April 21 (Bloomberg) -- Marcus Wareing, who triumphed over his former friend and mentor Gordon Ramsay in the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants last night, said the awards recognized chefs who loved food more than celebrity.

“There’s a big difference between celebrity chefs and restaurateurs,” Wareing said today in a telephone interview. “One craves television and one loves great food. One gets up in the morning because he wants to cook and loves restaurants and loves the industry. Last night wasn’t about celebrity or egos.”

Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley, which the chef opened last September after an acrimonious split from Ramsay, came 52nd and won the Breakthrough Restaurant award for the new venue most likely to crack the Top 50 next year. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which came 13th in 2008, failed even to place in the Top 100.

El Bulli, Ferran Adria’s restaurant north of Barcelona, came first and Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck, west of London, was second for the fourth straight year. Noma, chef Rene Redzepi’s eatery in Copenhagen, jumped to third from 10th and took the Chefs’ Choice award. All three chefs showed up, as did Wareing. Ramsay didn’t attend and his spokeswoman said today he wasn’t available to comment.

“Gordon takes all these sorts of surveys with a pinch of salt,” his publicity company said last night in an e-mailed statement. “Gordon regards his thousands of customers as his most valued critics. They are his judge and jury.”

The World’s 50 Best list was compiled from the votes of 837 food writers and critics around the world. I was on the U.K. and Ireland panel for the first time. I voted by mail and had no idea how the voting went until the results were announced.

New York

The highest-placed U.S. entrant was Thomas Keller’s Per Se, in New York, which came sixth. The chef’s French Laundry, which won in 2004, was 12th. Other U.S. winners included Alinea (10th), Le Bernardin (15th) and Jean Georges (19th).

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay came second to El Bulli in the inaugural list in 2002, which was dominated by U.K. restaurants, It placed fifth in 2003, eighth in 2004, fifth in 2005, 14th in 2006, 24th in 2007 and then 13th in 2008. The list started life as a way of promoting “Restaurant,” a U.K. magazine.

“I’ve never been happier in my life,” said Wareing, who previously headed Petrus, a Gordon Ramsay Holdings restaurant on the site that is now his own. “Eight months ago, I didn’t have a restaurant. Finally to own my own place and run it in the Berkeley and to receive an award, it just means so much to me.

‘‘I haven’t spoken with Gordon for six to eight months but I respect him. I wouldn’t be here without him. I don’t want to wake up in the morning with an enemy. He does what he does and I do what I do. But to succeed in fine dining you’ve got to be in the kitchen. Customers don’t buy your lack of presence any more.

Ramsay Comeback

‘‘Don’t write Gordon off because he will come back. He’s a fighter. Gordon Ramsay doesn’t roll over. He’s 42 and he’s by no means over.”

Wareing said the main impact of the recession on his restaurant had been a decline in spending on wine, and that he had no concerns. Diners were just focused on value for money.

Chefs from around the world attended the awards last night at the Freemasons’ Hall in Covent Garden. Daniel Boulud (Daniel) and David Chang (Momofuku) attended from New York, along with Adria and Blumenthal, who hosted an after-party (along with chef Rainer Becker) at Shochu Lounge, below Roka restaurant. Most of the chefs are attending the lunch today at St. John.

Ramsay must wonder where the latest blow is coming from. He’s become a punch bag for critics, getting hit for supplying his London pubs out of a central kitchen, filing his accounts late and making noisy TV appearances while quietly selling overseas restaurants that he opened with a fanfare.

Wareing defended the use of a central kitchen.

“It’s the right thing to do in pubs and brasseries,” he said. “It will build in consistency and continuity. What you have to do is be open with your customers about what you’re doing and not tell them everything is cooked on the premises.”

The Top 50:

