Massimo Bottura's restaurant is once again the best in the world

The "World’s 50 Best Restaurants" is an award ceremony where candidates are judged by an Academy of over 1,000 experts. This year it was held in Bilbao. On 19 June, it crowned Massimo Bottura's "Osteria Francescana".

Italian chef Massimo Bottura (R) celebrates next to his wife Lara Gilmord after receiving the Best Restaurant award for his restaurant Osteria Francescana. Source: ANDER GILLENEA/AFP/Getty Images

Italy is at the top of the world. We are not talking about soccer, or sport in general, but about food.

Thanks to Massimo Bottura and his "Osteria Francescana", Italy comes to the fore with one with one of its strengths, appreciated at the international level.

And the Modena-based restaurant is not the only Italian one in the ranking. "Piazza Duomo" with three Michelin stars chef Enrico Crippa is 16th, "Le Calandre" in Rubano (Padova), led by three stars Michelin Massimiliano Alajmo is at number 23, and "Reale" in Castel di Sangro, owned by Niko Romito, three Michelin stars as well, is number 36.

In the 20th position there is an Australian restaurant, "Attica" in Melbourne, by New Zealand chef Ben Shewry.

Special prizes went to:

• Single Thread (California) as "One to Watch Award", 
• Cedric Grolet Best Pastry Chef,
• Dan Barber Chef’s Choice Award, 
• Geranium (Copenhagen) for hospitality, 
• Gaston Acurio career award, 
• Clare Smyth Best Female Chef.

The ceremony started by celebrating writer and chef Anthony Bourdain, who died recently.