London is home to six of world's best restaurants

The capital's international reputation for fine dining was confirmed by the inclusion of the six on a list of 50 restaurants drawn up by a panel of 651 judges who surveyed more than 70 countries.

France had the largest number on the list, with the US second and Britain third with seven. Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck was the only British restaurant on the list outside London.

The six were Le Gavroche, St John's, Nobu, Hakkasan, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and the River Café.

The Fat Duck, in Bray, Berkshire, is set to go head to head against Spain's internationally-renown El Bulli for the top prize at the S Pellegrino awards in London tonight.

Blumenthal, who has previously won the S Pellegrino award for top restaurant, said British restaurants are benefiting from a greater interest in food from the UK public. "What's happened is that we used to consider going to a restaurant on a special occasion, and when we went it was all candelabras and fancy waiters in dickie-bow ties.

"More recently we have seen more of a going out culture. People in Britain are much more aware and interested in food," he said.

Britain has retained its third place spot for the third year running, but London's dominance is a reflection of the strength of the economy and the wealth of its restaurant-going public.

Joe Warwick, editor of Restaurant magazine, which organises the awards, said: "There are some lovely restaurants outside London, but to make it work on this level you need to be able to fill it Monday through to Friday and that doesn't happen outside London.

"A decade ago, if you had presented a list of the UK having seven restaurants in the top 50, people would have laughed. But we have become very good at being multi-cultural. It is interesting to consider that on this list, St John's is the only restaurant serving British food. The rest are all in the modern style of cookery."

France still has the highest number of top restaurants with 12 entries in the top 50 - up from 10 last year. The USA has eight - the second highest number for any single country.

Spain and Italy tie in fourth place with six entries each. The full list of restaurants and their positions in the top 50 will be revealed at the Science Museum ceremony tonight.

Gordon Ramsay's self-named restaurant has made the top 50 again this year while The River Café has re-entered the list. Maze, which is part of the Gordon Ramsay stable of restaurants, came in at number 55 and scooped the " breakthrough award" for best restaurant under five years old.

Pied a Terre in London was voted Restaurant Magazine readers' choice. Mr Warwick said: "There's a consensus among people who know about restaurants that France is definitely the strongest country and probably deserves to be top of the list.

"I think the UK's position as third nation is very good. This is about highend restaurants and we have got that."

The panellists were divided into 22 regional groups, each of which was headed by a chairman picked for their knowledge of that region.

Each panel member was allowed five votes, of which a maximum of two were for restaurants within their own region.

Best of British

Le Gavroche
St John's
Nobu
Hakkasan Restaurant
Gordon Ramsay
River Cafè
Fat Duck, Bray