The 2009 World's 50 Best Restaurants: Complete Rankings

El Bulli closed in 2011 and is not bookable; the most important thing to know before you search. Ranked #2 on the World's 50 Best in 2010, Ferran Adrià's Roses kitchen was a landmark of Spanish cuisine. For dining in Roses today, the real options are Rafa, ROM, and Sumac. For avant-garde Spanish tasting menus, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona is the closest active equivalent.

The Fat Duck is Heston Blumenthal's restaurant in Bray, Berkshire.

Noma is a restaurant on Refshalevej in Copenhagen.

Mugaritz is a restaurant in Errenteria in Spain's Basque Country.

El Celler de Can Roca is a restaurant in Girona, Spain.

Per Se is a Thomas Keller restaurant at Columbus Circle in New York City.

Le Suquet is Sébastien Bras' restaurant on the Aubrac plateau near Laguiole.

Arzak serves Basque cuisine developed by Juan Mari Arzak and Elena Arzak in San Sebastián.

Pierre Gagnaire is chef Pierre Gagnaire's restaurant on Rue Balzac in Paris.

Alinea is Grant Achatz's modernist restaurant in Chicago.

L'Astrance is a restaurant on Rue de Longchamp in Paris.

The French Laundry is a restaurant in Yountville, California.

Osteria Francescana is Massimo Bottura's restaurant in Modena, Italy.

St John is Fergus Henderson's Michelin-starred nose-to-tail restaurant in Smithfield, London, and one of the strongest value propositions at £££ in the city. Book two to four weeks ahead. The daily-changing menu centres on offal, game, and seasonal British produce; the bone marrow is the dish to know. If you want serious cooking without the ceremony of a ££££ room, this is the booking to make.

Le Bernardin is a seafood restaurant in Midtown Manhattan.

Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville de Crissier is Franck Giovannini's restaurant near Lausanne, Switzerland.

L'Atelier Saint Germain De Joël Robuchon is a counter-format French fine dining restaurant in Paris's 7th arrondissement, holding a Michelin Plate and a legacy that placed it in the World's 50 Best top 15. Book four to eight weeks out; demand is consistent and seats are limited. Best suited to pairs or solo diners who want close kitchen engagement rather than a conventional table setup.

Jean-Georges is Jean-Georges Vongerichten's restaurant at One Central Park West in New York City.

Narisawa is a restaurant in Minamiaoyama, Tokyo.

Chez Dominique brought Danish kitchen discipline to Helsinki's fine-dining tier. Chef Hans Välimäki's Danish-oriented cooking made it a credible choice for a special occasion or celebration dinner in the city centre.

One of Milan's hardest reservations to secure, Cracco in Galleria pairs Michelin-starred cooking from chef Luca Sacchi with one of Italy's deepest French wine lists, inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Book six to eight weeks out for dinner; window tables go first. At €€€€ with a $$$ wine list, it's justified for serious occasions; less so if wine isn't a priority.

Schwarzwaldstube is a restaurant on Tonbachstraße in Baiersbronn.

D.O.M. is a Brazilian restaurant in São Paulo's Jardins district.

Vendôme is a restaurant at Schloss Bensberg in Bergisch Gladbach.

Hof van Cleve is Floris Van Der Veken's restaurant in Kruisem, Belgium.

Masa is a restaurant at Columbus Circle in New York City.

Gambero Rosso holds a Michelin star (2024) for Ionian coast seafood sourced from small-scale fishermen between Marina di Gioiosa Ionica and Reggio Calabria. At €€€, it is a full price tier below most comparable starred tables in Italy. Raw fish courses are the kitchen's signature. Book hard and early; this is not a walk-in restaurant.

Oud Sluis reached the World's 50 Best top 20 four consecutive years running, and chef Toshihiko Furuta's Japanese-influenced take on Dutch coastal produce still makes the remote Zeeland trip worth planning. Book months ahead; this is Near Impossible to secure at short notice. The tasting menu format demands a full evening and an overnight stay nearby.

