Now available – Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2016

The Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2016 is now out, and 15 new One Star establishments and two new Two Star locations lurk within its pages. In addition, no less than 25 new Bib Gourmand awards can be found in this latest edition.

The new Two Star restaurants both specialise in Japanese cuisine. The first of these is Araki; commenting on its elevation to double-star status, Michelin Guide editor Rebecca Burr said: “It is a great compliment to London that when Sushi Master Mitsuhiro Araki closed his Three Star counter restaurant in Tokyo it was because he wanted to come to the UK to challenge himself in a different culture.” Regarding the other newly-minted two star premises, Burr added: “Umu is a very different style of Japanese restaurant – chef Yoshinori Ishii has steadily been improving the food and he has taken it to a whole new level.”

New single-star sites in London include Lyle’s, Bonhams, Portland and the Dining Room at the Goring, and in Leeds there’s a Star for The Man Behind the Curtain. “The next generation of chefs are really coming through to give the established chefs a run for their money. They all have their own individual style and their ability – coupled with their confidence – looks set to lead them on to great things,” Burr continued.

A Star has also been given to John’s House near Loughborough – where chef John Duffin cooks at the family farm where he grew up. In Scotland, The Cellar in Anstruther receives a Star, as do Eipic and OX in Belfast, the Greenhouse in Dublin and Loam in Galway.

Michelin says readers now consider its Bib Gourmand award to be as important as the Stars. This award recognises establishments offering good food at affordable prices (the limit being £28 for three courses, €40 in Ireland). This year there are 25 new ‘Bibs’. Among them are the White Swan in Fence, Oli’s Thai in Oxford, Tom Kerridge’s pub The Coach in Marlow and Nuno Mendes’ Taberna do Mercado in Spitalfields.

“Stars and Bib Gourmands are annual awards. Each year we seek out new candidates and reassess our existing award restaurants. Consistency is a key part of our selection process and it is important for our readers that the standard of cooking is maintained,” commented Burr.

Michelin points out that Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant ‘The Fat Duck’ is absent from this year’s Michelin Guide, as following a temporary move to Australia, it did not reopen in time for its assessment.

The Michelin Guide is priced at £16.99, or €17.99 in Ireland. Its release was accompanied by publication of the Michelin Guide London 2016, priced at £12.99 (€13.99 in Ireland). This guide provides extended text on London’s restaurants, with additional photographs and information on all Starred establishments, as well as a pull-out map. It also includes a selection of London’s best hotels, across all categories of comfort. Both guides can be purchased from bookshops and at http://travel.michelin.co.uk/.