They seek them here, they seek them there... Most ambitious Chefs are deadly serious in private when it comes to attaining Michelin stars, although who would go so far as French chef Bernard Loiseau who killed himself over fears of being downgraded? But in public it's a different story, with many professing to be entirely unconcerned over whether their establishment gets the celestial award or not.
Joel Robuchon - the chef with the most Michelin stars in the world, 18, - has been a vocal critic of the guide and its awards: 'As long as Michelin remains stuck in the past, I have no interest in being mentioned in it.'
In particular, critics suggest that the guide is too harsh on London. Marco Pierre White, who was the youngest chef in the UK to win a coveted third star when he was just 33, spoke for many last year when he told Waitrose Food Illustrated: 'I've dined in Michelin-starred places in New York and I'm confused.There are at least 50 restaurants in England as good as the two-star restaurants over there – rather than the paltry 10 that currently hold that number.'
Do you think the stars reflect the quality of the restaurant? Here's the full list of stars awarded to London restaurants to help you decide.
Three stars
Gordon Ramsay
Two stars
Alain Ducasse at The Dorcester
Le Gavroche
Hibiscus
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley
Pied à Terre
The Capital Restaurant
The Square
One star
Ambassade de L’lle
Amaya
Arbutus
Assaggi
Aubergine
Benares
Chez Bruce
Club Gascon
Foliage
Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s
Hakkasan
Hélène Darroze at The Connaught
Kai
La Trompette
L’Autre Pied
Locanda Locatelli
Maze
Murano
Nahm
Nobu
Nobu Berkeley
Quilon
Rasoi
Rhodes Twenty Four
Rhodes W1
Richard Corrigan at Lindsay House
River Café
Roussillon
Semplice
Sketch (The Lecture Room & Library)
St John
The Glasshouse
The Greenhouse
The Ledbury
Tom Aikens
Umu
Wild Honey
Yauatcha
Zafferano
Bib Gourmand (awarded to restaurants offering good food at moderate prices)
Al Duca
Benja
Bradley
Cafe Spice Namaste
Comptoir Gascon
Dehesa
Foxtrot Oscar
Galvin Bistrot de Luxe
Giaconda Dining Room
Great Queen Street
Hereford Road
Kastoori
L'Accento
Malabar
Mango and Silk
Market
Medcalf
Metrogusto
Salt Yard
The Anchor and Hope
The Modern Pantry
The Narrow
Via Condotti
