From Devon To Edinburgh, Surrey To Cumbria, The 20 New MICHELIN Stars Can Be Found All Over Great Britain & Ireland

These are The Best Restaurants in Great Britain and Ireland.

Great Britain & Ireland continues to impress with the sheer variety of its MICHELIN Stars.

Michelin Guide unveiled the 2023 restaurant selection of the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain and Ireland. The new edition features 3 new Two MICHELIN Stars and 20 new One MICHELIN Stars. The gourmet guide awarded 4 new MICHELIN Green Stars and announced 5 Special Awards, including the inaugural ‘MICHELIN Exceptional Cocktail Award’, highlighting talented individuals from the restaurant industry.

On 27th March 2023, the MICHELIN Guide Ceremony was held at the iconic Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, where all the new Michelin Stars, Green Stars and Special Awards were unveiled.

This year, 20 restaurants have been newly awarded One MICHELIN Star; 3 restaurants awarded Two MICHELIN Stars; and 4 restaurants who have received a MICHELIN Green Star.

In total, the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2023 recommends 1,143 restaurants, of which 206 are MICHELIN-Starred, 29 have been awarded a MICHELIN Green Star, and 116 are highlighted with a Bib Gourmand.

Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides commented: “Whether diners are looking for somewhere formal or casual, historic or new, there is a MICHELIN Starred establishment for them. In every region of Great Britain and Ireland, you can now find hugely talented chefs calling out to gourmets with their exquisite and accomplished cuisine. To have 20 new One MICHELIN Stars and 3 new Two Stars in a year where the hospitality industry has faced so many challenges, is an extraordinary achievement. The addition of four new MICHELIN Green Stars to the selection is also a clear illustration of the growing desire within the restaurant industry for more sustainable gastronomy.”

Cumbria is the county boasting the greatest number of new Stars, with three, while Devon has two.

When it comes to cities, London leads the way with 4 new One Stars and 2 new Two Stars. The establishments themselves are also varied: there are inns, Victorian and Edwardian houses, country manors and contemporary city centre restaurants. The cuisines are varied too, with Japanese, Italian, Turkish and globally influenced cuisine sitting alongside contemporary British cooking.

3 restaurants are newly awarded Two MICHELIN Stars

The three new Two MICHELIN Star restaurants see one return, one addition and one promotion within the Guide. The reopening of The Ledbury came as a relief to many, as Brett Graham’s restaurant has been one of the capital’s most loved for many years. Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal goes straight into the Guide with Two MICHELIN Stars, thanks to the exceptionally accomplished cooking of this most talented of chefs. And in Ireland, the outstanding Turkish cuisine of Ahmet Dede and his team at dede have made it a true destination restaurant.

In total, the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2023 recommends 25 Two MICHELIN Star restaurants. This year’s selection also sees all 8 Three MICHELIN Star restaurants maintain their award.

20 restaurants are newly awarded One MICHELIN Star

It’s a good year for Devon with 2 new MICHELIN Stars. Gidleigh Park is now back on the radar for food lovers, with its modern dishes contrasting with the striking Edwardian surroundings. Àclèaf in Plymouth offers classically based cooking within the impressive Boringdon Hall hotel.

In Cheltenham, Lumière shows how hard work can pay off – for over 14 years the inspectors have witnessed the cooking maturing and are so pleased to be able to now give it a MICHELIN Star. Similarly, in Cambridge at Restaurant Twenty-Two, the team, who have been working together since 2018, have simply been getting better and better and have now been rewarded with a MICHELIN Star.

The Tudor Pass in Egham, Surrey achieves a MICHELIN Star for its elegant cuisine that makes good use of produce from the hotel’s garden. Grace & Savour in the West Midlands is another restaurant within a hotel and its Nordic influences are there to see in the surprise menu. A MICHELIN Star for Ben Wilkinson at The Pass shows that his move from the Lake District to Horsham has been a wholly successful one for all concerned.

One of the smallest restaurants to receive a MICHELIN Star this year is Store in Norfolk. There are just 5 tables available for their terrific multi-course set menu.

Cumbria’s bumper year sees a MICHELIN Star for The Samling, where the cooking is now more than a match for the spectacular views. heft occupies a 17C inn, lovingly restored by Kevin and Nicola Tickle, and provides the ideal backdrop for the imaginative cooking. Pentonbridge Inn is an 18C inn where the hard work of all involved sees it gain a MICHELIN Star.

