Spain claims top restaurant

A Spanish chef picked up an award for the world's best restaurant at an awards ceremony in Kensington with a warning that his country's food did not travel well.

Ferran Adria's Costa Brava restaurant El Bulli was named top of the 50 leading restaurants in the world. He paid tribute to English chefs in Spain but said that anyone wanting to sample his country's delights would have to travel there.

Adria said: 'While we have lots of great English chefs working in Spain, traditional Spanish food doesn't translate or even travel well outside Spain.

'A lot of Spanish chefs won't leave their country because they make a lot of fish-based dishes which are better from local sources.'

But the Barcelona-born cook added that Britain has a wealth of strength in its cuisine and has produced some great chefs.

He had nothing but praise for last year's winner, Heston Blumenthal, chef at The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, saying he had created a 'very strong and great example for many young chefs to follow'.

Blumenthal, who left a friend's wedding in Hawaii to fly to London for the awards, was gracious in missing out on regaining the top restaurant title, saying it was a big achievement to have come second, especially to Adria.

He said: 'This year the list has produced the crème-de-la-crème of chefs and restaurants, and I know Ferran, I love his food.

'Cooking is fun and in that respect, Ferran is a genius.'

But anyone else wishing to sample the delicacies at El Bulli will be hard-pressed to do so this year. It is only open for six months of the year and is already fully booked for this year.

Other big winners included Michel and Albert Roux, who were jointly awarded the lifetime achievement award, presented to them by Albert's son, Michel Roux Junior, who said that the two chefs had shaped the way people ate in Britain.