Collecting his award for The World’s Best Restaurant 2019, the Argentine chef used the platform of his acceptance speech to cite how Mirazur is setting the example for restaurants leading the charge in a diverse global job market
“Wow. Wow, wow, wow,” summarised Mauro Colagreco as he took to the stage to pick up The World’s Best Restaurant award, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, draped in four full-size silk flags bound symbolically as one.
His cape of many colours stitched together the livery and values of the countries which comprise his restaurant’s identity: Argentina, to represent his place of birth; France, in honour of Mirazur’s location; Italy, for the restaurant’s vicinity to the Italian border and home to many of his team; and Brazil, where Julia, his wife and restaurant manager began her journey. “This flag represents the world for us,” said Colagreco. “Today, we are celebrating France and its values. Those values that we all share: liberté, égalité, fraternité. It represents Mirazur and the new French approach to cooking.”
As much of a victory for diversity as fine dining, winning the No.1 spot in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019 list marked the zenith of a vintage year for Mirazur. Recent months also saw the restaurant achieve a Michelin three-star ranking – the first time a non-French chef in France has received the accolade. “This flag thanks France, because this country has allowed me to express myself. It is the country where both of my children were born,” he continued. “This flag also brings me back to Argentina for all the memories that I keep from my childhood and to Brazil, which has offered me the love of my life, Julia. But it is also to others and all countries that have opened their doors to me, inspired me and most importantly that made me understand that cuisine is able to flow across borders.”
As a powerful parting piece, Colagreco borrowed from the diaries of a celebrated Norwegian explorer: “As Thor Heyerdahl once said: ‘Borders? I have never seen one, but I have heard they exist in the minds of some people’.”
Watch Colagreco’s full speech at The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2019:
The 2019 list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants was announced on 25 June from Singapore. Browse the new list and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for all the news, features and updates.