1 El Bulli, Spain (=) http://www.elbulli.com
2 The Fat Duck, U.K. (=) http://www.fatduck.co.uk
3 Noma, Denmark (+7) http://www.noma.dk
4 Mugaritz, Spain (=) http://www.mugaritz.com
5 El Celler de Can Roca, Spain (+21)
http://www.cellercanroca.com
6 Per Se, U.S. (=) http://www.perseny.com
7 Bras, France (=) http://www.michel-bras.com
8 Arzak, Spain (=) http://www.arzak.es
9 Pierre Gagnaire, France (-6) http://www.pierre-gagnaire.com
10 Alinea, U.S. (+11) http://www.alinea-restaurant.com
11 L’Astrance, France (=) http://www.lastrance.abemadi.com
12 The French Laundry U.S. (-7) http://www.frenchlaundry.com
13 Osteria Francescana, Italy (New Entry)
http://www.osteriafrancescana.it
14 St. John, U.K. (+2) http://www.stjohnrestaurant.co.uk
15 Le Bernardin, U.S. (+5) http://www.le-bernardin.com
16 Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville, Switzerland (+11)
http://www.philippe-rochat.ch
17 Tetsuya’s, Australia (-8)  http://www.tetsuyas.com
18 L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, France (-4)
http://www.joel-robuchon.com
19 Jean Georges, U.S. (-2) http://www.jean-georges.com
20 Les Creations de Narisawa, Japan (New Entry)
http://www.narisawa-yoshihiro.com
21 Chez Dominique, Finland (+18) http://www.chezdominique.fi
22 Ristorante Cracco, Italy (+21) http://www.ristorantecracco.it
23 Die Schwarzwaldstube, Germany (+12)
http://www.traube-tonbach.de
24 D.O.M., Brazil (+16)
25 Vendome, Germany (+9)
26 Hof van Cleve, Belgium (+2)
27 Masa, U.S., (Re-entry) http://www.masanyc.com
28 Gambero Rosso, Italy (-16) Tel +39 (0)56570 1021
29 Oud Sluis, Netherlands (+13) http://www.oudsluis.nl
30 Steirereck, Austria (New Entry) http://www.steirereck.at
31 Momofuku Ssam Bar, U.S. (New Entry) http://www.momofuku.com
32 Oaxen Skaergaardskrog, Sweden (+16) http://www.oaxenkrog.se
33 Martin Berasategui, Spain (-4)
http://www.martinberasategui.com
34 Nobu U.K. (-4) http://www.noburestaurants.com
35 Mirazur, France (New Entry) http://www.mirazur.fr
36 Hakkasan, U.K. (-17) http://www.hakkasan.com
37 Le Quartier Francais, South Africa (+13)
http://www.lequartier.co.za
38 La Colombe, South Africa (Re-entry)
http://www.constantia-uitsig.com
39 Asador Etxebarri, Spain (+5) http://www.asadoretxebarri.com
40 Le Chateaubriand, France (New Entry) Tel. +33-1-43574595
41 Daniel, U.S. (=) http://www.danielnyc.com
42 Combal Zero, Italy (Re-entry) http://www.combal.org
43 Le Louis XV, France (-28) http://www.alain-ducasse.com
44 Tantris, Germany (+3) http://www.tantris.de
45 Iggy’s, Singapore (New Entry) http://www.iggys.com.sg
46 Quay, Australia (New Entry) http://www.quay.com.au
47 Les Ambassadeurs, France (-2) http://www.crillon.com
48 Dal Pescatore, Italy (-25) http://www.dalpescatore.com
49 Le Calandre, Italy (-13) http://www.calandre.com
50 Mathias Dahlgren, Sweden (New Entry)
http://www.mathiasdahlgren.com

The next 50:

51 Zuma, China http://www.zumarestaurant.com
52 Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley, U.K.
http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk
53 Spondi, Greece http://www.spondi.gr
54 L’Arpege, France http://www.alain-passard.com
55 L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, China
http://www.joel-robuchon.com
56 Hibiscus, U.K. http://www.hibiscusrestaurant.co.uk
57 Aqua, Germany http://www.ritzcarlton.com
58 Le Gavroche, U.K. http://www.le-gavroche.co.uk
59 Chez Panisse, U.S. http://www.chezpanisse.com
60 Les Amis, Singapore http://www.lesamis.com.sg
61 El Poblet, Spain http://www.elpoblet.com
62 Maison Pic, France http://www.pic-valence.com
63 Cafe Pushkin, Russia http://www.cafe-pushkin.ru
64 Le Meurice, France http://www.lemeurice.com
65 Bukhara, India http://www.itcportal.com/hotels
66 Varvari, Russia http://www.anatolykomm.ru
67 Schauenstein, Germany http://www.schauenstein.ch
68 RyuGin, Japan http://www.nihonryori-ryugin.com
69 La Maison Troisgros, France http://www.troisgros.fr
70 Wasabi, India http://www.tajhotels.com
71 The River Cafe, U.K. http://www.rivercafe.co.uk
72 Enoteca Pinchiorri, Italy http://www.enotecapinchiorri.com
73 Le Cinq, France http://www.fourseasons.com/paris
74 Allegro, Czech Republic http://www.fourseasons.com/prague
75 Quintessence, Japan http://www.quintessence.jp
76 Restaurant Dieter Mueller, Germany
http://www.schlosshotel-lerbach.com
77 Geranium, Denmark http://www.restaurantgeranium.dk
78 Caprice, China http://www.fourseasons.com/hongkong
79 Jardines, South Africa http://www.jardineonbree.co.za
80 Amador, Germany
81 Biko, Mexico http://www.biko.com.mx
82 L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon U.S/ http://www.joel-robuchon.com
83 Fasano, Brazil http://www.fasano.com.br
84 Mozaic, Bali http://www.mozaic-bali.com
85 Obauer, Austria http://www.obauer.com/de
86 Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee, France
http://www.alain-ducasse.com
87 L’Ambroisie, France http://www.ambroisie-placedesvosges.com
88 Maison Boulud, China http://www.danielnyc.com/maisonboulud
89 De Librije, Netherlands http://www.librije.com
90 Babbo, U.S. http://www.babbonyc.com
91 Maze, U.K. http://www.gordonramsay.com/maze
92 Zuma, U.K. http://www.zumarestaurant.com
93 Manresa, U.S. http://www.manresarestaurant.com
94 Pier, Australia http://www.pierrestaurant.com.au
95 De Karmeliet, Belgium http://www.dekarmeliet.be
96 Aubergine, South Africa http://www.aubergine.co.za
97 Bo Innovation, China http://www.boinnovation.com
98 Rust en Vrede, South Africa http://www.rustenvrede.com
99 Del Posto U.S. http://www.delposto.com
100 Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, UAE
http://www.intercontinental.com/dubai

(Richard Vines is the chief food critic for Bloomberg News Opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer on the story: Richard Vines in London at rvines@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: April 21, 2009 09:42 EDT