Date announced for S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards

The much-anticipated S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2010 is to be held on Monday 26th April at the historic Guildhall in London. The awards ceremony will see the world’s culinary glitterati assemble to see who makes the list this year.

The list is the result of an extensive poll of 806 of the world’s most celebrated chefs, renowned food critics, leading restaurants and well-travelled gourmands. Together they make up The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy. To create the Academy, and give a fair representation of the global restaurant scene, the world is divided up into 26 geographical areas, each with a chairman appointed for their knowledge of their part of the restaurant world. This ensures a balanced selection of chefs, restaurateurs, food journalists and specialists. The UK & Ireland Academy Chair for 2010 is Jay Rayner.

The list creates tremendous debate. Last year, Noma in Denmark climbed seven whole places to a new spot at number 3, while Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck claimed the top prize in 2005 but has been nestled at number 2 ever since. El Bulli has carried the accolade of World’s Best Restaurant five times – more than any other – but there’s already been excited mutterings about what will happen next year when Ferran Adria's restaurant will close for a season. Does this mean the crown is bound to be his again this year? Who would get your vote and why?