World's 50 Best Restaurants 2016: Osteria Francescana Tops This Year's List

For the first time in its 15-year history, the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants were announced in New York — to kick off a global tour of sorts. Next year, the awards will be held in Melbourne, Australia.

As for the top three winners, Massimo Bottura's Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy took the top spot from last year's No. 1 restaurant — El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain. Eleven Madison Park is perched at the third spot (up from No. 5 last year) — it also won "The Ferrari Trento Art of Hospitality" award.

"Everything changed in the last 15 years in gastronomy. There's a community — a community that has been created around 50 Best," Bottura said. "We are not here as competitors. But we are here as friends. And if you come to the party at Eleven Madison later, you're going to see — I'm going to DJ with Daniel and maybe Alex Atala...it's just an amazing feeling."

There was significant movement within this year's top 20 — half received a lower ranking:

El Celler de Can Roca is No. 2 (down from No.1); Rene Redzepi's Noma in Copenhagen slipped to No. 5 (from No. 3); Dinner by Heston Blumenthal fell by more than twenty spots to No. 45 (last year it was No. 7); Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain is the new No. 7 (last year it was No. 6); D.O.M., at No. 11, fell as well (it's was No. 9); Bangkok's Gaggan, at No. 23, dropped significantly (it was No. 10); L'Arpege, at No. 19, fell by seven spots (it was No. 12 in 2015); Astrid Y Gaston in Lima, Peru is No. 30 (last year it was No. 14); Mexico's Pujol is at No. 25 (down from No. 16); the renowned Arzak in San Sebastian, Spain is at No. 21 (last year it was No. 17); and Le Bernardin, which is at No. 24, fell a few notches (it was No. 18).

Beyond the Top 50, there’s an extended version that ranks restaurants from 51 to 100—though dining anywhere on this list is hardly a consolation prize. Thomas Keller, for instance, has two restaurants in the bottom 50. His New York restaurant Per Se — which received a scathing review from The New York Times’ restaurant critic Pete Wells in January — fell considerably to No. 52 (from No. 40 last year). And the French Laundry, also by Keller, is at No. 85 (down from No. 50 in 2015).

There are also a number of special recognitions:

The “Ferrari Trento Art of Hospitality” award was introduced this year — with New York's Eleven Madison Park winning the inaugural honor. The "Highest Climber" was given to Maida in Lima, Peru. "Chefs' Choice" went to last year's No. 1 — El Celler de Can Roca. And the "World's Best Pastry Chef" went to Parisian favorite Pierre Hermé. Copenhagen's Relae won this year's "Sustainable Restaurant" award and the "Highest New Entry" for 2016 was awarded to London's The Clove Club.

Earlier this year, three other big wins were announced:

As far as the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards go, the “Lifetime Achievement Award,” is the highest honor a chef could hope for. In the past, it has been given to culinary luminaries such as Daniel Boulud, Alain Ducasse, Paul Bocuse, Joël Robuchon, and Alice Waters. This year, it went to L'Arpège’s 59-year-old chef Alain Passard, who is best known for his innovative use of vegetables — bringing them to the forefront.

“The One to Watch” award went to Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa’s Den in Tokyo. (It also ranks No. 77 in the overall list.) And in April, the academy honored Dominique Crenn of San Francisco’s Atelier Crenn and Petit Crenn as this year’s “World’s Best Female Chef” — an honor that was previously given to Hélène Darroze, Helena Rizzo, Nadia Santini, and Elena Arzak. So she's certainly in good company. Admittedly, she’s the first U.S. female chef to win two Michelin stars, but does the industry really need to distinguish between genders here? It's the kind of honor that that often brings feminists in the restaurant world to a boil.

Below is 2016's complete list — and for more information, go to The World's 50 Best Restaurants site.

1. Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy)
2. El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain)
3. Eleven Madison Park (New York City, U.S.A)
4. Central (Lima, Peru)
5. Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark)
6. Mirazur (Menton, France)
7. Mugaritz (Errenteria, Spain)
8. Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)
9. Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)
10. Asador Etxebarri (Axpe, Spain)
11. D.O.M. (São Paulo, Brazil)
12. Quintonil (Mexico City, Mexico)
13. Maido (Lima, Peru)
14. The Ledbury (London, UK)
15. Alinea (Chicago, U.S.A)
16. Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Spain)
17. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)
18. White Rabbit (Moscow, Russia)
19. L'Arpege (Paris, France)
20. Amber (Hong Kong)
21. Arzak (San Sebastian, Spain)
22. Test Kitchen (Cape Town, South Africa)
23. Gaggan (Bangkok, Thailand)
24. Le Bernardin (New York City, U.S.A)
25. Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico)
26. The Clove Club (London, UK)
27. Saison (San Francisco, U.S.A)
28. Geranium (Copenhagen, Denmark)
29. Tickets (Barcelona, Spain)
30. Astrid y Gaston (Lima, Peru)
31. RyuGin (Tokyo, Japan)
32. Restaurant Andre (Singapore)
33. Attica (Melbourne, Australia)
34. Restaurant Tim Raue (Berlin, Germany)
35. Vendôme (Bergisch Gladbach, Germany)
36. Boragó (Santiago, Chile)
37. Nahm (Bangkok, Thailand)
38. De Librije (Zwolle, the Netherlands)
39. Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)
40. Relae (Copenhagen, Denmark)
41. Fäviken (Järpen, Sweden)
42. Ultraviolet (Shanghai, China)
43. Biko (Mexico City)
44. Estela (New York City, U.S.A)
45. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (London, UK)
46. Combal Zero (Rivoli, Italy)
47. Schloss Schauenstein (Fürstenau, Switzerland)
48. Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantico Hills, New York, U.S.A)
49. QuiQue Dacosta (Denia, Spain)
50. Septime (Paris, France)