The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 list is out and Italy features with Piazza Duomo at number 29 and Le Calandre at number 31.
Piazza Duomo in Alba and Le Calandre in Rubano are the two Italian restaurants that made the coveted ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ list, taking the 29th and 31st spot respectively. Osteria Francescana in Modena, which won twice, in 2016 and 2018, is not on the list because of a new rule introduced this year that makes winners from previous years non-eligible in order to promote turnover.
Piazza Duomo, Alba
“Inventive, artistic Italian dishes matched with superb wines in truffle country,” is how The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, which are considered the Oscars of fine dining, sums up what Piazza Duomo is about. Helmed by Enrico Crippa, who trained with legendary Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi, Piazza Duomo is located in Alba, in the heart of the Langhe area of Piedmont, famous for wines and truffles.
Here’s what to expect according to The World’s 50 Best: “A taste of Piedmont, one of the finest food and wine regions of the world, through the sharply focused culinary lens of Enrico Crippa, now firmly established as among Italy’s most creative chefs. Diners can select from the à la carte options, or choose from three tasting menus, one of which focuses specifically on the local Langhe region, while the others are more wide-ranging (while still distinctively Italian). During white truffle season, tables are at even more of a premium than usual.”
The complete description is here: https://www.theworlds50best.com/The-List-2019/21-30/Piazza-Duomo.html
Le Calandre, Sarmeola di Rubano
Voted in more than 10 editions of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Le Calandre is located in Sarmeola di Rubano in the province of Padua. It is, as mentioned on the awards’ website, “a family affair:” the restaurant is run by siblings Massimiliano, Raffaele and Laura Alajmo, who took over from their parents.
“To dine at Le Calandre is to enter the brothers’ vision of Italian craft and ultra-modern excellence,” writes The World’s 50 Best. “Max’s knowledge of Italian produce and seasons is second to none and it is reflected in his deceptively simple but painstakingly curated dishes, many of which have reached cult status.” Some of these dishes include the Alajmos’ Tiramisu in a Pipe, and the “perfectly spherical Almond Mozzarella, an explosion of almond milk and basil on the palate.”
The complete description is here: https://www.theworlds50best.com/The-List-2019/31-40/Le-Calandre.html
Lido 84, Gardone Riviera
Another award went to an Italian chef, the Miele One to Watch, which recognizes “a restaurant considered a rising star on an international level.” It was awarded to Lido 84 in Gardone Riviera (Lake Garda) run by brothers Riccardo and Giancarlo Camanini.
Here’s their story: https://www.theworlds50best.com/awards/one-to-watch
