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The World 50 Best Restaurants

Individual Award Winners

Best Restaurant in the World: The French Laundry, CA, USA. Best American Restaurant: The French Laundry, CA, USA. Best European Restaurant: The Fat Duck, Bray, UK. Best African and Middle Eastern Restaurant: Al Mahara, Dubai. Best Asian Restaurant: Bukhara, New Delhi, India. Best Australasian Restaurant: Tetsuya's, Sydney, Australia. Best Newcomer to the List: The Fat Duck, Bray, UK. Most Improved Restaurant on the List: St. John, London, UK. Outstanding Value: Gramercy Tavern, NY, USA. Chef's Choice (voted for by last year's 50 Best): Tetsuya's, Sydney, Australia. Editor's Choice (voted for by editorial panel): The Wolseley, UK, London

Top Ten Best Restaurants in the World: A Review

1-French Laundry, Yountville, California: "Is it possible that the best French restaurant is not in France?" asks the critic from Le Monde. Well, it certainly appears so. Thomas Keller holds pole position for the second year running with his Napa Valley take on a three-star French country restaurant. The 10-course tasting menu is incredible. Open with bagaduce oysters and ossetra caviar, then wing through variations on truffles, tuna nicoise, sweet butter-poached lobster, chicken and dumplings, spring lamb and so on, finishing in triumph with the delice au chocolat et caramel. Heaven on a plate for $220.· Bookings: Reserve up to two months in advance.· Where to stay: Continue the French-California theme at Maison Fleurie — five minutes from the restaurant. It has 13 rooms set in a peaceful landscaped garden. Bicycles are provided to help tick off the surrounding Napa wineries.

2-THE FAT DUCK, Bray, Berkshire, UK: This is the place that does bacon-and-egg ice cream, snail porridge and sardine-on-toast sorbet. So you can safely say you've never had a meal like it. Run by chef Heston Blumenthal since it opened in 1995, it picked up its third Michelin star in January. The spectacular eight-course tasting menu includes all the above and costs $225.· Bookings: Reserve two weeks in advance for weekdays and at least a month ahead for weekends. · Where to stay: Make a gastronomic weekend of it and stay at the Michelin-starred nine-room Waterside Inn.