2021's new Michelin-star restaurants revealed

The UK restaurant industry has had considerably little to celebrate in the past year – but now that has changed.

In the wintry midst of lockdown 3.0, a much-needed twinkle of hope has been supplied by Michelin, which last night announced the restaurants in Great Britain and Ireland that have earned new stars in its 2021 guide.

The Michelin star (yes, named after the tyre company) is bestowed upon places that the guide deems ‘worth a stop’. Two stars means ‘worth a detour’, while a third signifies ‘exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey’. While the verbiage may be tame, the 121-year-old awards are now considered the most coveted restaurant gongs in the world.

Despite reservations over the validity of star allocation in a year that saw restaurants barely able to open, last night’s (postponed and virtual) ceremony was an emotional one, with video-linked tears from many of the winning chefs.

The biggest news of the night was the announcement of not one but two new three-starred spots. Both Hélène Darroze at The Connaught and Core by Clare Smyth were upgraded to three stars, making them just the sixth and seventh restaurants in Great Britain and Ireland to hold such an accolade – and the only two to have women chefs at the helm.

The duo were among plentiful London success stories, as the capital took the lion’s share of the awards. Seven of the 17 restaurants to gain their first star are in the city, with champions including Tom Brown’s Cornerstone and Behind, the new chef’s-table space that opened in Hackney in October 2020. During the ceremony, chef-owner Andy Beynon made the remarkable revelation that he had only been able to trade for a total of 20 days since launching.

Davies and Brook – opened by Daniel Humm at Claridge’s – also earned a star, as did Tom Aikens’s Muse, marking ongoing critical acclaim for the chef’s return to fine dining.

London is also home to the only three spaces to earn a second star. Tom Sellers’s narrative-driven tasting menu at Restaurant Story and Rafael Cagali’s Italian-South American food at Da Terra both warranted the upgrade, as did A Wong, making it the first Chinese restaurant in the country to be awarded two stars.

Elsewhere, Merlin Labron-Johnson’s Osip scooped a star in Bruton, Somerset, while Cail Bruich and Dede earned the only new stars for Scotland and Ireland respectively. Michelin veterans were also recognised for their latest ventures: Tommy Banks’s Roots and Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall, both in Yorkshire, earned a star, as did Outlaw’s New Road, the post-pandemic rebrand of Nathan Outlaw’s celebrated Port Isaac seafood restaurant.

It wasn’t all good news, however, as Michelin also announced five deletions from its guide (excluding those that have been removed due to closure), such as London’s Social Eating House and Aquavit.

This has marked the first year of Green Stars, which celebrate restaurants that are ‘at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practices’. The guide gave out 23 of the accolades, with recipients including Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume in the Lake District, Raymond Blanc’s Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxford and London spots Silo and Petersham Nurseries Café.

The night also saw Michelin reveal a 16-strong crop of new Bib Gourmands, and London triumphed yet again by taking home seven of them. The award for good-value cooking was given to the likes of Borough Market’s Flor, Soho Sri Lankan joint Paradise and Heddon Street residents Mo Diner and Fallow (our restaurant of the year 2020). Peckham Cellars on Queen’s Road also joined its neighbour Kudu with a Bib Gourmand.

If you’re looking for foodie inspiration for your next staycation road trip, this is it. Keep scrolling to see the full list of this year's winners.

Restaurants in the UK and Ireland to Receive Three Michelin Stars in the 2021 Guide:

Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, London

Core by Clare Smyth, London

Restaurants in the UK and Ireland to Receive Two Michelin Stars in the 2021 Guide:

Restaurant Story, London

A Wong, London

Da Terra, London

London Restaurants to Receive Their First Michelin Star in the 2021 Guide:

Muse, London

Behind, London

Cornerstone, London

Davies and Brook, London

Benares, London

Casa Fofó, London

Sola, London

Restaurants in the UK and Ireland to Receive Their First Michelin Star in the 2021 Guide:

Osip, Bruton, Somerset

Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall, Ripon, OxfordDede, Cork, IrelandLatymer, Bagshot, SurreyHide and Fox, Hythe, Kent

Roots, YorkCail Bruich, Glasgow, ScotlandRestaurant Hjem, Hexham, NorthumberlandOutlaw's New Road, Port Isaac, CornwallPea Porridge, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Restaurants in the UK and Ireland to Receive a Green Star in the 2021 Guide:

The Black Swan, Oldstead, North YorkshireAngela's, Margate, KentBelmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire

Coombeshead Farm, Lewannick, Cornwall

Inis Meáin, Inishmaan, Aran Islands, IrelandInver, Strachur, Scotland

Kai, Galway, Ireland

L'Enclume, Lake DistrictLoam, Galway, IrelandNew Yard, Helston, CornwallOxo Tower Brasserie, LondonHenry Robertson at Palé Hall, Llandderfel, Wales

Petersham Nurseries Café, LondonRestaurant Sat Bains, NottinghamRiver Cottage Kitchen, Axminster, Devon

Silo, LondonThe Dining Room at Whatley Manor, Malmesbury, WiltshireThe Small Holding, Kilndown, Kent

Where The Light Gets In, Stockport, ManchesterThe Ethicurean, Bristol Hypha, Chester

Tredwells, London

Restaurants in the UK and Ireland to Receive a Bib Gourmand in the 2021 Guide:

Peckham Cellars, London

Mo Diner, London

Paradise, LondonVolta do Mar, LondonFallow, LondonFlor, LondonLegare, LondonGoldie, Cork, IrelandThe Square, Porthleven, CornwallTable Forty One, Wexford, IrelandSpitalfields, Dublin, IrelandNoto, Edinburgh, ScotlandThe Royal, Hastings, East SussexKentish Hare, Tunbridge Wells, East SussexVolpe Nera, Dublin, IrelandThe Stag and Hounds, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

Service Award:

Noble, Holywood, Northern Ireland

Sommelier Award:

Karine Canevet, Maison Bleue, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Best Young Chef Award:

Kray Treadwell, 670 Grams, Birmingham

Mentor Award:

Ross Lewis, Chapter One, Dublin, Ireland

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