Laurence Dollimore
A SPANISH eatery has lost its ‘Best Restaurant in the World’ title to its Italian rival.
Osteria Francescana, based in Modena, Italy, which was runner-up on last year’s list, switched the top spot with the 2015 Spanish winner El Celler de Can Roca, based in Girona.
The organisers of the list said of Osteria’s chef-owner Massimo Bottura: “The chef’s ambitious creations perfectly balance the demands of honoring heritage while embracing modernity.”
They awarded the restaurant first place for its inventive twist on traditional Italian dishes.
It is the first time an Italian restaurant has won the award.
Bottura said: “We did something epic!”
While Spain didn’t claim the top spot – hopefully through no fault of the Olive Press editor Jon Clarke’s ‘Whine and dine’ review – it still had the highest amount of restaurants in the top 10.
Other than runner-up El Celler de Can Roca, Mugaritz in San Sebastian nabbed 7th place while Asador Etxebarri based near Bilbao closed out the top 10.
Third place went to Eleven Madison Park in New York City, whose chef/co-owner recently visited Marbella to attend the star-studded A Cuatro Manos event.
The list is created by Restaurant magazine and has gained in prominence among chefs since it began in 2002, now rivalling the longstanding Michelin guide.
