According to The Nespresso Academy, the top restaurant worldwide for the year 2009 is the reigning champion; El Bulli Restaurant located along the countryside of Montjoi, Spain. Owner and Head Chef Ferran Adria is considered the finest and most imaginative generator of haute cuisine on the planet, as shown by having been awarded the number one spot for four straight seasons.
The Nepresso Academy claims New York, New York's Per Se as the best restaurant in the United States. Per Se is owned by Thomas Keller and run by executive Chef Jonathan Benno. Their award winning menu consists of two separate menus nightly; a nine course vegetarian option and nine course Chef's Tasting menu. Despite having been open only six years, Per Se has claimed a spot on the S. Pellegrino top ten list for the past five.
Of course, any article referencing world famous restaurants would be remiss to overlook the best known restaurant in the world today. Since being founded in 1940, McDonalds has grown to include over 31,000 individual restaurants in 113 countries. It also employs over 1.5 million people and serves roughly 47 million customers each day. While it won't be placed on the S. Pellegrino World's Best list anytime soon, McDonalds is truly a food service powerhouse without rival.
