Grappling with accusations about inequalities, the people behind the list decided to change things up for 2021. Not only did they bring “balance” to their “Voting Academy,” but they also implemented some new rules that I think are questionable. That’s why I don’t get the World’s 50 Best Restaurants List 2021.
Let me be absolutely clear about something, I don’t think lists such as the World’s 50 Best Restaurants matter all that much in the grand scheme of things. Food is a highly personal thing and will mean different things to different people. Just speaking from my own experience, very few of my friends and family can fathom why I’d drop as much as I do to dine at places like The French Laundry. So, take this post for what it is – me, someone that appreciates fine cuisine at any price point, trying to understand this highly influential list and its recent changes.
I Don’t Get the World’s 50 Best Restaurants List
Alright. If you didn’t know, the criteria for the 2021 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list included a critical new rule – restaurants that previously held the number 1 spot are no longer eligible for inclusion on future lists. Period. This rule, implemented in 2019 is one of a couple of changes made after many around the world accused the list of being inequitable and elitist. But, even with a 50/50 gender split for judges (new for 2021) and that new exclusionary rule, you’d be hard-pressed to find differences between the 2019 and 2021 lists. In fact, while I think the gender split is a good thing, the exclusionary rule makes almost zero sense to me.
The crux of the issue, in my opinion, is if you’re going to have a list of the best restaurants in the world, shouldn’t that list contain a list of all those restaurants? I get that excluding past first-place winners gives other restaurants a shot at recognition, but what if these guys still truly are the best? Should they not still be on the list? And, if not, can you really call this list the World’s 50 Best Restaurants?
What makes this all even more confusing is the lack of any sort of criteria. We don’t really even know how the academy goes about making its selections. So, in my opinion, this list has very little value to it, though I acknowledge that there are many truly wonderful restaurants on the list.
Final Thoughts
What do you think about the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list? Am I off-base here? And, again, don’t get me wrong. I do think everyone deserves a fair shot. But to eliminate a restaurant because they won in the past? How can you say the list legitimately represents the top 50 restaurants in the world? Especially since past winners don’t always stay that way. The French Laundry, for example, didn’t appear in 2018, while another former winner, Eleven Madison Park, came in at number 4. But, even if they were allowed to reappear on the list, I’m not sure Eleven Madison would’ve given this scathing New York Times review regarding the restaurant’s new direction. And as far as TFL goes, the last time they were on the list was in 50th place back in 2015, placing well below Le Bernardin (18).
As for the 2021 list itself, I’ve been to just two of the restaurants – Le Bernardin (44) and Atelier Crenn (48). I love Chef Eric Ripert and his restaurants, but, in my opinion, Atelier Crenn is better. In fact, Crenn took the top spot in my 2021 best meals of all-time rankings. See what I mean about personal opinions?
Anyway, if you want to see the 2021 list, you can find it here.