On Monday night at Cipriani Wall Street, some of the biggest names in the restaurant industry sat in chairs pushed close together under soaring ornate ceilings.
The occasion? The announcement of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, which were given out outside of London for the first time.
And fittingly, New York City outperformed every other city in the United States, with three restaurants in the top 50.
Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin was named the 24th best restaurant, falling from No. 18 in 2015.
In a moment that elicited joyous clapping and pride from the room filled with New Yorkers, the small Lower East Side restaurant Estela made the list for the first time at No. 44.
Another big moment for NYC came about halfway through the awards ceremony when a new award, the art of hospitality, was presented to the Eleven Madison Park team. EMP came in at No. 5 in 2015 and was expected to be in the top 10 again. And it was — it booted the revered Noma in Copenhagen from No. 3 to No. 5.
Dan Barber’s restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns, located just outside the city in Pocantico Hills, moved up one position from last year, from 49 to 48. Barber also runs Blue Hill in the West Village, which has not made the list.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants launched in 2002 and is owned and operated by William Red Media. The list is created by a panel of nearly 1,000 international restauranteurs, chefs, journalists, critics and “highly-regarded gastronomes.” Each voter casts seven votes.
View the complete list at theworlds50best.com.
