A Kiwi chef has managed to crack the Top 20 in the world's most prestigious restaurant awards, dubbed the 'Oscars of the food world'.
It's the second year New Zealand chef Ben Shewry, hailing from rural north Taranaki, has featured on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. His Melbourne restaurant Attica has climbed 12 places from last year's number 32 slot, this year coming in at number 20.
Attica also took out Best Restaurant in Australasia for the second year in a row.
The awards have faced controversy in the past. Eater describes it as a list "famous for its historic exclusion of top female chefs; for its bias toward expensive, European-leaning tasting menu venues; and for not requiring judges to pay for their meals".
"Much to the surprise of no one, the victor is a European male chef who's already won the prize," the food news website wrote.
That victor was Massimo Bottura, whose Italian tasting restaurant Osteria Francescana first won in 2016.
The list is created from the votes over 1,000 international food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and highly regarded 'gastronomes'. Members list their choices in order of preference, based on their best restaurant experiences of the previous 18 months.
The World's 50 Best Restaurants:
1. Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy) Best restaurant in Europe
2. El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain)
3. Mirazur (Menton, France)
4. Eleven Madison Park (New York City) Best restaurant in North America
5. Gaggan (Bangkok) Best restaurant in Asia
6. Central (Lima, Peru) Best restaurant in South America
7. Maido (Lima, Peru)
8. Arpege (Paris, France)
9. Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain)
10. Asador Etxebarri (Axpe, Spain)
11. Quintonil (Mexico City, Mexico)
12. Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantico Hills, New York)
13. Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico)
14. Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)
15. White Rabbit (Moscow, Russia)
16. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)
17. Den (Tokyo, Japan)
18. Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain) Highest new entry
19. Geranium (Copenhagen)
20. Attica (Melboure, Australia)
21. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée (Paris, France)
22. Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)
23. Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)
24. Ultraviolet (Shanghai, China)
25. Cosme (New York City)
26. Le Bernardin (New York City)
27. Boragó (Santiago, Chile)
28. Odette (Singapore)
29. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris, France)
30. D.O.M. (São Paulo, Brazil)
31. Arzak (San Sebastian, Spain)
32. Tickets (Barcelona, Spain)
33. The Clove Club (London, UK)
34. Alinea (Chicago)
35. Maaemo (Oslo, Norway)
36. Reale (Castel Di Sangro, Italy)
37. Restaurant Tim Raue (Berlin, Germany)
38. Lyle's (London)
39. Astrid y Gastón (Lima, Peru)
40. Septime (Paris, France)
41. Nihonryori RyuGin (Tokyo, Japan)
42. Ledbury (London, UK)
43. Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Spain) Sustainable restaurant award
44. Mikla (Istanbul, Turkey)
45. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (London, UK)
46. Saison (San Francisco)
47. Schloss Schauenstein (Fürstenau, Switzlerand)
48. Hiša Franko (Kobarid, Slovenia)
49. Nahm (Bangkok, Thailand)
50. Test Kitchen (Cape Town, South Africa) Africa's best restaurant
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