Michelin Announces 2017 Stars for Great Britain and Ireland

This morning London town was bedazzled by Michelin stars: In a ceremony and live broadcast the French tire company released its new class of stars for the 2017 guide, out today. The guide contains four three-starred establishments, 21 two-starred restaurants, and 147 restaurants were awarded one Michelin star.

A total of 20 new restaurants were awarded stars this year, including a new two-starred establishment, chef James Close’s Raby Hunt at Summerhouse. Michelin calls Close’s cooking “unfussy” and “modern.”

Eighteen restaurants — including two pubs — received their first-ever single Michelin star including the Wild Rabbit (Oxfordshire); the Crown at Burchetts Green (Berkshire); Heron & Grey (Dublin); Sosban & The Old Butchers (Wales); and James Sommerin (Penarth). In London, stalwarts The Ritz Restaurant and Veeraswamy were awarded a star for the first time. Of Veeraswamy, London’s oldest Indian restaurant, Michelin writes in a release that the cooking here “has never been better than it is today.”

As readers may recall, last year’s guide did not include a listing for internationally renowned chef and molecular geek Heston Blumenthal or his longtime three-starred establishment in Bray, England: The Fat Duck. This was because Blumenthal closed the restaurant for much of 2015 and moved his crew to Australia for some pop-up fun. This year, for the 2017 guide, Blumenthal won those stars back. Michelin notes in a release that The Fat Duck “offers a truly memorable and visceral multi-sensory experience which is informed by a clever narrative.” Editor of the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2017, Rebecca Burr said: “Our inspectors had many meals here during the course of the year and found the restaurant invigorated, rejuvenated and unquestionably worthy of being reawarded our highest accolade.”

Michelin’s UK Guide for 2017 hits bookstands today in the UK. See the complete list of stars, below:

• All Michelin Coverage [E]