JimmyHoffa
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I was fortunate enough to eat at Attica in January this year. It was the best dining experience I have ever had. Extremely affordable and the service was exceptional. I had a lengthy conversation with Ben in his garden. A truly outstanding man, with a great deal of talent.Suburban eatery Attica, in Ripponlea, Melbourne, makes world's top 50
by: John Lethlean
From: The Australian
April 30, 2013 6:50AM
A TINY Melbourne restaurant has had a meteoric rise in the international rankings that recognise the industry's most creative souls.
Attica, in the suburb of Ripponlea, has burst into the World's 50 Best Restaurants list at number 21 after years of knocking on the door. (See Attica's entry in The Australian's Hot 50 here.)
It is a staggering rise from its 2012 ranking of 63. Attica is run by Australia's most talked about chef - internationally - Ben Shewry, a New Zealander.
Speaking from London, Shewry told The Australian he and his business partner David Maccora were "completely stunned."
"They kept counting down from 50 and all these people just started turning round to look at us as it kept going... It was quite surreal."
"Obviously it is pretty amazing for us but you've also got to realise this may be the only time it happens, so while we will cherish the moment, you can't get carried away with it. "
Shewry said he planned to attend a few after-parties "but to tell you the truth, my idea of partying is a bit tame." He and Maccora planned to visit a few restaurants in the UK for a bit of quiet celebration before flying home Thursday.
Conversely Sydney's Quay (Hot 50 entry here) has, according to the ratings system contrived by British trade magazine Restaurant and now seen as the international arbiter of culinary cool, slipped 19 places, to 48, from the previous year.
Quay chef Peter Gilmore, speaking from London, remained upbeat. "We're really thrilled to still be on the list after five years," said the veteran of the Guildhall event.
"But the really big congratulations go to Ben at Attica... long overdue, we're thrilled for him."
We're not Spain, the US or even Scandinavia, but this morning's announcement in London was welcome recognition of Australia's maturing restaurant scene. For the first time since early last decade, two Australian restaurants are in the coveted 50 Best Restaurants list.
Not since early last decade, when Sydney's Tetsuya's and Rockpool were both routinely included on the 11-year old ranking system, has Australia boasted more than one restaurant on the list.
There was more good news for Australia this morning: Nahm, in Bangkok, run by Australian chef David Thompson, moved up the list 18 places, to 32; The Ledbury, a London restaurant co-owned and run by Newcastle native Brett Graham, moved up one place to 13 on the list, the highest ranked restaurant in the world with an Australian chef. And Momofuku Seiobo (see our review, giving it 4.5 out of 5, here), an American-owned restaurant at Star, Sydney, debuted on the list at 89.
According to the sometimes contentious rankings, Noma, in Copenhagen, which has had a stranglehold on the title of "world's best restaurant" for three years, can no longer make the boast. The restaurant run by Spain's Roca brothers - El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona, moved from second into the coveted Number One spot this morning.
The slide down the slippery pole of the list's system of international jurors for Sydney's Quay is perplexing.
Quay joined the elite in 2009, with a debut 0f 46. That year, it joined Tetsuya's at 17. But by the following year's list, Quay had leapfrogged Tetsuya's to a near-peak at 27, while the Japanese-inspired luxury restaurant slipped to 39. A measure, perhaps, of food fashionability, Tetsuya's has gone from the Top 100 altogether. Tetsuya Wakuda's Singapore restaurant, where dinner and a drink will cost you $500 a head, has also suffered a mighty slide, going from 39 last year to 68 for 2013.
Marque, in Surry Hills (our review: 4.5 out of 5), has gone out the back door of the list too, from 61 last year. Its owner and chef, Mark Best, was sanguine. "That's show biz," he said. "I'm Incredibly proud of Ben. He has a wonderful, original story to tell and being in Riponlea has ironically turned into the restaurant's major asset. Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy"
But at the top of the tree, it really been a matter of shuffling the deck chairs.
According to the list, New York's Eleven Madison Park, run by Swiss born chef Daniel Humm, is now the best restaurant in the US; it leapt five spots from 10 last year.
2013 Top 5
El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain)
Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Osteria Francensana (Modena, Italy)
Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain)
Eleven Madison Park (New York, USA)
2012 top 5
Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark)
El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain)
Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain)
D.O.M (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Osteria Francensana (Modena, Italy)
