The best restaurant on earth is... British?

In a country which boasts such delicacies as sardines on toast comes the newly crowned finest restaurant in the world -- serving "sardine on toast sorbet."

The Fat Duck, an English countryside former pub, has topped an annual list of the world’s best restaurants, marking a new gastronomic triumph for a country once known for, well, other reasons besides its food.

British restaurants won four of the top 10 spots and 14 of the top 50, beating countries like France and the United States.

Admittedly, “Restaurant” magazine, which compiled the list, is published in London but its selections are based on the opinions of more than 500 industry experts around the world.

“It shows just how far Britain has come in terms of culinary output and the range of experiences we offer,” editor Ella Johnston said.

The Fat Duck, run by chef Heston Blumenthal, beat out El Bulli in Montjoi, Spain and The French Laundry in California -- previously voted world’s best two years in a row.

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Blumenthal, a self-taught chef, has pioneered “molecular gastronomy” -- advanced techniques to develop unusual taste combinations like “smoked bacon and egg ice cream” and “leather, oak and tobacco chocolates”.

That has turned The Fat Duck in Bray, west of London, into a magnet for food enthusiasts.

Despite being knocked down to third place, the French Laundry’s Thomas Keller still did well, with his New York restaurant Per Se debuting at number seven, making him the only chef with two restaurants in the top 10.