The World's Best Restaurant is revealed

Massimo Bottura’s restaurant in Modena, Italy, takes the No.1 spot in The World’s Best Restaurant ranking for the first time.

Three Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Osteria Francescana has been named as The World’s Best Restaurant 2016 by The Diners Club World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy.

The restaurant of Italian chef and restaurateur Massimo Bottura, which is based in Modena, Italy, came in second for the past two years, and was third in the ranking in 2013.

The full list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and other special awards were announced at a ceremony hosted at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. The list features restaurants from 23 countries in six continents.

Three other Italian restaurants are also in the top 50: Le Calandre in Rubano sits at No.39; Piazzo Duomo in Alba climbs 10 places to the No.17 spot; and Combal Zero in Rivoli also makes a re-entry to the list at No.46.

Spain celebrated three restaurants in the top 10, including last year’s No.1 El Celler de Can Roca (now at No.2); Asador Etxebarri at No.10; and Mugaritz at No.7. Barcelona’s Tickets by Albert Adrià also rises 13 places to No.29.

Five restaurants in South America made the list. A new entry in 2015, Maido from Peru takes the Highest Climber Award, having risen 31 places to No.13. Fellow Lima restaurant Central holds its position at No.4 and three Mexican restaurants move up the ranking.

Scandinavia has five restaurants on the list. Former No.1 Noma now sits at No.5, as fellow Danish restaurant Geranium makes a high re-entry at No.28. There is another re-entry to the list for Netherlands’ De Librije at No.38 and Sweden’s Fäviken sits at No.41. 

Story continues below

Last year’s winner of the Sustainable Restaurant Award, Copenhagen’s Relae, reclaims the title for 2016 and also climbs five places to No.40. 

Six restaurants from Asia feature on the list this year. Narisawa in Tokyo remains at No.8. Restaurant André in Singapore (No.32) and Amber in Hong Kong (No.20) are both high risers, climbing 14 and 18 places respectively.

The US has six restaurants on the list, including former One To Watch winner Saison (No.27) in San Francisco, which is one of four new entries to the list (along with four re-entries). New York’s Estela (No.44) is also a newcomer, while Alinea in Chicago climbs 11 places on the list to No.15.

This year also sees the introduction of a new addition to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants portfolio with The Ferrari Trento Art of Hospitality Award, which was presented to Eleven Madison Park in New York.

Three of France's chefs won individual awards: pâtissier Pierre Hermé took home the 2016 World’s Best Pastry Chef Award; Alain Passard, who celebrates 30 years of his globally acclaimed Paris restaurant, Arpège (No.19), won the 2016 Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award; and French-born chef Dominique Crenn, who is based in San Francisco, was recognised as The World’s Best Female Chef.

The Clove Club in the UK wins the Highest New Entry Award, after entering the list at No.26, and Brett Graham’s The Ledbury in London climbs six places to No.14.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants group editor William Drew said: “As the appetite for reaching new gastronomic heights continues to grow we feel privileged to play a part in this journey of discovery and are proud to bring together this unique community of extraordinary visionaries within the industry.” 

Last night represented the first time the annual awards were hosted in New York and marked the beginning of 50 Best's global tour.

While no Middle East-based restaurant made the top 50, both Zuma Dubai and La Petite Maison were the only two restaurants in the region to be listed in the top 100, at 89 and 99 respectively.