This year, four Bay Area restaurants made “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list, an annual ranking published by the British magazine Restaurant.
Chefs, food critics and restaurateurs from around the world came together to vote on the crème de la crème of the culinary world, and restaurants Saison, Manresa, The French Laundry and Benu were included in the top 100.
Saison came in at number 27 on the list, a casual luxury American restaurant located in San Francisco. Committed to “constant change, evolution, and honoring the very best of each moment,” as mentioned on their website, head chef Joshua Skenes cooks up a different multi-course tasting menu every night, priced at $398. With a meal often reaching up to 18 courses, critics named the reserve caviar as its standout dish.
An hour south is Manresa in Los Gatos, which ranked number 83. Earning its third Michelin star in October of last year, the contemporary American eatery is known for its extravagant farm-to-table tasting menus. Manresa prides itself on its established relationship with local farms, which allows its menu to feature the freshest ingredients.
The French Laundry in Yountville, Napa and Benu in San Francisco came in at numbers 85 and 89, respectively. The French Laundry has stood in the top 50 since 2012, featuring a selection between the chef’s tasting menu and the vegetable tasting menu daily. They pride themselves on their reputation, stating on their website that “no single ingredient is ever repeated throughout the meal.”
Benu’s renowned tasting restaurant is known for its innovative small delicacies, such as the thousand-year-old quail egg with potage and ginger, the lobster coral xiao long bao and sesame leaf ice cream. Currently, chef and owner Corey Lee of the restaurant is working with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to open a dining area within the museum.
All four Bay Area restaurants currently hold three Michelin stars, among only 11 other restaurants in the United States that were able to reach this feat.
