A restaurant in Spain has been named by an international panel of judges as the World's Best Restaurant for the second year running.
El Bulli, near Barcelona, claimed the top spot in this year's list of the 50 best places to eat, announced in London on Monday evening.
A panel of 651 judges from around the world reviewed restaurants in 70 different countries to compile this year's S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurant list.
El Bulli's success relegated The Fat Duck in Berkshire, England, to the number two place for the second time.
The two restaurants have similar approaches to food -- both are known for dishes that combine unusual ingredients using sophisticated scientific techniques.
El Bulli chef Ferran Adria is the brains behind the restaurant's menu. He travels for six months every year in a quest for gastronomic inspiration, then returns to his Barcelona laboratory where he experiments with new tastes, temperatures and textures.
His ground-breaking techniques have inspired other chefs throughout the world to experiment. The waiting list to eat at the restaurant is in excess of a year.
France has the highest number of top restaurants with 12 entries in the top-50 list -- up from 10 last year. Paris was the best city for food enthusiasts, with nine restaurants in the top 50, followed by London with six.
The United States has eight entries -- the second-highest number for any single country. Spain and Italy tie in fourth place with six entries apiece.
There was no change in the top six restaurants in the list compared to last year.