World’s 50 Best Restaurants: Noma falls to third place

And the award goes to …. Spain’s El Celler De Can Roca restaurant

Pia Marsh

Jun 1, 2015

After spending four of the last five years in first place, Noma has dropped to number three in the ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards’, unseated from the top by Spanish restaurant El Celler de Can Roca and Italy’s Osteria Franciscana.

The results were revealed at tonight’s annual ceremony in Guildhall, London, in which three other Copenhagen restaurants made the top 100: Relae (45th), Geranium (51st) and Amass (67th).

Spanish success
In relation to El Celler de Can Roca’s win, the jury stated on its official website that “curiosity and creativity had propelled the Rocas back to the top”.

“This is a restaurant that has never forgotten its humble roots, its sense of familial warmth, or the need to serve remarkably delicious dishes and outstanding wines.”

Noma, no longer winners
Noma (number one in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014), long recognised for its reinvention and interpretation of Nordic cuisine, has bounced back before from a fall from the top spot, and there was hope in the judges’ comments.

However, the jury was quick to assert its faith in Denmark’s signature restaurant, stating on its website: “Noma’s ability to remain fresh and to assimilate culinary cultures other than its own demonstrates not just the immense skill of Redzepi and his team, but also the global importance of Noma. It remains among the most influential restaurants of this century.”

Stellar judging panel
The awards were judged by a group of 1,000 internationally acclaimed chefs, food writers, critics and restaurateurs, hand-selected from 27 regions across the globe. Each region has a panel of 36 and each person can cast seven votes for their favoured restaurant – at least three of which must be restaurants outside of that member’s own region.

To ensure a balanced verdict, judges set no criteria for casting their votes: they simply vote for the restaurants that they have had the best experience at over the last 18 months.

The top 50 list reflects novelty, experience and chef and employee charisma just as much as it does quality.

Here is the list of the top 50: