Yes, five of the world's “top 50 restaurants” are French (and four are in Paris), according to the 50 Best Restaurant awards, held in London on Monday night.
Even though many in the French restaurant industry were unhappy with the way rankings were put together, we think having ten percent of the world's best restaurants is worth celebrating.
Here is a closer look at the best of the best.
1) Mirazur (11th worldwide)
Mirazur, perched on a hillside by the French-Italian border in Menton, is run by Argentine-born chef Mauro Colagreco.
The 50 Best praised its “impeccably presented dishes”, and the chef's ability to “combine avant-garde techniques to tell a story where the local, fresh produce plays the role as protagonist, surprising guests with exciting cooking methods, textures, and temperatures”.
The restaurant itself is in the 1930s style, with wall-to-wall glass windows with stunning sea views.
Where: Southeastern France, east of Nice
Read more on the official site here.
2) L’Arpège (12th worldwide)
Hot on the heels of Mirazur is L’Arpège at number 12. Head chef Alain Passard turned heads several years ago upon announcing that he was turning his focus to vegetables from his biodynamic farm near Paris.
But he pulled it off – and 50 Best was quick label him “a culinary genius”. They singled out his tarte tatin:
“His brilliant reimagining of the tarte tatin doesn’t deconstruct the dish, but improves it, forming the apple slices into rosettes atop the pastry to maximise the surface area for caramelisation and texture.”
Where: Paris, 7th arrondissement
Read more on the official site here.
3) Le Chateaubriand (21st worldwide)
Inaki Aizpitarte has been praised with starting a “mini-revolution in the Parisian restaurant scene”. 50 Best notes that he is a figurehead of the ‘bistronomie’ movement, casting aside the starched tablecloths and uptight service in favour of good prices and a relaxed approach.
Le Chateaubriand blends French, Asian and Latin American culinary influences, where the line up changes daily but can include anything from warm squid salad to veal with almonds.
Be sure to book in advance, many reserve a table for the first sitting at least two weeks in advance.
Where: Paris, 11th arrondissement
Read more on the official site here.
4) L'Astrance (36th worldwide)
Head chef Pascal Barbot is widely fêted for redefining French fine dining, writes 50 Best. He actually worked for five years at L’Arpège (above), honing his craft, before working in the South Pacific as a chef with the French navy.
Now he is in Paris, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, where he mixes French haute-cuisine with exotic ingredients from the Far East.
The restaurant has no menu, rather, patrons choose from ingredients what they feel like eating and leave the rest up to the chefs.
Where: Paris, 16th arrondissement
Read more on the official site here.
5) Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (47th worldwide)
Alain Ducasse, “arguably the most successful chef on the planet”, heads this restaurant, which has been lauded by 50 Best for its luxurious interior as well as its food.
The menu is based around fish, vegetables and cereal – with a focus on healthy and organic eating.
Expect menu items like Anjou quinoa, morels and green asparagus or Brittany langoustines with golden caviar, and main courses including turbot with lovage, borage and warm oysters.
Where: Paris, 8th arrondissement
Read more on the official site here.
Member comments