Following last year’s leak, Michelin wasn’t taking any chances with its stars announcement for the 2017 guide: this morning the restaurant guide held its first-ever live presentation for Great Britain and Ireland’s stars and we were there (at The IET London on Savoy Place, right next to Waterloo Bridge) to watch it all first hand. Find out all of the UK’s first-time Michelin stars winners here.
Words: Neil Simpson
Biggest prize
The Raby Hunt, Darlington (above)
As the only UK restaurant to earn two Michelin stars for the first time in the 2017 guide, Darlington’s The Raby Hunt is the name on everybody’s lips today. It may be no more than a dot on the map, but the hamlet of Summerhouse now boasts one of the north-east’s more ambitious and “evolving” kitchens – plus a magnificent wine cellar to boot. Occupying a Grade II-listed former inn once frequented by the eponymous hunt, this reinvigorated restaurant-with-rooms is the domain of self-taught chef James Close, who builds sophisticated tasting menus on the cutting edge of modern British cuisine. The Raby Hunt also has two Squaremeal stars and was no.48 on our UK top 100 list this year.
London restaurants earning a Michelin star for the first time
Céleste at The Lanesborough, Belgravia (above)
Emerging from a huge, two-year refurbishment in 2015, The Lanesborough’s flagship restaurant is back on form. Chef Florian Favario worked under Eric Fréchon at the three-Michelin-starred Le Bristol Epicure in Paris, and his internationally flavoured menu reads like a culinary lingua franca for global luxury (native blue lobster, sea rainbow trout and so on) – although he excels at coaxing the essential flavour from his ingredients, be it tomatoes or strawberries.
Ellory, Hackney
Opened in autumn 2015 and following the closure of his sadly missed restaurant Mayfields (also in Hackney), chef Matthew Young brought his seasonal, refined British cooking back to London with Ellory. Joined by sommelier Jack Lewens (The River Café, Quo Vadis), the restaurant was also no.92 in our first-ever London hot 100 restaurants list this year.
The Five Fields, Chelsea
It’s about time: with four Squaremeal stars (our highest honour), chef Taylor Bonnyman has shown no signs of slacking since scooping the 2013 BMW Squaremeal Restaurant of the Year. The cooking here artfully plays with stunning seasonal produce from Bonnyman’s own Sussex garden, and the result is a line-up of bright, vivid dishes. The Five Fields also made it to no.59 on our London hot 100 list this year.
The Ninth, Fitzrovia (above)
Undoubtedly helped along by his charismatic TV appearances, Jun Tanaka’s debut restaurant was always going to be a hot ticket when it opened at the end of 2015. This glowing, Manhattan-styled restaurant feels like the real deal, offering a fresh, light Mediterranean menu.
The Ritz Restaurant, St James’s
The biggest cheer in the room went to The Ritz Restaurant, which deserves all the superlatives that are routinely directed at it. Long-serving executive chef John Williams is tasked with diverting the guests' attention away from the "magnificent" neoclassical opulence, singing sopranos and the rare sight of men dining in jacket and tie, but he manages it with all the high-end ingredients you'd expect – plus a light, though necessarily conservative, touch.
Veeraswamy, Mayfair
Opened in 1926, Veeraswamy's pioneering status and Regent Street location ensure that this legendary Indian has made it all the way to its ninetieth birthday this year. Owner Ranjit Mathrani (above, right) told us that it was a pleasure to have it confirmed that, after 90 years, “there’s still life in the old dog yet.” With two Squaremeal stars to its name, we’d agree.
Trinity, Clapham
When Squaremeal’s editor Ben McCormack says that “Trinity was one of the best meals I’ve had in the last year”, you know it’s got to be good. Refurbished in 2015, Adam Byatt’s special-occasion big hitter now has an additional, informal restaurant upstairs, while in the kitchen Byatt delivers his own brand of contemporary cooking with “real skill and precision”.
UK restaurants outside of London earning a Michelin star for the first time
Forest Side, Grasmere (above)
With eight years’ experience at L’Enclume under his belt, chef Kevin Tickle is now blowing ‘em away at this fairy-tale Victorian gothic mansion, set in over 40 acres of beautiful grounds. As you might expect, his cooking is built around foraged findings, home-grown ingredients and locally sourced produce.
The Crown, Maidenhead
Chef/proprietor Simon Bonwick is one of the restaurant scene’s more eccentric characters who does things his own way: he runs the kitchen single-handedly, leaves front-of-house to members of his family (he has nine children) and doesn’t even post menus on the pub’s website.
Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, Windermere
This luxurious hotel and restaurant has a friendly, family-run atmosphere, located two miles from Lake Windemere. Set in 20 acres of private gardens, moors and woodlands, Gilpin has been run as a hotel by the Cunliffe family since 1987.
Restaurant James Sommerin, Penarth (above)
Overlooking the estuary on Penarth’s pretty new esplanade, James Sommerin is a restaurant that gets just about everything right. Cooking, as expected, is show-stopping, be it a liquid pea ravioli smothered in sage cream and Serrano ham from James’ appearance on Great British Menu, or local lobster in a sweetcorn-infused bisque.
Sosban and The Old Butchers, Isle of Anglesey
Occupying an old butcher’s shop (clue’s in the name), Stephen and Bethan Stevens’ idiosyncratic little restaurant couldn’t be simpler: he runs the modest kitchen, she handles front of house, there are no menus and opening hours are limited. Nevertheless, Stephen’s food is “thrillingly different” – the kind that wins Michelin stars in unlikely places.
Tudor Room, Egham
Set in 50 acres of parkland close to the M25, this creakily atmospheric, Grade I-listed manor house is now a premier-league getaway with heritage trappings but a modern culinary outlook.
The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
Following in the wake of her smash-hit Daylesford Organic brand, Lady Carole Bamford has picked a Cotswold country pub for her latest venture. Occupying an 18th-century stone-built hostelry in the foodie village of Kingham, The Wild Rabbit is a posh cookie with its gentrified Country Living looks, rustic woodwork and arty design features sitting pretty alongside open fires and real ales.
Three Michelin stars
The Fat Duck, Bray (above)
A special mention to The Fat Duck, which regained all three of its Michelin stars a year after losing them, following the restaurant’s six-month closure last year. Head chef Jonny Lake told us that the ceremony was “a bit nervewracking” and he was “very surprised to learn today that the inspectors came to visit eight times, because you never know when they’re coming.” Watch our Squarereel News video filmed at The Fat Duck in May here.
If you’ve got restaurant awards fever, check out our London hot 100 restaurants 2016 list here, or browse our UK top 100 restaurants 2016 list for our favourite out-of-London destinations.
This article was published 3 October 2016