In Lancashire, chef Tim Allen achieves a MICHELIN Star for his first solo restaurant – appropriately named sō–lō, while in Newcastle, another experienced chef achieves a MICHELIN Star for his restaurant SOLSTICE BY KENNY ATKINSON.

In London, a fascinating variety of restaurants have been awarded One MICHELIN Star. ‘Delicious’ is the only word to describe the Italian cooking at Luca. Takuya Watanabe has swapped Paris for London – his counter restaurant, Taku, is another sign of the maturing of the capital’s Japanese restaurant scene. A cool and contemporary environment is on offer at Cycene in Shoreditch, where the chefs themselves serve their impressive creations, while St. Barts occupies a very handsome space for its equally elegant cuisine.

Edinburgh now has two more MICHELIN Stars shining brightly. Timberyard has found the ideal chef for its kitchen – the food is restrained yet perfectly balanced and satisfying; while in Leith, the passion and enthusiasm of the two chef-owners at Heron is there to see on the plate.

Over in Cork, Terre is a restaurant at the impressive Castlemartyr Resort, where the chef’s international travels inform his refined and striking dishes.

In total, the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2023 recommends 173 One MICHELIN Star restaurants.

The MICHELIN Green Star highlights the sustainable commitment of 4 more restaurants.

The Green Star was introduced to the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland in January 2021 and highlights restaurants at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practices. Their outstanding eco-friendly commitments are a source of inspiration both for keen foodies and the hospitality industry as a whole. This year, there are four new recipients of the MICHELIN Green Star, bringing the total number to 29: Apricity in London; Crocadon in St Mellion; CULTURE in Falmouth; and Osip in Bruton. While each of these restaurants has its own unique approach and initiatives, they all share a common ambition to put eco-responsibility at the heart of their operation. For example, Crocadon has its own organic farm, market garden and micro-brewery; they focus on soil health and regeneration and even make their own tableware and ceramics. They use natural cleaning products and their fixtures and fittings are made from waste materials that can’t be composted.

Five Special Awards to highlight exceptional professionals and talented teams

For 2023, five special awards were also presented. These highlight exceptional people and remarkable teams who have particularly impressed the MICHELIN Inspectors over the past year.

The 2023 MICHELIN Chef Mentor Award, sponsored by Blancpain, goes to Michael Deane. Michael Deane is never one to stand still, as his group of varied restaurants would testify. Many of the chefs who have passed through his kitchen owe him a debt for the skills, the values and the professionalism that he instilled in them. His name is synonymous with quality restaurants and he is a true figurehead in the industry.

The 2023 MICHELIN Young Chef Award goes to Sarah Hayward, from One MICHELIN Star The Coach in Marlow. From her early days on the Isle of Wight, then rising through the ranks under Tom Kerridge, it has been impossible to ignore Sarah’s meteoric rise. She’s tenacious, determined, modest and a great role model for any chef who dreams of progressing in the industry – she even found time to train for and run the London marathon last year! We first noticed her at the Bull & Bear in Manchester and were delighted when we heard she had been made Head Chef of the Coach, in Marlow, which has maintained its Star in the 2023 guide.

The 2023 MICHELIN Welcome and Service Award is given to Declan Maxwell and his team from Spitalfields restaurant in Dublin. Ireland is known for its warm hospitality and this year’s award goes to someone who upholds and enhances that reputation. Whether a local in for pint, or a visitor coming for a 3-course dinner, Declan makes everyone feel genuinely welcome. His enthusiasm for this small but busy pub is unwavering and contagious.

The 2023 MICHELIN Sommelier Award recipient is Tara Ozols, from So|La restaurant in London. It isn’t just Tara’s expert knowledge of her intriguing all-American wine list, but also her delightful personality and the way she engages with her customers and judges their requirements so well that makes her the worthy recipient of this award.

For the first time in Great Britain and Ireland, the MICHELIN Guide spotlights a remarkable cocktail list, with its 2023 MICHELIN Exceptional Cocktail Award, sponsored by The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. This new award goes to restaurant Park Chinois, in London, and its talented bar team led by Makis Kazakis. A glamorous night out at Park Chinois in Mayfair is not complete without a cocktail or two – and there are two cocktail bars to choose from here, both equally opulent and decorated in a style that echoes 1930s Shanghai. Behind the counters are professional and personable teams who prepare original creations, along with the classics, that are more than a match for the elegant surroundings.