There have already been some massive shakeups in Michelin Guides around the globe, but Great Britain and Ireland have been spared that fate.
Stars for the two regions were announced on Monday evening, and the crème de la crème remain the same: All eight three-star restaurants retained their status. The two-star category saw some new additions this year, however, with three restaurants joining the ranks of those that Michelin deems some of the best in the world.
London’s the Ledbury, helmed by the chef Brett Graham, regained to its two-star status after closing in 2020, when it also held that ranking. The restaurant reopened last year, and the Michelin ceremony host Amanda Stretton called it a “welcome return to the London scene,” with “perfect technique and balance,” according to Eater. Joining the Ledbury are Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal in London and Dede in Baltimore, Ireland.
Unlike in France, where two notable three-star restaurants were demoted to two stars earlier this month, Great Britain and Ireland were able to maintain their upper echelon. That includes the London spots Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, Core by Clare Smyth, Hélène Darroze at the Connaught, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, and Sketch (the Lecture Room & Library), as well as Bray’s Fat Duck and Waterside Inn, and Cartmel’s L’Enclume.
The one-star category, meanwhile, saw 20 new additions, with most of them located outside of London. Just four sit in England’s capital (Cycene, Luca, St. Barts, and Taku). The others span cities from Aughton (So-Lo) to Stoke Holy Cross (Store). Only two restaurants lost their one star, while six were taken out of the guide for having closed in the past year, according to Bon Appetit. In total, Great Britain and Ireland are home to 188 Michelin-starred restaurants.
In recent years, the Michelin Guide’s relevance in the culinary world has been questioned, and its practices have come under scrutiny. But the organization is working to change—telling chefs in advance when they’re about to lose a star, for example—and a rating is still seen as a major achievement for a chef and their restaurant. Despite Michelin having lost some of its luster, the teams behind the new English and Irish additions to the guide will still likely be celebrating heartily.
