The Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2021 was launched on 25th January. This year, the guide is being published in a digital format only: download the iOS app here.
The last year has been extremely difficult for the hospitality industry, and restaurants have risen to face the many challenges which have come their way. Michelin were therefore delighted to hand out a number of new awards to restaurants in Scotland.
Here’s a round-up of all the new Michelin Stars, Bib Gourmands, Michelin Plates and Green Stars.
One Michelin Star
Cail Bruich, Glasgow
Cail Bruich means ‘to eat well’ and this smart, long-standing restaurant, owned by the Charalambous brothers, certainly lives up to its name. Passionate Head Chef Lorna McNee – who spent 12 years working with the late Andrew Fairlie – has the utmost respect for the quality of her ingredients, which she brings together in perfect harmony. You can watch the wonderful moment Lorna received news of the award here.
Bib Gourmand
Noto, Edinburgh
Following the success of Aizle – and time spent in New York – Stuart Ralston opened this small plates diner in the heart of Edinburgh. Well-conceived dishes display influences which span the globe, with a particular focus on Asia. Three dishes per person are about right; maybe North Sea crab with warm butter and sourdough, and duck sausage roll with plum sauce followed by a luscious Michel Cluizel chocolate and miso dessert.
Michelin Plate
aizle, Edinburgh
aizle sits within the appropriately named Garden Room of the Kimpton Charlotte Square hotel in the heart of the city. The constantly evolving tasting menu comprises pared-back dishes made up of the latest seasonal harvest; perhaps wild halibut with crab and coastal herbs or Inverurie lamb with Roscoff onion and apricot. Carefully paced service adds to the experience.
The Broughton, Edinburgh
A welcoming, contemporary dining pub a few minutes’ walk from Princes Street; drinkers tend to congregate on ground level, with diners in the raised area. Menus are short but appealing, with traditional dishes like chicken liver parfait with brioche, pork belly with mash and sticky toffee pudding given an attractive modern makeover.
Ka Pao, Glasgow
A fun, buzzy basement restaurant where you are greeted by aromas of incense and fish sauce. Vibrant, colourful sharing dishes from South East Asia blend sweet and spicy flavours. They represent great value for money and could include crispy pork skin with roasted green chilli or corn-fed chicken curry with cardamom, cumin and pickled greens.
Number 16, Glasgow
This is a cosy, passionately run restaurant in a narrow former shop. Dishes like rabbit leg and pancetta terrine with pickled kohlrabi or pan-fried fillet of halibut with celeriac and shrimp showcase prime Scottish ingredients and many exhibit subtle modern touches. The wine list provides plenty of interest and, like the cooking, also represents good value.
Kinneuchar Inn, Kilconquhar
Its owners moved from London to bring a modish edge to this charming 17C village pub, which has two cosy fire-lit bar rooms and a contemporary vaulted dining room. The robust, unfussy cooking uses ingredients from the Balcaskie Estate and might include dishes like skate and crab terrine or grilled Texel lamb with courgettes and chickpeas.
Osteria, North Berwick
A smart, family-run restaurant offering honest, flavour-packed, authentically Italian dishes like vegetable risotto, Tuscan sausage with red lentil purée and broccoli, or chocolate and mascarpone tart with coffee ice cream. The set lunch menu is a hit with the locals and service is sweet and endearing.
Pentonbridge Inn, Penton
Set in open countryside close to the Scottish border, this 18C creamwashed inn has been given a modern makeover. The experienced chef has an assured, confident style and uses the best of the local larder in dishes like Cartmel Valley venison with a celeriac & wild mushroom 'pie', and Yorkshire rhubarb and almond tart with stem ginger ice cream.
The Pierhouse, Port Appin
On a summer’s evening there are few better locations: a spot on the terrace affords a wonderful view across to Lismore as the pedestrian ferry chugs back and forth across the loch. Traditional Scottish delicacies and fresh local seafood platters lead the way, with local creel-caught langoustines, lobster and some delicious mussels.
Green Star
This year’s Michelin Guide sees the introduction of the new Michelin ‘Green Star’ distinction which highlights restaurants which are at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practices. For a full list of establishments in Great Britain and Ireland with a Green Star click here.
Inver, Strachur
This former crofter’s cottage and boat store sits in a beautifully isolated spot on the loch shore; its vintage-style restaurant offering concise modern menus led by the finest local and foraged ingredients. Its owners consider sustainability to be the ground on which they’ve built their business, with the people, landscape, plants and animals that guide and shape their menus making up an ecosystem, in which the restaurant is one evolving part.
This year, the guide is being published in a digital format only, both on our website (UK and Republic of Ireland) and via the iOS app.
Quick links to:
All Michelin Bib Gourmands in the UK / Republic of Ireland)
All Michelin Stars in the UK / Republic of Ireland
All Michelin Plates in the UK / Republic of Ireland
