For many chefs, having their restaurant recognized as one of the best in the city is achievement enough; the best in the country can be a dream come true. But for some restaurants, it doesn’t stop there. Every year for the past decade, experts from Restaurant magazine have come together to name the top fifty restaurants in the world. This year, Denmark restaurant Noma took the top slot on the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, beating out major names like Per Se and Jean Georges for the honor.
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While many restaurateurs hold traditional French cuisine as the gold standard, Noma is among the vanguard of restaurants that have proven this doesn’t have to be the case. “Noma is not about olive oil, foie gras, sun-dried tomatoes and black olives,” reads the restaurant’s mission statement. Instead, Noma executive chef René Redzepi celebrates his region’s own cuisine, scouring the Nordic landscape for the best ingredients from musk ox in Greenland and skyr curd in Iceland to Denmark’s own fresh vegetables and berries. Zealously true to their culture, Redzepi and his crew reportedly accepted their award last night decked out in Viking helmets and waving a Danish flag in victory.
This is actually the second time in a row that Noma has taken home the top honor, having edged out El Bulli for the win in 2010. Sadly, the Spanish molecular gastronomy giant is closing its doors this year, putting them out of the running for one last victory. But don’t count Spain out for next year – winning second and third place, respectively, Spanish restaurants El Celler De Can Roca and Mugaritz are clawing at the door.
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While many restaurateurs hold traditional French cuisine as the gold standard, Noma is among the vanguard of restaurants that have proven this doesn’t have to be the case. “Noma is not about olive oil, foie gras, sun-dried tomatoes and black olives,” reads the restaurant’s mission statement. Instead, Noma executive chef René Redzepi celebrates his region’s own cuisine, scouring the Nordic landscape for the best ingredients from musk ox in Greenland and skyr curd in Iceland to Denmark’s own fresh vegetables and berries. Zealously true to their culture, Redzepi and his crew reportedly accepted their award last night decked out in Viking helmets and waving a Danish flag in victory.
This is actually the second time in a row that Noma has taken home the top honor, having edged out El Bulli for the win in 2010. Sadly, the Spanish molecular gastronomy giant is closing its doors this year, putting them out of the running for one last victory. But don’t count Spain out for next year – winning second and third place, respectively, Spanish restaurants El Celler De Can Roca and Mugaritz are clawing at the door.
