This Tiny Pub Was Just Named “the Best Restaurant in the World”

Updated: Apr. 19, 2018

Prepare to be amazed.

When you think of fine dining, restaurants in France and Italy are probably the first that come to mind. But believe it or not, an international poll of customer reviews says that a small English pub tops them all. (If you’ve caught a travel bug, visit one of the weirdest restaurants from around the world, too.)

The Black Swan in Oldstead, North Yorkshire, has been named “the best restaurant in the world,” according to a poll published by TripAdvisor. Rather than using a small panel of judges, TripAdvisor’s ranking considered feedback from restaurant customers, instead. Data crunchers collected millions of reviews and opinions from around the world, which were posted on the TripAdvisor site over a 12-month period. Then, they developed an algorithm that, by factoring in the quantity and quality of the reviews, developed an overall score to rank the worldwide winners.

The Black Swan upset Spanish restaurant Martin Berasategui, the two-year reigning champ, for the top honor. Second place went to Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, located in New Milton, United Kingdom. Maison Lameloise, located in Chagny, France, walked away with the No. 3 title.

“It’s a huge honor to win this award, but what makes it really special is that it’s been awarded because of feedback from our customers,” Tommy Banks, Head Chef at the Black Swan, told the Independent.

If you’re lucky enough to dine at the Black Swan, you can expect unusual dishes such as squid dressed in horseradish juice, Texel lamb with turnip and mint, and cake made from chicory root and blackcurrant. The restaurant’s chefs source many ingredients straight from their garden. (But these are the foods you should never, ever eat at a restaurant.)

A post shared by The Black Swan, Oldstead (@blackswan_oldstead) on Jan 30, 2017 at 11:52am PST

A post shared by The Black Swan, Oldstead (@blackswan_oldstead) on May 11, 2017 at 12:26pm PDT

However, most of the TripAdvisor reviews rave not about the food, but about the service:

“I have never been to a Michelin restaurant before, and I was worried that it would be too posh for us and be unwelcome,” one reviewer wrote. “But I could not have been more wrong.”

“We were very well looked after from the moment we arrived and overall it was an outstanding experience,” another said.

Ready to take on the food tour of a lifetime? Stop by the top travel destinations for food lovers around the world.

[Sources: NME.com, The Independent, TODAY]