100 Best Chefs in the World by Le Chef 2018

Staying in France, chef Yannick Alleno was named second on the list, while chef Joan Roca from Spain was named in third.

Six of the top 10 on the worlds best chefs list come from France, with heavyweights like Pierre Gagnaire, Pascal Barbot and Alain Ducasse all sitting in the top tier. Chef Enrico Crippa, from Italy, made his first appearance in the top 10 in seventh position. Surprisingly, Troisgros also made his first appearance in the top 10 with a spot straight at number one.

The Le Chef list is compiled by asking two and three-starred Michelin chefs to provide a list of five names they think best represent the cooking profession, and one name they would like to see at the top of the list.

Previous lists have come under criticism for being largely biased in favour of French cuisine and French chefs. The 2017 list has 35 of the 100 chefs from France, for 2018 that number hit 41. Le Chef said this “proves the dynamism of French cooking.” However, others will point to the fact that the info on who the 552 Michelin-starred voters are and where they actually come from in the world remains anonymous.

The list also shockingly overlooks Latin America with only one chef, Alex Atala, owning a restaurant from that part of the world. Out of 100 chefs, just five of those listed are female: Dominique Crenn, Anne-Sophie Pic, Elena Arzak, Nadia Santini and Carme Ruscalleda.

BEST CHEFS IN THE WORLD - TOP 10

1: Michel Troisgros – Maison Troisgros Restaurant (Ouches, France)

2: Yannick Alleno - Alleno Paris (Paris, France)

3: Joan Roca – El Celler De Can Roca (Girona, Spain)

4: Arnaud Donckele – Residence De La Pinede (Saint Tropez, France)

5: Pierre Gagnaire – Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire (Paris, France)

6: Emmanuel Renaut – Flocons De Sel (Megève, France)

7: Enrico Crippa – Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)

8: Pascal Barbot – L’Astrance (Paris, France)

9: Seiji Yamamoto – Nihonryori Ryugin (Tokyo, Japan)

10: Alain Ducasse – Plaza Athénée (Paris, France)

By FDL