Michelin awards four new stars in London
Heston Blumenthal and Jason Atherton were among the chefs celebrating the 2012 Michelin guide to Great Britain and Ireland, which saw the capital gain four new one-star-rated restaurants but no new two or three stars.
Heston Blumenthal's Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, where Ashley Palmer-Watts is in charge of the kitchen, and Atherton's Pollen Street Social were joined by Hakkasan in Mayfair and North Road in Clerkenwell as the new one-star kids on the block.
Palmer-Watts, executive chef at Dinner, said: "We are absolutely over the moon. It's testament to everyone's hard work in all areas of the restaurant. We're very proud but now we've got to crack on, get our heads down and just do what we do again. It's an interesting start to a service!"
On setting his sights on more stars, he added: "We just set out to deliver what we wanted to deliver and whatever comes off the back of that comes along. We've a long way to go and who knows what will happen in the next couple of years."
On regaining his Michelin-star-status, Atherton said: "I am so thrilled and happy to be once again be a Michelin-starred chef. I now want to work really hard to maintain and go further with our service and cuisine. We have lots of new and exciting changes at Pollen Street Social and I want to show our customers that we can only get better."
Bad news though for Pied à Terre, which lost its second star, taking it down to one star following the departure of Shane Osborn in May and Richmond's Bingham hotel which lost its only star.
Pied à Terre's owner David Moore said: "You can never count your chickens with Michelin regardless of the restaurant's heritage."
But he added that this would provide a great opportunity for new head chef Marcus Eaves to experiment and establish his own style and stars. "The same thing happened when Shane took over from Tom Aikens. But this will give Marcus the creative freedom to build his own style and when he does get his two stars, there can be no sniping that they were Shane's stars."
Samantha Trinder, owner of the Bingham hotel, said: "We will take this in our stride; the restaurant was busy and successful before we were awarded the star and continues to be so. The food quality and consistency have been maintained, and developed, as executive chef Shay Cooper has driven himself and his team to deliver exceptional food and service. Our guests, and reviewers, tell us is it even better than it was before.
"Michelin has always been enthusiastic and positive about the restaurant, so we are surprised at this change of classification. We have faith in what we do and hope this will be recognised again in the future."
New one stars:
North Road, Clerkenwell
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park)
Hakkasan Mayfair
Pollen Street Social, Mayfair
Deletions:
Two stars to one star: Pied à Terre, Fitzrovia
One star to no stars: Tom Aikens, Chelsea Kensington
Bingham Restaurant at Bingham the Hotel, Richmond
New Bib Gourmands:
London Sushi Say, Willesden
Azou, Hammersmith
Fox & Grapes, Wimbledon
José, Bermondsey
Brawn, Bethnal Green
St John Bread and Wine, Spitalfields
Triphal, Southfields
Kateh, Bayswater & Maida Vale
Trishna, Regent's Park & Marylebone
Barrafina, Soho
Koya, Soho
da Polpo, Strand & Covent Garden
Opera Tavern, Strand & Covent Garden