La Liste: The World’s Best Restaurant is in Paris

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La Liste: The World’s Best Restaurant is in Paris
Tap into the app crowning Guy Savoy’s La Monnaie de Paris as the world’s best restaurant 2020 It’s simple to download and once you’re logged on, you’ll wonder what you did without it. La Liste is a life-changing tool for culinary nomads. A “bite” of history: Created in 2015 by Philippe Faure (a no-nonsense, former diplomat, ex- owner of GaultMillau and President of Atout France) and journalist Jörg Zipprick who – according to Dininology – is “considered in Western Europe, and increasingly so in China, as one of the relatively-few independent-minded, outspoken gastronomic writers and critics.” Together with their international cast of experts (über journo Jean-Claude Ribaut in France, for example) they’re making sure “Lalisters” find great restaurants according to their location, number of guests, culinary wishes, budget, etc. Plus, you discover essential intel like opening hours, type of cuisine, booking by phone – or in 10 countries – online. Partners include Air France, American Express, Generali, Moët Hennessy, Renault, Rungis, Kaviari, Paris, Haviland, Ferrandi, Paris, Arctic Blue Gin, Château d’Yquem, White & Case. Starting in January, the app will be available in Hyundai rental cars. The categories are: Gold, the top 1000; Silver, Excellent address; and Red, great addresses by local standards – or recently opened restaurants. Reviews of the world’s top restaurants by more than 600 guidebooks and trusted publications are put together in a giant database. Each review score is converted into a standard grade, ranging from 0 to 100, according to conversion tables specific to each guidebook. “Several thousand chefs are asked to toss their opinions about local guidebooks into our pot. According to the results, each guidebook is given a trustworthiness index from 0 (not be trusted) to 10 (very trustworthy),” says Phillipe Faure. Young talent contributing to tomorrow’s gastronomy include Akrame, Paris. Special awards for work with plants and vegetables and best local ingredients, prepared as naturally as possible, include, of course, Alain Passard, L’Arpege. In no particular order, the Paris addresses include: Pré Catalan, L’Ambroisie, Pavillon Ledoyen, Pierre Gagnaire, L’Epicure, Le Cinq, Astrance, Le Grand Restaurant, Taillevent, Le Gabriel, Le Grand Vefour, L’Espadon at the Ritz, L’Atelier Robuchon, PUR by Jean-Francois Rouquette, Carre des Feuillants, Akrame, Le Clarence, Le Meurice, Alain Ducasse, Pierre Sang Boyer, Sylvestre and SurMesure by Thierry Marx. La Liste doesn’t just feature “tables d’exception” but also bistrots worldwide; in Paris check out Au Vieux Comptoir and Le Grand Pan. “La Liste spans over 195 countries and we’re delighted to note the presence of many talented women chefs. We’re covering not only the Western world but locations in Vietnam, UAE, Angola, Malta, Turkey, Argentine, Brazil, Bahrain, Israel, Tanzania, Mogadishu, Somalia etc,” notes Philippe Faure. “For each listed restaurant, we calculate the average of all standardized review scores, weighted by each source’s trustworthiness index,” explains Jörg Zipprick. “And, we integrate online customer reviews, giving them a 10% weighting in the final La Liste score,” he adds. And the winner 2020 is… At the Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires Etrangères, Quai d’Orsay, 2nd December, 2019, the glittering Oscar style award ceremony confirmed… Guy Savoy’s La Monnaie de Paris (equal top 2019 with Manhattan-based, French-born chef Eric Ripert at Bernadin – 2nd this year). 3rd is Seiji Yamamoto, “Nihonryori Ryugin” Japan and Sugalabo, Japan, by chef Yosuke Suga comes in 4th. Le restaurant Guy Savoy déclaré meilleur restaurant du monde par La Liste pour la 4e année consécutive. Merci à nos convives, vous faire plaisir nous fait plaisir pic.twitter.com/DY7J14cadY — Guy Savoy (@guysavoy) December 1, 2019 This is the fourth win for Guy Savoy. “It’s a great honor, for me and my brigade. I’m terrified of slipping in the ratings,” he admits. “There are so many fantastic chefs in, say, Turkey, Mexico, Brazil. I’ll have to watch my back!” For more information visit the website for La Liste 
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Lead photo credit : Celebration of La Liste 2020 at the Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires Etrangères, Quai d’Orsay

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Born in Hampton, Middlesex, UK, Margaret Kemp is a lifestyle journalist, based between London, Paris and the world. Intensive cookery courses at The Cordon Bleu, London, a wedding gift from a very astute ex-husband, gave her the base that would take her travelling (leaving the astute one behind) in search of rare food and wine experiences, such as the vineyards of Thailand, 'gator hunting in South Florida, learning to make eye-watering spicy food in Kerala;pasta making in a tiny Tuscany trattoria. She has contributed to The Guardian, The Financial Times Weekend and FT. How To Spend It.com, The Spectator, Condé Nast Traveller, Food & Travel, and Luxos Magazine. She also advises as consultant to luxury hotels and restaurants. Over the years, Kemp has amassed a faithful following on BonjourParis. If she were a dish she'd be Alain Passard's Millefeuille “Caprice d'Enfant”, as a painting: Manet’s Dejeuner sur l’herbe !