Contemporary New York eatery Eleven Madison Park was crowned the world's best restaurant of 2017 at a glitzy ceremony in Melbourne Wednesday, edging out last year's winner, Italy's Osteria Francescana. Run by Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm, the Manhattan institution came out on top at the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards, widely seen as the Oscars of the food world.
Spain's El Celler De Can Roca was third. "I don't know how I feel right now but I'm overjoyed," said an emotional Humm, who was praised for his multi-course fine dining menu celebrating the city's rich history and culinary traditions. "I'm so proud to be up here. When I first started cooking 25 years ago, I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I'd find myself in this position. "It's an unbelievable time to be a chef," he added. Organisers said Eleven Madison Park, housed in an art deco building and which came third last year, enhanced the dining experience "with a sense of fun, blurring the line between the kitchen and the dining room".