Don’t believe me when I lament that Toronto (and Canadian) food scene still has much work to do before garnering international acclaim? Check out the following list compiled by mineral water maker, San Pellegrino. While I’m happy to have dined in 3 of the listed restaurants (Le Bernadin, Jean Georges, Momofuku Ssam), I would very much like to see Toronto entries appear here. C’mon! Even the small nation state of Singapore gets an entry? Why not Canada? Which Canadian restaurant do you think has the best chance or cracking the list?

By no means is this list the authority on the best retaurants out there. Just think of it as another recommendation list. But controversy has already stirred with the significiant absence of one Hell’s Kitchen chef. Maybe they told him to “get out”!

The world’s 50 best restaurants 2009 (and 2008 ranking in brackets) according to San Pellgrino

1 El Bulli, Spain (1)
2 The Fat Duck, UK (2)
3 Noma, Denmark (10)
4 Mugaritz, Spain (4)
5 El Celler de Can Roca, Spain (26)
6 Per Se, US (6)
7 Bras, France (7)
8 Arzak, Spain (8)
9 Pierre Gagnaire, France (3)
10 Alinea, US (21)
11 L’Astrance, France (11)
12 The French Laundry, US (5)
13 Osteria Francescana, Italy (new entry)
14 St. John, UK (16)
15 Le Bernardin, US (20)
16 Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville, Switzerland (27)
17 Tetsuya’s, Australia (9)
18 L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, France (14)
19 Jean Georges, US (17)
20 Les Creations de Narisawa, Japan (new entry)
21 Chez Dominique, Finland (39)
22 Ristorante Cracco, Italy (43)
23 Die Schwarzwaldstube, Germany (35)
24 D.O.M., Brazil (40)
25 Vendome, Germany (34)
26 Hof van Cleve, Belgium (28)
27 Masa, US (re-entry)
28 Gambero Rosso, Italy (12)
29 Oud Sluis, Netherlands (42)
30 Steirereck, Austria (new entry)
31 Momofuku Ssam Bar, US (new entry)
32 Oaxen Skargardskrog, Sweden (48)
33 Martin Berasategui, Spain (29)
34 Nobu, UK (30)
35 Mirazur, France (new entry)
36 Hakkasan, UK (19)
37 Le Quartier Francais, South Africa (5)
38 La Colombe, South Africa (re-entry)
39 Asador Etxbarri, Spain (44)
40 Le Chateaubriand, France (new entry)
41 Daniel, US (41)
42 Combal Zero, Italy (re-entry)
43 Le Louis XV, France (15)
44 Tantris, Germany (47)
45 Iggy’s, Singapore (new entry)
46 Quay, Australia (new entry)
47 Les Ambassadeurs, France (45)
48 Dal Pescatore, Italy (23)
49 Le Calandre, Italy ( 36)
50 Mathias Dahlgren, Sweden (new entry)

Source: The S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants