Best restaurants: London and Tokyo shine in starter for world's best list


Simon Rushton
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London and Tokyo are blazing ahead of Paris and other centres of fine dining with a crop of exciting restaurants in a new list of the world’s best.

The World's 50 Best Restaurants will be announced on October 5, but on Thursday organisers whetted the appetite of discerning diners with the new 51-100 list.

The list is a celebratory taster of gastronomic delights, from West African cuisine in London to French influences in Tokyo, via Brazil and India and to all corners of the globe.

Only London and Tokyo had four restaurants in the 51-100 list.

The list contains 21 restaurants from Europe, 13 from Asia and nine from South America, covering a total of 22 countries.

Japan has the most entries - five - for any single country and its capital, alongside London, hosts the most for a city.

In London, Ikoyi, based in St James Park just minutes from Buckingham Palace, and Brat, in buzzing Shoreditch, are new entries — at 87 and 78 respectively.

Staying on the list is Heston Blumenthal's Dinner, in Knightsbridge, and Clare Smyth's Core, in the heart of Notting Hill — at 65 and 64 respectively.

Potato and Roe from Core by Clare Smyth. Getty Images
Potato and Roe from Core by Clare Smyth. Getty Images

At Ikoyi, chef Jeremy Chan takes spices and influences from west Africa - Ikoyi is a neighbourhood in the Nigerian city of Lagos - and imports ingredients and ideas from Asia to create mouth-watering dishes.

“We are extremely humbled by the recognition on the global stage and proud of our small, hard-working team. We are also grateful to our producers, without whom this success would not be possible,” the chef said.

Brat is an old English word for turbot and the restaurant's chef Tomos Parry draws on flame grilling techniques in his wood-lined first-floor bistro.

"This means the world. I am so proud of the team, the continued integrity, passion and hard work paid off," a spokeswoman said.

Outside of the more renowned culinary hotspots are some finds including Willem Hiele at No.77, in the Belgian seaside town of Koksijde, La Grenouillère in northern France, and La Colombe, in Cape Town.

Ikoyi chef Jeremy Chan and business partner Iré Hassan-Odukale. Photo: Ikoyi
Ikoyi chef Jeremy Chan and business partner Iré Hassan-Odukale. Photo: Ikoyi

“With restaurants in 22 countries, the 51-100 list this year recognises a broader range of destinations than ever. We're thrilled to see 13 new entries join the 51-100 list for the first time, as the gastronomic world continues to overcome the huge challenges wrought by the pandemic,” said William Drew, director of content for The World's 50 Best Restaurants.

The annual list is created by a voting panel of more than 1,000 independent authorities in the world of gastronomy, from renowned chefs and food journalists to travelling gastronomes.

The 51-100 list is

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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

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Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

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Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

if you go

The flights

Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return. 

The trek

Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required. 

F1 drivers' standings

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281

2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247

3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222

4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177

5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138

6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93

7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86

8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56

THE SPECS

      

 

Engine: 1.5-litre

 

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

 

Power: 110 horsepower 

 

Torque: 147Nm 

 

Price: From Dh59,700 

 

On sale: now  

 
Updated: November 18, 2021, 6:45 AM