Get ready to drool: The Daily Meal compiles a list of Europe’s 101 best restaurants

Osteria Francescana, a modern establishment with just 12 tables in the northern Italian city of Modena, was named Europe’s finest today in The Daily Meal website’s inaugural list of the 101 Best Restaurants in Europe.

It was followed by Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain, in second; Noma, Copenhagen, third; Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, London, fourth; Guy Savoy, Paris, fifth; then Aqua (Wolfsburg, Germany), Varvary (Moscow), Hof Van Cleve (Kruishoutem, Belgium), L’Arpege (Paris) and JB (Ljubljana, Slovenia).

Some of the rankings will raise a few eyebrows: For example, the fact that Ducasse at the Dorchester places above Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athenee and Le Louis XV in Monaco.

The list spans about 30 countries. France is home to the most restaurants, followed by Spain and Italy,

The list was compiled through a seven-month process, involving the website’s editors and more than 200 food writers and bloggers. It’s one of a number of rankings, including the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, for which I work. Panelists voted in two categories: cuisine and style/decor service.

The website was founded by former president and CEO of Forbes.com, Jim Spanfeller, and is under the editorial direction of Colman Andrews, the co-founder of Saveur magazine and biographer of chef Ferran Adria, of El Bulli.

Osteria Francescana places fifth in the world and fourth in Europe on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Chef Massimo Bottura cooked in London earlier this year at an event at Viajante with that establishment’s chef, Nuno Mendes. Noma has held the title of World’s Best Restaurant for three years.

The Daily Meal’s list of the 25 Best Restaurants in England and Scotland is also highly individual: There’s room for unsung establishments such as the Boat House (Edinburgh), Two Fat Ladies at the Buttery (Glasgow) and Anstruther Fish Bar (Fife), yet no sign of the Ledbury, Sat Bains, L’Enclume and other gastronomic destinations.

Here are the Top 101 rankings from Daily Meal:

1. Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy)

2. Arzak, San Sebastian (Spain)

3. Noma (Copenhagen)

4. Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester (London)

5. Guy Savoy (Paris)

6. Aqua (Wolfsburg, Germany)

7. Varvary (Moscow)

8. Hof Van Cleve (Kruishoutem, Belgium)

9. L’Arpege (Paris)

10. JB (Ljubljana, Slovenia)

11. Can Fabes (Sant Celoni, Spain)

12. El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain)

13. Dal Pescatore (Canneto sull’Oglio, Italy)

14. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (London)

15. Taillevent (Paris)

16. Epicure at Le Bristol (Paris)

17. Le Meurice (Paris)

18. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee (Paris)

19. Louis XV at Hotel de Paris (Monte Carlo)

20. The Fat Duck (Bray, England)

21. Bras (Laguiole, France)

22. Benoit Violier (Crissier, Switzerland)

23. Maison Troisgros (Roanne, France)

24. St. John Bar & Restaurant (London)

25. Chapter One (Dublin)

26. Pierre Gagnaire (Paris)

27. Les Pres d’Eugenie (Eugenie-les-Bains, France)

28. Bruneau (Brussels)

29. Le Calandre (Sarmeola di Rubano, Italy)

30. El Motel Restaurant (Figueres, Spain)

31. Asador Etxebarri (Atxondo, Spain)

32. Moments, Mandarin Oriental (Barcelona)

33. Tickets/41º (Barcelona)

34. Oud Sluis (Sluis, Netherlands)

35. De Karmeliet (Bruges, Belgium)

36. Anne-Sophie Pic at Beau-Rivage (Lausanne, Switzerland)

37. Waterside Inn (Bray, England)

38. Le Cinq, George V (Paris)

39. Gordon Ramsay (London)

40. Quique Dacosta (Denia, Spain)

41. Sant Pau (Sant Pol de Mar, Spain)

42. The Witchery (Edinburgh)

43. Atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel (Arles, France)

44. Die Schwarzwaldstube (Baiersbronn, Germany)

45. Le Carre des Feuillants (Paris)

46. Geranium (Copenhagen)

47. Anna Sacher (Vienna)

48. Patrick Guilbaud (Dublin)

49. Mugaritz (San Sebastian)

50. Les Ambassadeurs (Paris)

51. Vendome (Bergisch Gladbach, Germany)

52. Le Comptoir at Hotel Relais Saint-Germain (Paris)

53. Paolo e Barbara (San Remo, Italy)

54. Sonnora (Dreis, Germany)

55. Ca l’Enric (La Vall de Bianya, Spain)

56. Da Fiore (Venice)

57. Soelleroed Kro (Holte, Denmark)

58. Alexander (Muhu Island, Estonia)

59. Maaemo (Oslo)

60. La Vie (Osnabrueck, Germany)

61. The Three Chimneys (Isle of Skye, Scotland)

62. Enoteca Pinchiorri (Florence)

63. Faeviken Magasinet (Jarpen, Sweden)

64. Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia (Milan)

65. Relae (Copenhagen)

66. La Ciau del Tornavento (Treiso, Italy)

67. Mathias Dahlgren (Stockholm)

68. Chez Dominique (Helsinki)

69. Trussardi Alla Scala (Milan)

70. Don Alfonso 1890 (Sant’Agata Sui Due Golfi, Italy)

71. AOC (Copenhagen)

72. Hakkasan, Mayfair

73. Clairefontaine (Luxembourg)

74. Chaika (Moscow)

75. Ca l’Isidre (Barcelona)

76. Via Veneto (Barcelona)

77. Madonnina del Pescatore (Senigallia, Italy)

78. River Cafe (London)

79. Cheval Blanc (Basel, Switzerland)

80. Liviano Restaurant (Bratislava, Slovakia)

81. Steirereck (Vienna)

82. Fishy Fishy (Kinsale, Ireland)

83. Ballymaloe House (Shanagarry, Ireland)

84. Ribe (Tallinn, Estonia) 85. Vila Joya (Albufeira, Portugal) 86. Ikarus (Salzburg, Austria)

87. Csalogany 26 (Budapest)

88. Aniar Restaurant (Galway, Ireland)

89. Syr (Moscow)

90. Le Mandrac (Volosko, Croatia)

91. Spondi (Athens)

92. Quo Vadis (London)

93. Alle Testiere (Venice, Italy)

94. Selene (Pyrgos, Greece)

95. Ristorante Del Cambio (Turin, Italy)

96. miX (St Petersburg)

97. Fish Market (Reykjavik)

98. Onyx (Budapest)

99. Plavi Podrum (Volosko, Croatia)

100. Mavrikos (Lindos, Greece)

101. Figlmueller (Vienna) *T

Muse highlights include Mark Beech on music, Ryan Sutton on U.S. food and Scott Reyburn on the art market.

Editors: Mark Beech and Catherine Hickley.

To contact the writer on the story: Richard Vines in London at [email protected]. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff at [email protected].