The British Empire was said to have been created by generations of desperate Englishmen roaming the world in search of a decent meal. No longer. A definitive study by an influential industry magazine will tomorrow reveal that one in four of the best restaurants in the globe is to be found on these shores.

Restaurant will claim that Britain has more world-class restaurants than such culinary heavyweights as France, the US and Italy.

More than 500 chefs, food writers and restaurant experts from around the world were involved in compiling a definitive list of the 50 best places to eat in the world. Judges included Chinese chef Ken Hom, the former head chef at the Savoy, Anton Edelman, and the owner of two of the best restaurants in the US, Thomas Keller.

They concluded that 14 of the world's best restaurants are British - more than a quarter of the total. London is home to 11, and two, the Fat Duck and the Waterside Inn, are in Bray, Berkshire. Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Oxford completes the set.

Top British chefs that make it on to the list include Gordon Ramsay, his protégée Angela Hartnett, Heston Blumenthal and Tom Aikens.

The judges said that the wide variety of food, the quality and quantity of fresh produce and a plethora of Michelin-starred chefs has helped turn Britain's once derided cuisine into the envy of the world.

Immigration has also benefited the British restaurant scene, with more international cuisines here than in any other country.

The restaurants included have not just been chosen for their culinary excellence, but for the overall experience. Eateries with three Michelin stars to their name sit side by side with establishments such The Ivy, famed for the quality of service as much as the standard of the food.

The revival of British cuisine has been recognised in the US as well. America's leading food magazine, Gourmet, last month named London as the best place to eat in the world. It was the first time the magazine had dedicated a single issue to Britain.

Britain's tourism chiefs claim that a "quiet revolution" in food has fundamentally changed the image of British food abroad - so much so that they are placing British food and drink at the centre of their marketing strategy.

"We are focusing more on Britain as a culinary destination," said Elliot Frisby of VisitBritain.

"We have plenty of Michelin-starred restaurants and lots of great chefs. It is now a key element of all our international campaigns."

The editor of Restaurant, Ella Johnston, said the list showed the strength of Britain's restaurant business. "It is now an extension of the entertainment industry," she said. "Chefs are stars."

The rise of cookery shows and the success of such chefs as Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver in connecting with a wider television audience were also a factor, she said.

"We are a nation that loves to eat out. It is a huge part of our culture now."

Mr Aikens, whose eponymous restaurant has been open for less than two years, said the sheer diversity of restaurants in London was unrivalled. "I don't think there is any city in the world quite like it," he said. "The mix of restaurants is amazing - everything you want flavour-wise you can get in London.

"Paris may still be seen to be the best, but you don't find many Chinese or Indian restaurants there."

His view was echoed by Mark Hix, chef director at The Ivy, which also makes it on to the list, and a food columnist for The Independent. "It is the variety and different types of cuisine that make Britain so good. We are spoilt for choice," he said.

"It is not just about who serves the best food. It is about the whole dining experience, from the room you are sitting in to the service you receive."

But not everyone is convinced. Irishman Richard Corrigan, head chef at Lindsay House in Soho, said Britain did not deserve to be judged as any better than France, Spain or Italy.

"There is a slight bias in the list," he said. "You need to take it with a very big pinch of salt."

Ms Johnston denied the claim of bias. She said: "This country produces really good chefs who are very open-minded. It is as simple as that."

from http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/food_and_drink/news/story.jsp?story=630832

As if Heston Blumenthal's mantelpiece was not already groaning from the weight of awards, The Fat Duck has been named the best restaurant in the world.

Reaffirming Britain's well-established position in the culinary world, the eatery of the self-taught master of molecular gastronomy has topped a definitive list of the world's 50 best restaurants.

Noted for its bacon and egg ice-cream and carpaccio of cauliflower with chocolate jelly, the Berkshire restaurant was selected by a panel of more than 500 international chefs, critics and restaurateurs. "The food at the Fat Duck is not just sublime, it is fun, funny and exciting," said the writer Jay Rayner.

Blumenthal was revealed as the winner of the Restaurant magazine award at a ceremony last night at The Royal Exchange in London.

The 38-year-old chef described it as "incredible". "I continually become more surprised each time. Whatever our ultimate goal might be, we are not there yet and it feels a bit early. Though the restaurant opened 10 years ago, we still feel very young and we have much more energy to give."

Blumenthal added that with the elation and sense of achievement of such accolades came a "pressure and panic".

Even coming runner-up in 2004, he explained, had been daunting. "We sat in the awards and watched them count down from number 50 * all these incredible restaurants. It was a humbling experience."

The much trumpeted awards had already caused a stir when it was noted that 14 of the best restaurants were British, beating historically gastronomic nations such as France and Italy. The ultimate winner, however, was not revealed until last night.

With mounting speculation that the top spot would go to a Brit, Blumenthal was an obvious front runner. The chef * who Egon Ronay described as "possessed of an urge to indulge in gastronomic eccentricity" * has already been awarded three Michelin stars, a rating of 19 out of 20 in the Gault Millau guide and numerous best-restaurant awards.

Last year's winner, the French Laundry restaurant at Yountville in the Napa Valley, California, was beaten into third place with El Bulli on the Costa Brava coming second.
Other British establishments featured in the top 50 were Gordon Ramsay's eponymous Chelsea restaurant (5th) as well as other London celebrity haunts such as Tom Aikens (8th), St John (10th), Nobu (20th), Angela Hartnett at The Connaught (27th), The Wolseley (41st), The Ivy (44th) and Le Gavroche (47th).

Also featured in the top 50 were The Fat Duck's neighbour in Bray * Michel Roux's The Waterside Inn (19th) * and Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons (28th) at Great Milton, Oxfordshire. "It shows just how far Britain has come in terms of culinary output and the range of experiences we offer, said Ella Johnston, editor of the British-based magazine which created the awards three years ago.

Alan Yau had two London restaurants on the list * Hakkasan (30th) and Yauatcha (43rd) * an achievement matched by Pierre Gagnaire, who scored a double success with his Paris restaurant ranked sixth and The Gallery at Sketch 18th. Alain Ducasse also scored a double with both his Monaco and Paris restaurants mentioned.

Britain had the largest number of restaurants in the list beating both France and the United States, which had 10.

Ms Johnston said: "It may appear very London-centric but with the US-based Gourmet magazine recently declaring London 'the best place to eat on the planet', I believe it's a fair reflection of the city's place in global dining."

THE WORLD'S BEST

1. The Fat Duck (best in Europe) Bray, Berkshire,

2. El Bulli (awarded chef's choice) Montjoi, Spain

3. The French Laundry (best in Americas) Yountville, California

4. Tetsuya's (best in Australasia) Sydney.

5. Gordon Ramsay, London

6. Pierre Gagnaire, Paris

7. Per Se (highest new entry) New York

8. Tom Aikens, London

9. Jean Georges, New York

10. St John, London

with the recent Gourmet magazine accolades, i think it is now reasonable to say that London is the best city in the world in which to eat.

with the recent Gourmet magazine accolades, i think it is now reasonable to say that London is the best city in the world in which to eat.

If you are happy to pay a fortune then possibly, yes, although this list does seem a little anglo-centric. At the lower -priced end of the scale though, restaurants in London and the UK tend to be much less consistently good than equivalents in France or Italy in my experience.