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| Crubeen trotters at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud. Ireland's only two-star Michelin. |
Have you ever heard of Michelin stars? I am sure you did. I am talking about the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant reference guide: The famous Michelin guide or "Red Guide" as most people like to call it. The Michelin guide has been published for more than one hundred years and awards Michelin stars for the excellent quality of few selected establisments.
- One star: "A very good restaurant in its category" (Une très bonne table dans sa catégorie)
- Two stars: "Excellent cooking, worth a detour" (Table excellente, mérite un détour)
- Three stars: "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey" (Une des meilleures tables,vaut le voyage)
This week I was reminded of the importance of this guide because I had a look at the 2014 version. I was trying to spot the best restaurants in Ireland and I was surprised with the results, to say the least. Unfortunately we don't have plenty of choice on this matter. Only nine restaurants awarded, only one two stars. But then again, I decided to investigate a bit more about this "sistem of stars". You should know that the acquisition or loss of a star affects dramatically the future of the restaurant in question. Needless to say that the Michelin guide has a vital role in the lives of many chefs on top of their game. Not only professionally speaking, after all, most of them don't have a life outside the kitchen. Do you think I am exaggerating, don't you? No, I am not.
I was really curious to discover how Michelin, a company that was supposed to sell tyres, started ruling the gastronomic world. It's quite fascinating how it all started. The first edition was published in 1900 by André and Édouard Michelin. At that time, it was just a simple guide for French drivers. It was given away for free by Michelin to boost the demand for cars, and of course, car tyres. It's content was mainly useful information for drivers including maps, list of car mechanics, restaurants on the road, hotels and petrol stations. No one would imagine what this humble first guide would become one hundred years later.
The truth is, this guide has always been object of controversy. Many chefs today decline to play the "Michelin stars game". In Britain, everybody remembers when celebrity chef Marco Pierre White, the youngest chef ever to have been awarded three stars, said that he was giving back his stars.
On the other hand, there are chefs who put themselves in such an extraordinary amount of pressure to be awarded one star or keep the ones that they already have. The most tragic example was French chef Bernard Loiseau. In 2003 he decided to kill himself because he could not cope with the possibility of his restaurant losing it's 3 stars status. It was just rumours on the newspapers and his death was in vain because his restaurant kept it's 3 stars at that year. This is the Michelin madness.
Polemics apart, I still believe that it's a good reference guide, but let's not forget that the best guide is your own curiosity. Be brave, choose a place, eat, and then you will learn by yourself.
For those who are curious about the nine Michelin star awarded restaurants in Ireland this year, I have to warn you again: we don't have three stars, but if you want to get a previous taste before booking your reservation, it's worth a visit on the websites below:
2 Stars:
1 Star:
Ardmore - House (Cliff House Hotel)
Dublin - Thornton’s (The Fitzwilliam Hotel)
Dublin - Chapter One
Dublin - L’Ecrivain
Galway - Aniar
Kilkenny - Campagne
Malahide - bon appétit
Thomastown - Lady Helen (Mount Juliet Hotel)
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