The World’s Top Restaurants: Le Bec, Vetri, and … Totaro’s?

Earlier this year, Zagat, which bills itself “the world’s most trusted source” on where to go for dinner, released its first ever World’s Top Restaurants guide. In it, the editors saw fit to include 21 Philadelphia-area restaurants. Now, these lists are always controversial — like our recent Philly Mag 50, which elicited scores of angry responses from readers and local restaurateurs alike. (How dare we rank Standard Tap way higher than Le Bec-Fin?) We get including the Fountain and Amada, and we’re not going to argue over Alison at Blue Bell or even Northeast Philly’s MexiFrench hybrid Paloma … But Totaro’s in Conshohocken with their chili-sauced duck spring roll meets escargot meets Jack Daniel’s filet menu? New Hope’s dated La Bonne Auberge? And some place called the Mainland Inn, complete with an early-bird special? Really? Best in the world? The Philadelphia version of Zagat doesn’t even think they are the best in the city.

The complete Philadelphia list, in order of food ranking:

Fountain
Le Bar Lyonnais
Birchrunville Store
Le Bec-Fin
Vetri
Lacroix
Gilmore’s
Morimoto
Savona
Amada
Buddakan
Bluefin
Paloma
Gayle
Mainland Inn
Striped Bass (Closed)
Blue Sage
La Bonne Auberge
Swann Lounge
Alison at Blue Bell
Totaro’s