How many of the World’s Best Restaurants have you visited?

Sarah LeTrent

CNN

(CNN) — On Monday, Restaurant magazine revealed its annual “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list in London – and it ended up being a family affair.

Three brothers – Joan, Jordi and Josep Roca — returned the top title to Spain by way of their restaurant, El Celler de Can Roca, in northern Catalonia.

- FWBP Digital Partners -

The last Spanish restaurant to hold the top spot was Ferran Adrià’s elBulli restaurant in 2009, which has since closed and been converted into the elBulliFoundation.

For the past three years, the highest ranking belonged to Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The announcement comes shortly after 63 guests were infected with norovirus at the innovative Nordic restaurant after eating there in mid-February 2013.

“It is a matter that deeply affects us all, and that we sincerely regret,” head chef and proprietor Rene Redzepi said in a statement.

- Advertisement -

“When the first results came in, indicating norovirus, guests were informed and offered either to return as our guests or to be fully refunded. We are delighted that many guests have already accepted the offer to return to Noma.”

The normally celebratory evening took a sobering turn when Restaurant magazine editor William Drew took a moment at the beginning to honor two chefs from Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, number 33 on the list, who were killed in a car crash in Hong Kong in November 2012.

The prestigious yet controversial list is compiled by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy – a panel of more than 900 of the world’s culinary leaders, including celebrated chefs, food critics and restaurateurs. The list has been criticized in previous years for the scarcity of restaurants outside of Europe and the United States; Restaurant magazine has since created a list for Asia’s 50 best restaurants, as well as Latin America’s.

Each panelist is asked to vote for their seven best restaurant experiences – in order of preference – during the last 18-month voting period; at least three of their votes must be for a restaurant outside their geographical region.

- Advertisement -

Six restaurants from the United States were honored this year: Alinea in Chicago, Illinois; Daniel, Le Bernardin, Per Se and Eleven Madison Park in New York; and The French Laundry in Yountville, California.

These are the world’s 50 best restaurants:

1) El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain)

2) Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark)

3) Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy)

4) Mugaritz (Errenteria, Spain)

5) Eleven Madison Park (New York)

6) D.O.M. (São Paulo, Brazil)

7) Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (London, England)

8) Arzak (San Sebastián, Spain)

9) Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)

10) Vendôme (Bergisch Gladbach, Germany)

11) Per Se (New York)

12) Frantzén/Lindeberg (Stockholm, Sweden)

13) The Ledbury (London, England)

14) Astrid y Gastón (Lima, Perú)

15) Alinea (Chicago, Illinois)

16) L’Arpege (Paris, France)

17) Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico)

18) Le Chateaubriand (Paris, France)

19) Le Bernardin (New York)

20) Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)

21) Attica (Melbourne, Australia)

22) Nihonryori RyuGin (Tokyo, Japan)

23) L’Astrance (Paris, France)

24) L’Atelier Saint-Germain de Joël Robuchon (Paris, France)

25) Hof van Cleve (Kruishoutem, Belgium)

26) Quique Dacosta (Denia, Spain)

27) Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)

28) Mirazur (Menton, France)

29) Daniel (New York)

30) Aqua (Wolfsburg, Germany)

31) Biko (Mexico City, Mexico)

32) Nahm (Bangkok, Thailand)

33) The Fat Duck (Bray, England)

34) Fäviken Magasinet (Järpen, Sweden)

35) Oud Sluis (Sluis, Netherlands)

36) Amber (Hong Kong, China)

37) Vila Joya (Albufeira, Portugal)

38) Restaurant Andre (Singapore)

39) 8 1/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana (Hong Kong, China)

40) Combal.Zero (Rivoli, Italy)

41) Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)

42) Schloss Schauenstein (Fürstenau, Switzerland)

43) Mr & Mrs Bund (Shanghai, China)

44) Asador Etxebarri (Atxondo-Bizkaia, Spain)

45) Geranium (Copenhagen, Denmark)

46) Maní (São Paulo, Brazil)

47) The French Laundry (Yountville, California)

48) Quay (Sydney, Australia)

49) Septime (Paris, France)

50) Central (Lima, Peru)