Empire Empire in Notting Hill (left) and Les 2 Garcons (right) both got a Bib Gourmand this year
In a slightly typical Michelin way, it was revealed early on Sunday morning on X/Twitter that the Bib Gourmands were being announced at some point today without much advance warning. And here they are, without any further fanfare. They do love keeping us on our toes.
The awards are billed as being for slightly more affordable restaurants than your average Michelin fare, serving "good food at moderate prices". So with that in mind, here's who got a shiny new bib this year in London.
Empire Empire (Notting Hill) - Notting Hill outpost of the Gunpowder group "offers the cuisine of Punjab and Northwest India through interesting dishes with a real freshness and vitality."
Les 2 Garcons (Crouch End) - Classic French fare "where well-loved dishes like French onion soup and steak frites are delivered with a wonderful sense of joie de vivre".
As you can see, the list is a little on the thin side this year. For reference, this is half as many as last year's list which itself was down on the year before. And while the two restaurants on the list are very deserving, we'd say the Bibs probably need to broaden their view of the London restaurant scene just a little. Based on this, we'd say not to expect too many new Michelin stars when they're revealed.
Outside of town those enjoying being on the list today included The Bull in Charlbury from the crew behind Notting Hill pub The Pelican. You can read our travel review of that here.
See the full list on UK and Ireland Bib Gourmands here. The main awards are announced at 6pm on 5 February. Read more about the announcement here.
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