Fat Duck 'second top restaurant'

The Berkshire-based establishment was kept off the number one spot by Spain's El Bulli for the second year running.

Blumenthal said: "If someone had said to me 10 years ago I would be in the top 100 restaurants in the world I would have said it was amazing."

A panel of 651 judges named seven UK restaurants among the top 50.

Recognition 'humbling'

Gordon Ramsay's eponymous restaurant in London's Chelsea fell 10 places from last year to come in at number 24 in the S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants awards 2007.

London's Nobu and Hakkasan came in at numbers 17 and 19 respectively.

Le Gavroche at number 28 and St John at number 34 are also based in the capital.

London's The River Cafe entered the top 50 at number 44 to boost the UK's total by one restaurant compared to last year.

France still has the highest number of top restaurants with 12 entries in the list - up from 10 last year.

Blumenthal also won this year's "chef's choice" award, voted for by chefs who appeared in the 2006 top 50 list.

The chef, whose restaurant in Bray has served up dishes such as snail porridge and bacon and egg ice-cream, said: "That is just sinking in. To have that recognition from your peers is quite humbling really, considering the list of people in the top 50."

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