Steirereck im Stadtpark is a Vienna restaurant centered on Austrian hospitality and local products.

Oaxen Krog is Magnus Ek's sourcing-led Nordic tasting menu on Djurgården, ranked 42nd on the World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2010 and holding a 3-Star World of Fine Wine & Lifestyle Accreditation. Expect €€€€ pricing, near-impossible booking difficulty, and a kitchen where vegetables frequently lead the plate. Book well in advance; this is one of Stockholm's most considered fine dining options.

Martín Berasategui's flagship restaurant is in Lasarte-Oria, Gipuzkoa.

Europe's first Nobu, open since 1997 on Old Park Lane, still earns its Michelin Plate on the strength of its Nikkei-fusion classics: black cod miso, rock shrimp tempura, and a 650-bottle wine list. The room is dated, but the cooking is consistent and the weekday lunch menu makes the price easier to justify. A solid booking for food-focused diners who know what they want.

Mirazur is a restaurant in Menton on the French Riviera.

Hakkasan Mayfair is London's flagship address for high-end Cantonese cooking, with consecutive Michelin Plate recognition and across 4,000-plus reviews. The basement dining room is theatrical and noisy; the ground-floor dim sum at lunch is among the better in the city. Book two to three weeks out minimum and ask for the Taste of Hakkasan set menu.

Le Quartier Français is a French-cuisine address in the heart of Franschhoek, no longer led by chef Margot Janse, who left in 2017. It is more accessible than the town's tasting-menu-focused competitors, making it a practical choice for brunch or a daytime meal without the multi-hour commitment. Booking is straightforward, even on weekends.

La Colombe ranked 49th on the World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2024 and is one of the hardest tables to secure in South Africa. Chef James Gaag's vegetable-forward tasting menu, served on a wine estate above Constantia Nek with views over the valley and sea, earns the difficulty. Book well ahead and ask about the dedicated vegetable menu.

Asador Etxebarri is a restaurant in Axpe, Bizkaia, centered on cooking over fire.

Le Chateaubriand is the defining address of Paris's bistronomy movement and one of the hardest tables to secure in the 11th arrondissement. Chef Iñaki Aizpitarte's single set menu, sourced from independent producers, has held a World's 50 Best ranking and a current Opinionated About Dining top-500 position. At €€€ per head, the value is clear; if you can get a reservation.

Daniel is an Upper East Side restaurant for a formal French dinner, with prix-fixe and tasting menus in the main dining room. Its Lalique-designed bar and lounge offer shorter menus and cocktails in a different setting.

Combal Zero was a progressive Italian restaurant inside the Castello di Rivoli, run by chef Davide Scabin. The kitchen applied modern technique to Piedmontese ingredients in a setting that few dining rooms in Italy can match for architectural drama.

Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse is a restaurant at Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo.

Tantris is a restaurant within Tantris Maison Culinaire in Munich.

Iggy's is a Michelin-starred Modern European room on the third floor of voco Orchard Singapore that has held its position among the city's best fine-dining tables since 2004. With a nine-course Gastronomic menu, a Burgundy-heavy wine list, and strong tasting-menu options at both lunch and dinner, it is a serious choice for a special occasion; but book at least a week out, as tables fill fast.

Les Ambassadeurs holds a top-50 position on Opinionated About Dining's Classical Europe ranking two years running, making it one of the more reliably bookable serious classical French addresses in Paris's 8th arrondissement. The formal room and unhurried pacing suit special occasions and business meals; casual dinners and solo visits are a weaker fit. Booking is rated Easy, which is a real advantage at this recognition level.

Dal Pescatore is a restaurant in Runate, Lombardy.

Le Calandre is an Alajmo restaurant in Sarmeola di Rubano, Italy.

Matbaren at the Grand Hôtel Stockholm delivers Nordic and modern cooking from the Mathias Dahlgren kitchen at a €€ price point that significantly undercuts its quality tier. Two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards (2024 and 2025) and confirm the consistency. Book it for a date, a solo lunch at the counter, or any occasion where the food needs to impress without the full tasting-menu commitment.