SPAIN can yet again claim to have the best chefs in the world, after cleaning up in an international restaurant poll.
The country took two of the top three slots in the benchmark Best Restaurants in the World list, compiled by the UK’s Restaurant magazine.
Its pair El Cellar de Can Roca and Mugaritz both went up two places to scoop the honour.
They leapfrogged the UK’s Fat Duck to once again show the world that Spain knows how to cook.
In the annual poll, compiled with drinks giant San Pellegrino, Spain managed to get three restaurants in the top 10 and five in the Top 50.
It’s previous five-time winner El Bulli dropped out of the list, having shut down last year.
El Celler De Can Roca, based in Girona, run by the three Roca brothers, came second, while Mugaritz, in Errenteria, came third.
The San Sebastian based Arzak ranked eighth on the list, up one place from last year, while other Spanish restaurants Martin Berasategui came 29th and Asador Etxebarri came 50th.
Danish eatery Noma took top spot for the second year running, while Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck fell two places to fifth.
For the first time restaurants in Peru and Argentina made the list.
And Arzak came 8th! So Spain has 3 places in the top 10 – more than any other country in the world!
But this doesn’t mean that these restaurants are typical of the cuisine right across Spain, of course. To that end, these polls are about as useful as an ashtray inside a Spanish restaurant.
Lucky enough to eat at cellar can Rocca in February and it was outstanding and the best meal we have ever had