Mirazur, a restaurant on the French Riviera resort town of Menton, has picked up the coveted world's best restaurant award at the 2019 World's 50 Best Restaurant awards, up two spots from a third place finish last year.

"Wow, wow, wow, wow," said a clearly elated Mauro Colagreco, Mirazur's chef. "What a crazy year, three Michelin stars and number one in the world, all in the same year. It's a year I will remember forever."

In a disappointing year for the UK, which saw its share of top 50 establishments drop from four to two, the top three was rounded off by Copenhagen's Noma in second spot, and Asador Etzebarri from the Basque Country, Spain, which came third. Spain had the most establishments in the top 50, with seven, many of them in the Basque country. The United States earned six spots.

Britain's highest-placing restaurant was London's The Clove Club, which back in 2013 was described as committing "the cardinal sin of trying to reinvent the sacred chipped potato" when reviewed by the Telegraph. It jumped from 33rd to 27th.

The second UK entry, Lyle's, also in the capital, climbed from 38th to 33rd. Both are situated in Shoreditch which has become a hub for the sort of destinations favoured by the judges.