Guy Savoy and Arnaud Donkele on the roof of world cuisine! The two French chefs were crowned best chefs in the world, Monday November 25, with seven other chefs, in the ranking of La Liste, “rankings rankings”. A very prestigious selection of the best restaurants in the world which differentiates itself from traditional guides, such as Michelin, based on Internet user reviews, newspaper articles and specialized guides. This online culinary guide, launched ten years ago, highlights its uniqueness.
For Guy Savoy, this eighth consecutive distinction as best restaurant in the world in the La Liste ranking, “it is the most beautiful decoration because these 1,200 sources, taken separately, are necessarily subjective, but brought together, they provide a form of objectivity”. The list is in fact millions of online reviews from customers and influencers, which represent around 10% of the final score, associated with newspaper and guide reviews.
Something to delight the chef, who lost his third Michelin star last year: “It’s not a revenge but what I welcome is that so many sources value this ranking. It’s not a point of view, it’s not just the best cuisine, it’s a environment, it’s a decor… There’s a word that sums it all up, it’s the soul of a house, and I look at that with wonder, of course.”
Philippe Faure is the founding president of La Liste: “They are happy because it is completely transparent, it is a method which completely changes rankings. It is revolutionary, it is based on artificial intelligence, on a controlled, controlled algorithm. Basically it is a synthesis.” The result, this year, is 35,000 restaurants listed, with a rating for each and an explanation of the rating on the La Liste website and app.
For the guide, it is a desire to renew itself: “Gastronomy is a bit like tennis: you have, for years, the same people who stay in the lead. It’s a bit disappointing, for those who are interested in it, to see that Guy Savoy comes back regularly So one way to arouse other curiosities is these special prices.”
Coline Faulquier, the chef of the Signature restaurant in Marseille, named talent of the year for the 2025 vintage, explains: “The thing about special awards is that we may not be in the list of the 1,000 best restaurants but that doesn’t stop us from being recognized for our work. I’m a very ambitious person, I’m 35 years old, I’ve had a star for a few years. Today, I hope this is just the beginning. I hope to register, later, in this type of guide and in this genre. of lists.” A list, which this year gives pride of place to restaurants from Asian countries, even if France continues to shine, with 110 French restaurants in the top 1,000 established by La Liste.
