Acclaimed Melbourne restaurant Attica continued its run of dominance over the Australian food scene by scoring its first ever Top 20 finish in the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards, handed out last night in Spain.
Ben Shewry‘s acclaimed location, tucked away in a nondescript Ripponlea building, scored its sixth consecutive entry on the prestigious list, this year finishing 20th – Attica’s highest-ever ranking – rising up 12 spots on last year’s efforts.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards, considered the Oscars of the food world, made particular note of Shewry’s use of non-traditional Australian ingredients, even ones that might be unfamiliar to the most experienced of local palates.
Rather than foie gras, caviar or lobster, the chef serves his own version of luxury, including pearl cooked in paperbark, hand-picked crab with wattle bread, grilled marron with desert lime and even bunya bunya (Shewry’s favourite ingredient).
Despite Attica’s high ranking, overall it’s the poorest representation of Australian restaurants on the list since the awards began some 16-odd years ago, with Attica being the only Australian-based restaurant to feature on this year’s list.
At the list’s apex, Massimo Bottura‘s globally acclaimed Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy reigns supreme for the second consecutive year as the world’s best restaurant, followed closed by the Girona, Spain-based El Celler De Can Roca.
Notable for its absence is the oft-acclaimed, four-time list-topping Nobu, who did not qualify for this year’s awards due to lack of operating time following a 12-month closure.
The full list of the World’s 40 Best Restaurants is below. Start checking those flight specials, mates.
WORLD’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS, 2018
- Osteria Francescana – Modena, Italy
- El Celler De Can Roca – Girona, Spain
- Mirazur – Menton, France
- Eleven Madison Park – New York, USA
- Gaggan – Bangkok, Thailand
- Central – Lima, Peru
- Maido – Lima, Peru
- Arpège – Paris, France
- Mugaritz – San Sebastian, Spain
- Asador Etxebarri – Axpe, Spain
- Quintonil – Mexico City, Mexico
- Blue Hill at Stone Barns – Pocantico Hills, USA
- Pujol – Mexico City, Mexico
- Steirereck – Vienna, Austria
- White Rabbit – Moscow, Russia
- Piazza Duomo – Alba, Italy
- Den – Tokyo, Japan
- Disfrutar – Barcelona, Spain
- Geranium – Copenhagen, Denmark
- Attica – Melbourne, Australia
- Alain Ducasse Au Plaza Athéné – Paris, France
- Narisawa – Tokyo, Japan
- Le Calandre – Rubano, Italy
- Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet – Shanghai, China
- Cosme – New York, USA
- Le Berardin – New York, USA
- Boragó – Santiago, Chile
- Odette – Singapore
- Alléno Paris Au Pavillon Ledoyen – Paris, France
- D.O.M. – Sāo Paulo, Brazil
- Arzak – San Sebastian, Spain
- Tickets – Barcelona, Spain
- The Clove Club – London, UK
- Alinea – Chicago, USA
- Maaemo – Oslo, Norway
- Reale – Castel di Sangro, Italy
- Restaurant Tim Raue – Berlin, Germany
- Lyle’s – London, UK
- Astrid Y Gastón – Lima, Peru
- Septime – Paris, France
- Nihonryori Ryugin – Tokyo, Japan
- The Ledbury – London, UK
- Azurmendi – Larrabetzu, Spain
- Mikla – Istanbul, Turkey
- Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – London, UK
- Saison – San Francisco, USA
- Schloss Schauenstein – Fürstenau, Switzerland
- Hiša Franko – Kobarid, Slovenia
- Nahm – Bangkok, Thailand
- The Test Kitchen – Cape Town, South Africa
