El Bulli, the restaurant run by Spanish chef-owner Ferran Adria, has retained its place as the world`s best restaurant in the 2009 S. Pellegrino World`s 50 Best Restaurants Awards.
Heston Blumenthal`s Fat Duck also held onto second place for the third consecutive year while Danish restaurant Noma shot seven places up the chart to take third place.
Adria, collecting his award for the fifth time, the fourth consecutive year, dedicated his award to Blumenthal who he congratulated for handling the Fat Duck`s norovirus issue `with honesty`.
Chefs from across the globe flew in to London for the event at the Freemason`s Hall in Covent Garden tonight to hear where their restaurant ranked and find out the winners of a host of special awards.
Restaurants making it onto the list for the first time this year were: Osteria La Francescana (Italy, 13th), Les Creations de NARISAWA (Japan, 20th), Steirereck (Austria, 30th), Momofuku Ssam Bar (USA, 31st), Mirazur (France, 35th), Le Chateaubriand (France, 40th), Iggy`s (Singapore, 45th), Quay (Australia, 46th) and Mathias Dahlgren (Sweden, 50th).
After appearing in every top 50 list since the awards began, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which secured 13th place in 2008, disappeared from the list altogether this year. Le Gavroche, Charlie Trotters and Alain Ducasse - Plaza Athenee were also among those who slipped out of the top 50 this year
Although it did not make the list this year, Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley, was voted Breakthrough Restaurant of the Year and Noma chef-owner Rene Redzepi (pictured, right with his Noma team) picked up the Chefs` Choice Award. The Continental Award winners were Tetsuya`s (Australasia), El Bulli (Europe), Les Creations de NARISAWA (Asia), Per Se (North America) and D.O.M (South America).
French chef and restaurateur, Joel Robuchon, whose L`Atelier restaurant in Paris came 18th in this year`s list, was also there to pick up the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Collecting his award from Hibiscus chef-owner Claude Bosi he joked:"I saw the title of Lifetime Achievement Award and thought does that mean it`s the end of my career?
"The passion still lives in me but it seems you`ve had me down as the old guard. I`d like to say to all the young chefs that I don`t have the talent that some of you have. If you have the perseverance you can get to where I am today."
Read our live blog from the World`s 50 Best Award`s night
S. Pellegrino World`s 50 Best 2009 winners
Position Restaurant Country
1 El Bulli Spain
2 The Fat Duck UK
3 Noma Denmark
4 Mugaritz Spain
5 El Celler de Can Roca Spain
6 Per Se USA
7 Bras France
8 Arzak Spain
9 Pierre Gagnaire France
10 Alinea USA
11 L`Astrance France
12 The French Laundry USA
13 Osteria La Francescana Italy
14 St John UK
15 Le Benardin USA
16 Hotel de Ville Switzerland
17 Tetsuya`s Australia
18 L`Atelier de Joel Robuchon France
19 Jean Georges USA
20 Les Creations de NARISAWA Japan
21 Chez Dominique Finland
22 Cracco Peck Italy
23 Die Schwarzwaldstube Germany
24 D.O.M. Brazil
25 Vendome Germany
26 Hof van Cleve Belgium
27 Masa USA
28 Gambero Rosso Italy
29 Oud Sluis Netherlands
30 Steirereck Austria
31 Momofuku Ssam Bar USA
32 Oaxen Skargardskrog Sweden
33 Martin Berasategul Spain
34 Nobu UK
35 Mirazur France
36 Hakassan UK
37 Le Quartier Francais South Africa
38 La Colombe South Africa
39 Etxebarri Spain
40 Le Chateaubriand France
41 Daniel USA
42 Combal Zero Italy
43 Le Louis XV France
44 Tantris Germany
45 Iggy`s Singapore
46 Quay Australia
47 Les Ambassadeurs France
48 Dal Pescatore Italy
49 Le Calandre Italy
50 Mathias Dahlgren Sweden
The S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best 2009: No.51-100