Elite Traveler May-June 2017

elite traveler MAY/JUNE 2017 63

THE TRENDS

San Francisco dominates the new entries with both Atelier Crenn (whose head chef Domi- nique Crenn has been recognized by the Elite Traveler readers as the recipient of this year’s rising star award — turn to p83 for interview) and Michael Tusk’s Quince (see p79 for inter- view) basing themselves in the city. Noma is a notable absence from this year’s list as they’re currently enjoying views over the Caribbean Sea during their residence in Tulum, Mexico. Visit nomamexico.tocktix.com for reservation information. They’re moving premises and reopening in Copenhagen later on this year, and we’re quietly confident they won’t be absent from the list for long. Read on to find out if your own favorite restaurants made the list this year, and head to elitetraveler.com/top100 for more insight, interviews and stunning images.

Coming behind, the established gastronomic destinations of France, Spain, Italy and the UK respectively followed in the rankings. The American command is further intensified as we turn to the cream of the crop, with 50 percent of the top 10 spots occupied by US restaurants. The three New Yorkers that have spent the last three years jostling for their place in the top spots (Le Bernardin, Per Se and Eleven Madison Park) continue to do so. Notable entries to the top 10 are Switzerland’s Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville (a firm favorite of our restaurant critic Andy Hayler) and California’s The Restaurant at Meadowood. Of the nine new entries in this year’s list, three are returning, having made their way back onto the list from previous years. This leaves six brand-new entries, half of which are US based, two from France and one from the UK.

With a new restaurant gracing the number one spot, this year’s list is full of surprises, exciting developments and interesting trends that show the global appetite for fine dining with a twist hasn’t yet been sated. We first featured Azurmendi in 2014 when chef Eneko Atxa led the charge straight into the number seven spot, so there's been no gradual rank-climbing for the Spanish culinary pioneers. As they continue to grow, utilizing the magical Basque countryside in which they reside for produce, tradition and inspiration, we — and evidently our readers — are becoming more and more enchanted with this restaurant and the stunning food it produces. But onto trends. Having overtaken the European classics back in 2015, the US scene continues its dominance over the list with a quarter of the 100 based in the States.