from Business Insider’s – The Fifty Best Restaurants in the World 2018
10 Asador Etxebarri (Axpe, Spain) – This restaurant has a very sleek and modern design to it. Offering a small dining room and many cuts of steak, the Asador Etxebarri is a must see on a vacation to Spain. “Nestled deep in the Atxondo valley, at the foothills of the magical Mt. Anboto, we find Etxebarri. Far from the noise, the restaurant preserves ancient techniques of grill cooking using carefully selected firewood from different trees to work in harmony with the locally cultivated, natural produce, to offer endless possibilities of truly wonderful dishes.”
9 Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain) – Mugaritz thrives on gastronomy, which is scientifically deconstructing foods and finding a way to maximize the taste in a small portion. “We question the logic of the gastronomic world, rethinking the social habits and prejudices. We seek to create a context where diners give free rein to their senses to overcome the imposition of customs.”
8 Arpege (Paris, France) – Arpege has their own farm and focuses on the freshest foods possible on a daily basis. with six gardeners they work every day to take care of their livestock as well as pick the best fruits and vegetables for the days use. “Sandy soil and an apiary in the Sarthe region, clay soil in the Eure region: we care about preserving the environment. Draught animal power, no pesticides, no chemical fertilizer, watering holes for batrachians, stone houses for the weasels, hedgehogs and reptiles, perches for raptors, hedges, embankments and trees for the birds ; all of this wildlife is welcome in our gardens, this way we avoid any treatment.”
7 Maido (Lima, Peru) – A Japanese style restaurant focusing on Gastronomy and fine dining. The elegant dining room is a sight to see! “The individual and collective stories merge in the hearth. In the stove life is gestated, the elements are united. In the kitchen the dialogue is promoted, the elements are confronted, the opposites are attracted. This is how the Nikkei kitchen was born, from a complex history known as Peru and from another of equal proportion, distant and foreign, called Japan, that came together to live harmoniously and create a third reality: The Nikkei Kitchen”
6 Central (Lima, Peru) – With a very interactive website, the restaurant shows their value and care for the ecosystems surrounding them and how they incorporate the many parts of their world into their foods. “Our collaborative team works hard to generate links, and try to make visible elements that, in everyday life, can not be seen by all. The expedition that we embarked on our beginning has no destination or end, but focuses on the constant movement, observation and respect of temporality and seasonality that the earth dictates.”
5 Gaggan (Bangkok, Thailand) – The restaurant is inside of a historic home located in downtown Bangkok. With chef Gaggan being from India, he focuses on bringing traditional Indian food to Bangkok for both tourists and residents. “Chef Gaggan Anand uses science and modern technology to create modernist and progressive re-interpretations of traditional recipe that have made his restaurant the top dining destination in Bangkok with residents as well as visitors.”
4 Eleven Madison Park (New York City, USA) – Chef David Humm and restauranteur Will Guidara are known for their great partnership and showmanship in the food industry. “It’s the perfect partnership of outstanding hospitality and exquisite food in an iconic setting in New York City that makes Eleven Madison Park the No.1 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Co-owners Will Guidara and Daniel Humm have put their lives into breaking down the walls between dining room and kitchen, making sure the customer experience is harmonious from start to finish.”
3 Mirazur (Menton, France) – This restaurant is all about location. As a guest, you will feel like you are on a vacation seeing mountains, water, city, and gardens all in one view. Simply looking at pictures will make anyone want to visit this restaurant, not to mention the locally sourced menu. “The elegant, spacious and light-drenched dining room commands a panoramic view of the sea and the town of Menton through the large windows running all the way around. On the lower floor, the bar with a view of the glassed-in kitchen where the brigade is at work extends into a small terrace. Down a few steps, the orchard garden full of fragrant herbs and citrus is a precious source of inspiration for Mauro Colagreco when dreaming up his dishes.”
2 El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain) – The three Roca brothers have been cooking since they were kids. The brothers opened their restaurant in 1986 and it has been climbing the lists of consumers ever since. Now marking as the number two restaurant in the world, the brothers are living their dream of cooking for the world. In 2014 one brother was listed as a world’s top pastry chef, and in 2018, they made their first appearance on the list as a top restaurant.
1 Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy) – From the finest dining in the world, Osteria Francescana focuses on every detail. From ironing the table cloths, to polishing silverware, this restaurant is truly perfect. “Our kitchen is not a list of ingredients or demonstration of technical abilities. It is a narration of the Italian landscape and our passions. Cooking is a collision of ideas, techniques, and cultures. It is not mathematical. It is emotional.”