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Melbourne win as Quay slips in world dining poll

Jane Holroyd and Joanna Savill

Rising star: Chef Ben Shewry from Melbourne's Attica restaurant.
Rising star: Chef Ben Shewry from Melbourne's Attica restaurant.Simon Schluter

Melbourne’s Attica restaurant can claim to be Australia’s best after an annual poll of more than 900 industry experts lifted the inner-suburban fine diner to the world’s No.21 spot.

Attica is the highest-placed Australian restaurant on the list and was also awarded ‘‘highest new entrant’’ on the release of the world’s 50 best restaurants.

Attica, headed by chef Ben Shewry, leapfrogged Sydney’s Quay, headed by Peter Gilmore, when the world’s 50 best restaurants awards were announced in London. Quay slipped from 29th position last year to No.48.

Quay's Peter Gilmore.
Quay's Peter Gilmore.Louise Kennerley
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The only other Australian restaurant in the S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna world’s best restaurants awards was Sydney’s Momofuku Seiobo, the brainchild of American chef David Chang.

The annual awards recognise 100 restaurants as the world’s best, despite the name indicating only 50 restaurants are recognised.

Sydney’s Marque and Tetsuya’s, ranked No.61 and No.76 last year respectively, fell from the top 100.

There was also a significant change in the top spot. Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca in Girona – headed by brothers Joan, Jordi and Josep Roca – took the title of the world’s best restaurant away from Denmark’s Noma.

The choice of the Roca brothers’ restaurant is being viewed as a conservative move. It has been regularly positioned in the top 10. The brothers have been in the No.2 spot several times – previously as runner-up to their compatriot and Catalan neighbour, Ferran Adria’s El Bulli.

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In other significant shifts, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy jumped two spots to the No.3 position, nudging out Spain’s Mugaritz which fell one spot to No.4, and Alex Atala’s D.O.M. in Sao Paulo, which fell two spots to sixth.

Quay’s Peter Gilmore was philosophical about his restaurant’s slide in the rankings.

‘‘We’ve done really well to be here [in the world’s top 50] for the fifth year,’’ Mr Gilmore said.

‘‘[We’re] very grateful to be part of it, in the same league as these other guys, and really excited that Ben’s here. It’s really good for Australia.’’

Mark Best of Marque also congratulated Mr Shewry, using Twitter to say: ‘‘Congrats bro! What a result, couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.’’

The domination of Spain’s El Bulli (2005-08) and Noma (2009-12) illustrate Europe’s supremacy.

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