William Drew, group editor of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants (pictured below), announced the move for next year last night, as the Chefs’ Feast ceremony ahead of tonight’s awards, which will showcase the 50 restaurants deemed to have delivered the best in food, service and style, comprising sites and chefs from across the globe in the past 12 months.
Alongside the main list, there have also been a host of top prizes for 2016, with Alain Passard taking home The Diners Club Lifetime Achievement award; French chef Dominique Crenn having picked up the World’s Best Female Chef 2016 award in April; and Den in Tokyo winning the One To Watch gong, also in late May.
Similarly, the 51-100 list was announced last week, with Maní in Brazil taking the 51st spot, and other big names including Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (58), Epicure in Paris (69), L’Effervescence in Tokyo (95), and Diverxo, Spain (79), and The French Laundry, USA (85).
In the UK, three London sites made the cut, comprising St John (91), Lyle’s (joint 65), and Hedone (60).
Australia – which also has its own 50 Best list ‒ was represented on the global list by Quay in Sydney (98), and Brae in Birregurra (joint 65).
Tonight sees the announcement of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016, as judged by a much-respected Diners Club panel of almost 1,000 leaders in the restaurant community across 27 separate global regions, including restaurant critics, food writers, chefs, restaurateurs, and “gastronomes”.
Shortlisted choices are listed by preference, based on the judge having experienced the site within the last 18 months.