Guy Savoy named the world’s best chef for the eighth consecutive year, according to La Liste

French chef Guy Savoy, head of his iconic restaurant at the Monnaie de Paris, has been named the world’s best chef for the eighth consecutive year, sharing this distinction with nine other restaurants in the United States, Japan, and China, according to the prestigious La Liste rankings. This list, which compiles the world’s top 1,000 restaurants, has again highlighted exceptional chefs, with Guy Savoy continuing to dominate the global culinary stage.

Philippe Faure, president and founder of La Liste, compared the world of gastronomy to high-level sport: “It’s very much like tennis. For eight or ten years, it’s been between just a few chefs – the Nadal, Federer, or Djokovic of the kitchen,” he remarked.

French chef Arnaud Donckele also made a notable mark, with his restaurant La Vague d’Or in Saint-Tropez sharing the top spot alongside Plénitude in Paris.

Asia’s Growing Influence in the Global Rankings

La Liste also emphasized the increasing prominence of Asian cuisine, particularly with Hong Kong’s Lung King Heen claiming the global top spot. Faure further highlighted the significant “push from Korea,” a country whose culinary scene, traditionally known in France for ramen, is now emerging as a major player on the international food stage. Two Korean restaurants, La Yeon and Mingles, are tied for eighth place.

Japan continues to dominate the rankings, with 126 of its restaurants represented in the La Liste top 1000, followed by the United States with 114 entries. As for France, while only 11 of its restaurants are listed, the country received a special honor for the remarkable career of Georges Blanc, renowned for his promotion of Bresse poultry, with his restaurant in Vonnas ranking third in the world.

A Shift Towards Pleasure-Centered Gastronomy

While acknowledging the enduring strength of French cuisine, Philippe Faure noted that it seems to be undergoing a shift. “There’s no disinterest in French cuisine, but there is a rejection of its excesses,” he explained. He pointed out that some chefs, in their obsession with originality, had presented creations that customers were often reluctant to accept. This trend, however, appears to be giving way to a culinary philosophy that prioritizes pleasure.

Additionally, La Liste awarded a special “Show to Table” prize this year to five restaurants in Dubai, Madrid, Melbourne, Paris, and Tokyo, which offer a dining experience that blends food with entertainment and atmosphere.

Founded in 2015, La Liste aims to be the “ranking of rankings,” using an advanced algorithm to analyze 35,000 restaurants across 200 countries, combining over 1,100 sources (guides, blogs, press articles) to assign a score out of 100 points.