Michelin Stars

Michelin Stars 2009

Three London restaurants were awarded two stars in this year’s Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland. West End, French big hitters Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Hibiscus and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (pictured left) all reached double-starred heights, while eight restaurants received the accolade of one star. Click through for the full story.

Michelin Stars 2008

London's Hibiscus, Quilon, Rhodes W1 Restaurant, La Trompette and Wild Honey (pictured left) were all awarded one Michelin star in the recently unveiled Michelin Guide to Great Britain & Ireland 2008.

Anthony Demetre, chef-proprietor of Wild Honey, told us that he’s even more shell-shocked than when sister restaurant Arbutus received a star last year. He puts it down to ‘great cooking combined with sensitive prices’. Similar feelings of surprise were voiced by Sriram Aylur, chef-director at Quilon, who said the announcement ‘came totally out of the blue’. The Victoria restaurant has been open for eight years and serves food from India’s south-west coast.

Only Marylebone’s Orrery restaurant lost its Michelin star. No restaurants were upgraded to two-star status, nor did any achieve the ultimate accolade of three stars. Derek Bulmer, editor of the Michelin Guide to Great Britain & Ireland 2008, said the lack of new two and three star restaurants reflects London’s trend for informal restaurants and praised the capital’s restaurant scene for its diversity. He also said the future looks healthy and that he wouldn't be surprised to see another three-star restaurant in the next couple of years.