and Gordon Ramsay in London complete the top 5.

The 2009 ranking had 8 restaurants in the USA, 7 in Spain, 6 in Italy and in France (+ 1 in Monaco), 4 in the UK, 3 in Germany, 2 in Sweden, Australia and South Africa, and 1 in Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Singapore and Japan. That's 34 out of 50 in Western Europe.

If we look at the 51 to 100th, China has 5 restaurants, while Russia and India have 2 each. Eastern Europe's best restaurants are Spondi in Athens (53rd) and Allegro inside Prague's Four Seasons Hotel (74th).

Ironically, what San Pellegrino considers to be the best Japanese restaurant in the world is not located in Japan but is Sydney's Tetsuya's. I don't think many Japanese will agree. Michelin rightfully recognised that Tokyo deserved about twice more stars than Paris, even though they admitted that they only had time to sketch a brief and incomplete review of the city's 200,000 restaurants.

The 2010 ranking will be published in late May.

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## Maciamo

The 2010 ranking has been revealed. It is a Danish restaurant, Noma, that now has the honour of being called the best in the world. 

There are 10 new entries in the top 50, including the first time for a restaurant in Mexico.

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## Cambrius (The Red)

> The 2010 ranking has been revealed. It is a Danish restaurant, Noma, that now has the honour of being called the best in the world. 
> 
> There are 10 new entries in the top 50, including the first time for a restaurant in Mexico.


Must be a first for Denmark... Interesting.

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## Wilhelm

4 spanish in the Top 10, whom 2 in the province of Girona, where I live

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## Cambrius (The Red)

> 4 spanish in the Top 10, whom 2 in the province of Girona, where I live


Excellent! Congrats! I love the cuisine from Catalonia.

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## ^ lynx ^

> The 2010 ranking has been revealed. It is a Danish restaurant, Noma, that now has the honour of being called the best in the world.


The disciple surpassed the master (the owner of Noma was a disciple of Ferra Adria, the owner of El Bulli).

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