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This morning, Michelin — the tire company and controversial restaurant guide book publisher — announced its stars for Scandinavia for 2015. The New Nordic Cities Guide includes awards for Aarhus and Copenhagen in Denmark; Malmö, Gothenburg, and Stockholm in Sweden; Helsinki, Finland; and Oslo, Norway. It is the first time Michelin has awarded stars in Aarhus and Malmö.
Rebecca Burr, editor of the Michelin Guides, said in a release, "We are excited to be able to share with our readers our recommendations for restaurants and hotels in these two cities. The new wave of Scandinavian kitchens has really raised the bar in this part of the world. Aarhus is a vibrant city with a diverse gastronomy, whilst the gloriously fertile region of Skåne puts a wealth of top quality produce on Malmö's doorstep."
There are three new one-star restaurants in Aarhus: Frederikshøj, Gastromé and Substans. The city of Malmö is also now home to three new Michelin stars, one each for Ambiance à Vindåkra, Bloom in the Park, and Vollmers.
The New Nordic Cities guide now also includes a total of 30 Bib Gourmand recommendations. As the release explains, Bib Gourmand "is awarded to restaurants that offer excellent value for money."
In Denmark's hottest restaurant town, Copenhagen, there's a new two-star establishment: restaurant a|o|c, where a former sommelier, Søren Selin, heads up the kitchen. Oaxen Krog, in Stockholm, also gained two stars in this year's guide.
Stockholm is also home to another one-star restaurant, Volt. Two restaurants in Gothenburg — SK Mat & Människor and Kock & Vin — also earned a star each.
Noma, chef René Redzepi's highly acclaimed new Nordic restaurant in Copenhagen, was again awarded just two stars in Michelin's latest guide. Noma has never been awarded the coveted third star from Michelin, though it has won praise and high ratings from numerous other international and regional guides. The New Nordic Cities Guide does not include any three Michelin-starred establishments.
Michelin's New Nordic Cities Guide hits stores tomorrow, February 27. Here is a handy map of all of the new Michelin-starred restaurants in Scandinavia. See the full list of starred restaurants, below.
