The World’s Best Restaurants Right Now Include Three in U.K., One in U.S., TripAdvisor Says

(Bloomberg) -- Three U.K. restaurants and just one in the U.S. make it into the top fine-dining establishments in the world, according to TripAdvisor, whose annual rankings are published today and bear little resemblance to the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and other lists.

Auberge du Vieux Puits, in Fontjoncouse, France, takes first place, followed by La Ville Blanche, in Rospez, France; and then Chila, in Buenos Aires. The U.K. leader is the Black Swan at Oldstead, a pub that previously won. Also in England, the Fat Duck takes 10th place and L’Enclume 14th. None of the three is in London. The top U.S. entry is the French Laundry in Yountville, California, at 24th.

The so-called Travellers’ Choice winners are calculated based on the millions of reviews and opinions collected in 2019 from diners around the world. The awards take into account the quality and quantity of  TripAdvisor reviews and ratings specific to each award category.  The absence of professional and expert judges means the awards tend to differ from other assessments.

For example, there’s no place in the list for winners of the World’s 50 Best, including Eleven Madison Park in New York; Noma, in Copenhagen; nor the current holder, Mirazur, in the south of France.

On the other hand, the winner, Auberge du Vieux Puits, does hold three Michelin stars and TripAdvisor does tend to throw the spotlight on some restaurants, such at the Black Swan, which previously received limited publicity. Here is the list:

1. Auberge du Vieux Puits, Fontjoncouse, France
2. La Ville Blanche, Rospez, France
3. Chila, Buenos Aires
4. Black Swan at Oldstead, U.K.
5. Leo, Bogota
6. Aramburu, Buenos Aires
7. Restaurant La Maison d'a Cote, Montlivault, France
8. 040 Restaurante, Santiago
9. Ise Sueyoshi, Nishiazabu, Japan
10. The Fat Duck, Bray, U.K.
11. 5, Stuttgart,Germany
12. TRB Hutong, Beijing
13. La Colombe, Constantia, South Africa
14. L’Enclume, Cartmel, U.K.
15. Azurmendi, Larrabetzu, Spain
16. Ciel Bleu Restaurant, Amsterdam
17. Martin Berasategui, Lasarte, Spain
18. Ristorante Lido '84, Gardone Riviera, Italy
19. Quintessenza, Trani, Italy
20. Ristorante Don Alfonso 1890, Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi, Italy
21. The Grove, Auckland Central, New Zealand
22. i Latina, Buenos Aires
23. Uri Buri, Acre, Israel
24. The French Laundry, Yountville, U.S.
25. Restaurante Benazuza, Cancun, Mexico

Richard Vines is Chief Food Critic at Bloomberg. Follow him on Twitter @richardvines and Instagram @richard.vines.

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