Rene Redzepi's Copenhagen fine-diner Noma was crowned the world's top restaurant overnight at The World's 50 Best awards, as the Oscars of the food world returned following a year's pause due to the pandemic.

Coming in behind Noma was fellow Copenhagen restaurant Geranium, also a champion of hyperlocal ingredients, followed by Asador Etxebarri in Spain's Basque region, where wood and fire are valued just as much as the produce.

Announced at a ceremony in Antwerp, Noma's top spot marked the pinnacle of achievement for the re-imagined restaurant, which re-opened after 12 months of renovations in February 2018 and then ranked at No. 2 on The World's 50 Best list the following year.

There were no Australian restaurants in the top 50, although Brae was ranked at No. 57 in the long-list and Attica at No. 97. Some speculated whether Sydney's Quay would return to the top 50 following its own extensive renovations that were completed in July 2018, but it wasn't to be. The Circular Quay restaurant was last seen in the top 50 in 2013.

Australians were represented elsewhere in the list though, with Western Australian-born chef Dave Pynt's fire-fuelled restaurant Burnt Ends in Singapore placing at No. 34 and Hong Kong venue The Chairman, run by former Canberra chef-restaurateur Danny Yip, coming in at No. 10.

For those wondering about the Eleven Madison Parks and Osteria Francescanas of the world, due to new rules introduced in 2019, once a restaurant has been named No. 1, it moves to the Best of the Best list and is no longer eligible for a place in the main World's 50 Best list.

The 2021 list contains restaurants from 26 countries and features eight restaurants making their debut, but the US and Spain dominated with six restaurants each in the top 50.

Despite some controversy, the World's Best Female Chef Award continues and was this year won by Peruvian chef Pía Léon who works across Central, Kjolle and Mil.

Other awards included accolades for sustainability, which went to Chile's Borago after outranking other restaurants on a set of sustainability criteria, and an award for the best pastry chef, which was picked up by Will Goldfarb of Room4Dessert in Bali.

The Chef's Choice Award, voted by the world's leading chefs, went to Asador Extebarri's Victor Arguinzoniz, who has led the way in cooking over fire at his establishment in the Basque region.

1-50 World's 50 Best Restaurants

1. Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark)

2. Geranium (Copenhagen, Denmark)

3. Asador Etxebarri (Atxondo, Spain)

4. Central (Lima, Peru)

5. Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain)

6. Frantzén (Stockholm, Sweden)

7. Maido (Lima, Peru)

8. Odette (Singapore)

9. Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico)

10. The Chairman (Hong Kong, China)

11. Den (Tokyo, Japan)

12. Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)

13. Don Julio (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

14. Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain)

15. Lido 84 (Gardone Riviera, Italy)

16. Elkano (Getaria, Spain)

17. A Casa do Porco (São Paulo, Brazil)

18. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)

19. Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)

20. Diverxo (Madrid, Spain)

21. Hiša Franko (Kobarid, Slovenia)

22. Cosme (New York City, USA)

23. Arpège (Paris)

24. Septime (Paris, France)

25. White Rabbit (Moscow, Russia)

26. Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)

27. Quintonil (Mexico City, Mexico)

28. Benu (San Francisco, USA)

29. Reale (Castel di Sangre, Italy)

30. Twins Garden (Moscow, Russia)

31. Restaurant Tim Raue (Berlin, Germany)

32. The Clove Club (London, UK)

33. Lyle's (London, UK)

34. Burnt Ends (Singapore)

35. Ultraviolet (Shanghai, China)

36. Hof Van Cleve (Belgium)

37. SingleThread (Healdsburg, USA)

38. Borago (Santiago, Chile)

39. Florilège (Tokyo, Japan)

40. Suhring (Bangkok, Thailand)

41. Alléno (Paris, France)

42. Belcanto (Lisbon, Portugal)

43. Atomix (New York City, USA)

44. Le Bernardin (New York City, USA)

45. Nobelhart & Schmutzig (Berlin, Germany)

46. Leo (Bogotá, Colombia)

47. Maaemo (Oslo, Norway)

48. Atelier Crenn (San Francisco, USA)

49. Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Spain)

50. Wolfgat (Paternoster, South Africa)