The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards 2014: Interviews with the chefs

Last night at London’s Guildhall, the world’s biggest players in the food industry gathered to hear the 2014 list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The mood was high out in the courtyard before the event, with chefs happily catching up with friends and giving interviews to the swarms of journalists. There was a multicultural atmosphere: Italian, South American and Asian chefs called out to one another whilst greeting other friends in Spanish, French or Japanese and giving interviews in English.

The mood continued inside the hall, with hearty back-slapping and genuine enthusiasm for each others’ work. Noma of Copenhagen claimed back the top spot after falling to number 2 last year.

Here are our interviews with the top players – pay another visit soon because there are more to come.

René Redzepi of world number 1 restaurant Noma:

Roca brothers of world number 2 El Celler de Can Roca:

Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore of world number 3 Osteria Francescana:

Daniel Humm and Will Guidara of world number 4 Eleven Madison Park:

Daniel Humm of world number 4 Eleven Madison Park after the awards ceremony:

Ashley Palmer-Watts of world number 5 Dinner by Heston Blumenthal:

Ashley Palmer-Watts of world number 5 Dinner by Heston Blumenthal after the awards ceremony:

Andoni Luis Aduriz of world number 6 Mugaritz:

Elena Arzak Espina and Juan Mari Arzak of world number 8 Arzak:

Brett Graham of world number 10 The Ledbury:

Yoshihiro Narisawa of world number 14 Narisawa:

Eric Ripert of world number 21 Le Benardin:

Sven Eleverfeld of world number 28 Aqua:

Fergus Henderson, winner of the Lifetime Achievement awards, of world number 55 St John:

Nuno Mendes of Chiltern Firehouse:

Enrico Crippa of world number 39 Piazza Duomo:

Rasmus Kofoed of world number 42 Geranium:

Andreas Caminada of world number 43 Schloss Schauenstein:

Peter Goossens of world number 45 Hof Van Cleve:

Luke Dale-Robertson of world number 48 Test Kitchen:

Mikael Jonsson of world number 63 Hedone:

Read our full report from the awards here.