Closures account for majority of deletions in 2021 Michelin Guide

Amid speculation prior to last night's (25 January) virtual ceremony as to whether Michelin would demote any restaurants still operating in light of the ongoing Coronavirus crisis, it has emerged that six restaurants that remain open have lost stars in this year's Guide.

Jason Atherton's Social Eat House in Soho and Nordic restaurant Aquavit in St James’s both lost the single stars they respectively held; while Marlon Abela’s Japanese restaurant Umu in Mayfair was demoted from two Michelin stars to one.

Outside of the capital, meanwhile, the Red Lion Freehouse in East Chisenbury, The Flitch of Bacon in Little Dunmow and the Black Rat in Winchester also lost the stars they previously held.

Across the UK 14 restaurants were deleted from the Guide having shuttered in the last year.

In London the names included Abela’s two-star Greenhouse restaurant in Mayfair; chef Brett Graham's beloved Notting Hill restaurant The Ledbury in Notting Hill; Alyn Williams at the Westbury; and Simon Rogan’s Roganic in Marylebone.

Josh Eggleton's now permanently closed Pony and Trap gastropub in Chew Manga, Cornwall, which is set to be relaunched later this year as a community interest company​​, was also deleted; as was Nathan Outlaw's flagship, two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Port Isaac, Cornwall, which closed last year​​.

However, the restaurant Outlaw subsequently launched on that site​​ - named Outlaw's New Road - did receive its first star.

Outside of England the deletions also included James Sommerin's eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant in the Welsh coastal town of Penarth, which was forced to shut last year​​ after the landlord told the chef to vacate the premises.

Last night's virtual event to commemorate the launch of the latest edition of the red book saw London restaurants Core by Clare Smyth and Hélène Darroze at The Connaught both awarded three stars​​.

A total of 22 restaurants received new star ratings, with three new two-star restaurants announced and 17 new one-star restaurants recognised.