World’s top 10 restaurants: World-class cuisine and dining experiences

Everyone loves great food. We all have a favourite restaurant, one that is our go-to if we want to spoil ourselves with a good meal. But how often do you really treat yourself to a world-class meal, a meal that you thought you would only see on TV?

The truth is that most us need to travel to experience world-class dining, which is why restaurants can be an important consideration when making travel plans. Some of us even arrange our vacations around great food destinations. A great restaurant is definitely something that will attract tourists.

What makes a restaurant one of the best in the world? Is it just the food? Or is it the atmosphere, price, service, creativity or hype? Is it a combination of all these elements? What are the intangibles that elevate a restaurant to world-class status?

These questions were recently put to the test by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. They compiled a list of restaurants that are the best of the best in culinary excellence. Here are the 10 best restaurants in the world:

1. El Celler de Can Roca
   Location: Girona, Spain
   Style of food: Modern Spanish
   Signature dish: Mackerel with pickles and mullet roe
2. Osteria Francescana
   Location: Modena, Italy
   Style of food: Contemporary Italian
   Signature dish: Lasagna
3. Noma
   Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
   Style of food: Seasonal Scandinavian
   Signature dish: Sweet shrimp wrapped in ramson leaves
4. Central
   Location: Lima, Peru
   Style of food: Avant-garde Peruvian
   Signature dish: Octopus in purple coal
5. Eleven Madison Park
   Location: New York City, USA
   Style of food: Modern European with a New York twist
   Signature dish: Honey lavender duck with apple and rutabaga
6. Mugaritz
   Location: San Sebastian, Spain
   Style of food: Spanish
   Signature dish: Ice shreds, scarlet shrimp perfume
7. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
   Location: London, UK
   Style of food: Historical British, made modern
   Signature dish: Meat fruit (chicken liver parfait dipped in mandarin jelly)
8. Narisawa
   Location: Tokyo, Japan
   Style of food: Japanese with French influence
   Signature dish: “Bread of the Forest 2001”
9. D.O.M.
   Location: São Paulo, Brazil
   Style of food: Contemporary Brazilian
   Signature dish: Palm heart fettucine with mushrooms
10. Gaggan
    Location: Bangkok, Thailand
    Style of food: Progressive Indian
    Signature Dish: Free-range lamb chops, sous-vide, grilled and finished with green herb oil

Get your passport ready, pack your bags and get your travel insurance in order if you want to visit any of these restaurants in the near future.