• The World’s 50 Best Restaurants academy has announced the 2021 list of restaurants ranked from 51 to 100. The Core by Clare Smyth in Notting Hill came in at number 64. Getty Images
    The World’s 50 Best Restaurants academy has announced the 2021 list of restaurants ranked from 51 to 100. The Core by Clare Smyth in Notting Hill came in at number 64. Getty Images
  • A dish of 'Potato and Roe' at Core by Clare Smyth. Getty Images
    A dish of 'Potato and Roe' at Core by Clare Smyth. Getty Images
  • Dinner by Heston Blumenthal was 65th on the list. Getty Images
    Dinner by Heston Blumenthal was 65th on the list. Getty Images
  • Mr Blumenthal is a world-renowned chef and pioneer of multi-sensory cooking. Getty Images
    Mr Blumenthal is a world-renowned chef and pioneer of multi-sensory cooking. Getty Images
  • Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is located in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in London's Knightsbridge. Getty Images
    Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is located in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in London's Knightsbridge. Getty Images
  • Tomos Parry is head chef at London's Brat, which was number 78 on the list. Alamy
    Tomos Parry is head chef at London's Brat, which was number 78 on the list. Alamy
  • Grilled red peppers are just one of the tasty items on the menu at Brat. Alamy
    Grilled red peppers are just one of the tasty items on the menu at Brat. Alamy
  • Ikoyi in London was named the 87th best restaurant. It was co-founded by childhood friends Jeremy Chan, right, and Iré Hassan-Odukale. Photo: Ikoyi
    Ikoyi in London was named the 87th best restaurant. It was co-founded by childhood friends Jeremy Chan, right, and Iré Hassan-Odukale. Photo: Ikoyi
  • Ike jime trout and scotch bonnet ponzu is on the menu at Ikoyi. Photo: Ikoyi
    Ike jime trout and scotch bonnet ponzu is on the menu at Ikoyi. Photo: Ikoyi
  • Diners can enjoy plantain caramelised in ginger and kelp with uziza jam at Ikoyi. Photo: Ikoyi
    Diners can enjoy plantain caramelised in ginger and kelp with uziza jam at Ikoyi. Photo: Ikoyi

Best restaurants: London and Tokyo shine in starter for world's best list


Simon Rushton
  • English
  • Arabic

London and Tokyo are blazing ahead of Paris and other centres of fine dining with a crop of exciting restaurants in a new list of the world’s best.

The World's 50 Best Restaurants will be announced on October 5, but on Thursday organisers whetted the appetite of discerning diners with the new 51-100 list.

The list is a celebratory taster of gastronomic delights, from West African cuisine in London to French influences in Tokyo, via Brazil and India and to all corners of the globe.

Only London and Tokyo had four restaurants in the 51-100 list.

The list contains 21 restaurants from Europe, 13 from Asia and nine from South America, covering a total of 22 countries.

Japan has the most entries - five - for any single country and its capital, alongside London, hosts the most for a city.

In London, Ikoyi, based in St James Park just minutes from Buckingham Palace, and Brat, in buzzing Shoreditch, are new entries — at 87 and 78 respectively.

Staying on the list is Heston Blumenthal's Dinner, in Knightsbridge, and Clare Smyth's Core, in the heart of Notting Hill — at 65 and 64 respectively.

Potato and Roe from Core by Clare Smyth. Getty Images
Potato and Roe from Core by Clare Smyth. Getty Images

At Ikoyi, chef Jeremy Chan takes spices and influences from west Africa - Ikoyi is a neighbourhood in the Nigerian city of Lagos - and imports ingredients and ideas from Asia to create mouth-watering dishes.

“We are extremely humbled by the recognition on the global stage and proud of our small, hard-working team. We are also grateful to our producers, without whom this success would not be possible,” the chef said.

Brat is an old English word for turbot and the restaurant's chef Tomos Parry draws on flame grilling techniques in his wood-lined first-floor bistro.

"This means the world. I am so proud of the team, the continued integrity, passion and hard work paid off," a spokeswoman said.

Outside of the more renowned culinary hotspots are some finds including Willem Hiele at No.77, in the Belgian seaside town of Koksijde, La Grenouillère in northern France, and La Colombe, in Cape Town.

Ikoyi chef Jeremy Chan and business partner Iré Hassan-Odukale. Photo: Ikoyi
Ikoyi chef Jeremy Chan and business partner Iré Hassan-Odukale. Photo: Ikoyi

“With restaurants in 22 countries, the 51-100 list this year recognises a broader range of destinations than ever. We're thrilled to see 13 new entries join the 51-100 list for the first time, as the gastronomic world continues to overcome the huge challenges wrought by the pandemic,” said William Drew, director of content for The World's 50 Best Restaurants.

The annual list is created by a voting panel of more than 1,000 independent authorities in the world of gastronomy, from renowned chefs and food journalists to travelling gastronomes.

The 51-100 list is

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

The specs

Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo

Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm

Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Price: from Dh498,542

On sale: now

The specs

Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Kerb weight: 1580kg

Price: From Dh750k

On sale: via special order

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester

Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)

Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder

Transmission: Continuously variable transmission

Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm

Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)

Fight card

Preliminaries:

Nouredine Samir (UAE) v Sheroz Kholmirzav (UZB); Lucas Porst (SWE) v Ellis Barboza (GBR); Mouhmad Amine Alharar (MAR) v Mohammed Mardi (UAE); Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) v Spyro Besiri (GRE); Aslamjan Ortikov (UZB) v Joshua Ridgwell (GBR)

Main card:

Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)

Title card:

Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)

Intercontinental Middleweight: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) v Francesco Iadanza (ITA)

Asian Featherweight: Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) v Phillip Delarmino (PHI)

Updated: November 18, 2021, 6:45 AM