SingleThread in Healdsburg, Calif. was recognized on an elite list of best restaurants around the globe. (SingleThread)
HEALDSBURG, Calif. - A Bay Area restaurant was the only dining establishment in California to be recognized on a prestigious ranking of the best restaurants in the world.
The 50, formerly known as World’s 50 Best, is an international media company based in the UK. Every year it comes out with a new list ranking the top restaurants, bars, hotels, and vineyards in the world.
This year, no California restaurants made the top 50 list, which included only one U.S. dining establishment, Atomix, in New York City.
But on an extended list ranking the 51st to 100th best restaurants on the globe, the 3-Michelin-starred SingleThread in Healdsburg was recognized, coming in at 93.
"Chef Kyle Connaughton shapes his 10-course kaiseki-inspired tasting menu around rare Japanese fruits and vegetables grown by wife – and head farmer – Katina on SingleThread's nearby 24-acre farm," The 50 wrote in the publication of its list. "Sustainability is at its core, from agricultural practices and food waste to community engagement, sourcing, and even storytelling."
Top 50 in North America
Local perspective:
In the more narrow category of the best 50 restaurants in North America, which was released earlier this year, SingleThread came in 16th place.
That list also included three other Bay Area restaurants, all in San Francisco: Saison (22), Benu (33), Atelier Crenn (44), and Sons & Daughters (45).
Top 50
Big picture view:
The latest worldwide top 50 rankings were unveiled in a ceremony on Nov. 4 in Lima, Peru.
The list included restaurants across six continents.
Bangkok was the most represented city with five restaurants on the list.
Copenhagen, Denmark and Lima followed with three each.
Hong Kong and Seoul, South Korea each had two restaurants.
The restaurant, Asador Etxebarri, located in Atxondo in the Basque Country region of Northern Spain topped the international list.
'Hall of Fame'
The 50 also released its latest iteration of the Best of the Best, described by the global hospitality brand as its "Hall of Fame list."
Among the 12 Hall of Famers, only one was from California: the renowned three-Michelin star fine dining destination, The French Laundry in Yountville.
The celebrated restaurant was also one of only two U.S. dining establishments on that list, with the other being New York City’s Eleven Madison Park.
The French Laundry was inducted into the Best of the Best in 2019, after appearing on the top 50 list 12 times from 2002 to 2015. It also appeared on the extended 51–100 list a total of four times over the years, according to Jee Won Park, Chief Client Officer of BECCA and CO., a hospitality communications agency representing The 50.
Once an establishment is recognized in that category, it is taken off of the list of possible nominees.
"The iconic restaurants on The Best of the Best list - like The French Laundry - are no longer eligible to be voted for as they are now in the Hall of Fame," Park explained.
Who votes?
Dig deeper:
The 50 Best Restaurants list is created through a network of more than 1,100 anonymous experts across 28 regions around the world.
The experts include chefs, food critics and industry professionals, according to Park.
"Each year a minimum of 25% of the voting panel is refreshed, so the list is always dynamic," she explained.
Best Vineyards
On Monday, The 50 released its new extended 51-100 list of the world's best vineyards.
It includes three from the Bay Area: Château Montelena (59) in the Napa Valley's Calistoga, Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello (67) in Santa Clara County, and Robert Mondavi Winery (88) in the Napa Valley's Oakville.
The release of the extended 51st to 100th place rankings precedes the unveiling of the top 50.
The 2026 list of the world's 50 best vineyards is scheduled to be revealed in Santiago, Chile, on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
SingleThread was recognized by The 50's extended list of the 51st to 100th best restaurants in the world.
SingleThread is a 3-Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant in Healdsburg, Calif.
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