El Bulli the world's top restaurant for 2006

Pierre Gagnaire’s appearance as one of the world top five restaurants has nudged Sydney’s Tetsuya’s down one berth to fifth in the S Pellegrino World’s Best 50 Restaurants for 2006. 

The ultimate accolade went to Ferran Adria whose El Bulli in Spain pushed Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck (UK) into second place. El Bulli, the original Number 1 when the list was first compiled in 2002, was also named Europe’s top restaurant.

Pierre Gagnaire’s move from sixth to third pushed Thomas Keller’s French Laundry into fourth but Keller had another restaurant in the top 10 - his Per Se was listed eighth.

Michel Bras’ restaurant in France, Bras, was sixth followed Alain Ducasse’s Le Louis XV in Monaco. Ducasse’s Paris restaurant was 15th.

Juan Mari Arzak’s Restaurante Arzak in Spain climbed from 21st to ninth while Mugaritz debuted in 10th place. With Andoni Luis Aduriz behind the stove, this Spanish restaurant was the highest new entrant on the list.

Neil Perry’s Rockpool in Sydney moved up from 42nd to 30th while Melbourne's Flower Drum fell right off the top 50 list.

The complete list is:

1 El Bulli  Spain The World's Best Restaurant / Best Restaurant in Europe
2 The Fat Duck UK      
3 Pierre Gagnaire France Chefs' Choice
4 The French Laundry USA Best Restaurant in the Americas
5 Tetsuya's Australia Best Restaurant in Australasia
6 Bras France
7 Le Louis XV Monaco
8 Per Se USA
9 Arzak Spain
10 Mugaritz Spain Highest New Entrant
11 Can Fabes Spain
12 Nobu UK
13 Gambero Rosso Italy Highest Climber
14 Gordon Ramsay (Ryl Hosp Rd) UK
15 Alain Ducasse - Plaza Athenee France
16 Jean Georges USA
17 Le Cinq France
18 Daniel USA
19 Oud Sluis Holland
20 Chez Panisse USA
21 El Celler de Can Roca Spain
22 L'Astrance France
23 Hof van Cleve Belgium
24 La Maison Troisgros France
25 L'Atelier France
26 Charlie Trotter's USA
27 Le Gavroche UK Outstanding Value
28 La Colombe South Africa Best Restaurant in the Middle East & Africa
29 Enoteca Pinchiorri Italy
30 Rockpool Australia
31 Le Calandre Italy
32 Le Bernardin USA
33 Noma Denmark
34 Restaurant Dieter Muller Germany
35 St John UK
36 Hakkasan UK
37 Martin Berasategui Spain
38 Le Quartier Francais South Africa
39 Chez Dominique Finland
40 L'Ambroisie France
41 Die Schwarzwaldstube Germany
42 Dal Pescatore Italy
43 Bocuse France
44 L'Arpege France
45 Gramercy Tavern USA
46 Bukhara India Best Restaurant in Asia
47 De Karmeliet Belgium
48 Oaxen Skargardskrog Sweden
49 Comme Chez Soi Belgium
50 D.O.M Brazil
 
The next 50
51 Taillevent Paris France
52 The River Cafe London UK
53 Auberge de LIII Alsace-Lorraine France
54 Le Meurice Paris France
55 Maisons de Bricourt Cancale France
56 El Poblet Alicante Spain
57 Cal Pep Barcelona Spain
58 Les Ambassadeurs Paris France
59 Guy Savoy Paris France
60 Aqua San Francisco United States
61 La Pergola Rome Italy
62 Les Pres d'Eugenie Landes France
63 The Square London UK
64 Claude's Sydney Australia
65 Cracco-Peck Milan Italy
66 Combal.zero Torino Italy
67 Bosman's Paarl South Africa
68 Nobu New York United States
69 L'Arnsbourg Baerenthal France
70 Fredsgatan 12 Stockholm Sweden
71 La Ferme de Mon Pere Megeve France
72 Vue de Monde Melbourne Australia
73 Fasano Sao Paulo Brasil
74 Astrid y Gaston Lima Peru
75 Tezka Mexico City Mexico
76 Vendome Bergisch Gladbach Germany
77 The Ivy London UK
78 Sant Pau Barcelona Spain
79 La Tupina Bordeaux France
80 Le Manoir Great Milton UK
81 Georges Blanc Vonnas France
82 Felix Hong Kong China
83 L'Hotel De Ville Crissier Switzerland
84 Sjomagasinet Gothenburg Sweden
85 Spondi Athens Greece
86 Pushkin Moscow Russia
87 Petrus London UK
88 Lucas Carton Paris France
89 Icebergs Sydney Australia
90 The Waterside Inn Bray UK
91 Spoon Hong Kong China
92 Tantris Munich Germany
93 Lindsay House London UK
94 Bagatelle Oslo Norway
95 Apicius Paris France
96 The Flower Drum Melbourne Australia
97 The Capital London UK
98 Iggy's Singapore City Singapore
99 Wasabi Bombay India
100 Le Clos des Cimes St-Bonnet-le-Froid France

Panellists for Australia & New Zealand were:
Pat Nourse (Chair Person), Jane Adams, Shannon Bennett, Mark Best, Laurie Black, James Broadway, David Burton, Stephano di Pieri, Sue Dyson, Guy Griffin, Andy Harris, Simon Johnson, Kevin Judd, Chui Lee Luk, John Lethlean, Cheong Liew, Lizzie Loel, Anthea Loucas, Christine Manfield, Andrew McConnell, Matthew Moran, Neil Perry, Cherry Ripe, Geoff Ross, Franz Scheurer, Leo Schofield, Maurice Terzini, Trevor Thomas, Peter Thompson, Simon Thomsen, Tetsuya Wakuda

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