The MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2023 presents 20 new Bib Gourmand awards to restaurants offering great quality, great value cuisine
Prior to the announcement of its MICHELIN Stars at the MICHELIN Guide Ceremony on Monday 27th March, the MICHELIN Guide is pleased to present the 20 restaurants which have been newly awarded a Bib Gourmand in its 2023 selection.
Created in 1997, the Bib Gourmand award highlights restaurants within the MICHELIN Guide selection that stand out for their good quality, good value cooking. Bib Gourmand restaurants are much followed by those readers of the Guide who are seeking affordable meals out but don’t want to compromise on quality.
The 20 new awards are spread throughout Great Britain & Ireland, with the South West leading the way when it comes to the number of new awards. Several pubs and brasseries feature in the selection, and there’s great representation when it comes to Mediterranean, European and Asian cuisines. Small plates and the concept of shared dining is also a particularly common theme.
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides commented: “With 20 new Bib Gourmand restaurants joining the 2023 edition of the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland, our inspectors have spotlighted establishments that stand out for their fine and generous cooking across a diverse range of styles; places that really deserve to be known by gourmets looking for their good quality, good value cooking. As chefs in Great Britain & Ireland face rising day-to-day costs – from the raw ingredients they purchase to the energy they use to keep their kitchens and restaurants running – it is heartening to see many of them also finding inventive ways to create affordable menus and keep costs down for their guests, while still offering creative and exciting culinary experiences.”
In the South West, Bristol stands out for having three new Bib Gourmand awarded restaurants. Marmo is promoted to a Bib Gourmand, while the Blaise Inn and COR join the selection. Mediterranean vibes come courtesy of Marmo – an on-trend osteria-cum-wine-bar offering Italian dishes, accompanied by organic and biodynamic wines – and COR, which positions itself somewhere between a tapas bar and a buzzy restaurant. The Blaise Inn, meanwhile, is a traditional village pub, serving British classics with a modern twist.
Somerset sees three new awards, with all three restaurants featuring in the Guide for the first time: The Chequers in Bath, the Queen of Cups in Glastonbury and Root Wells in Wells. Set amid smart Georgian terraces, The Chequers offers a choice of traditional pub dishes or more elaborate plates with international flavours, while former pub the Queen of Cups now houses a deliciously different restaurant serving colourful Mediterranean and Middle Eastern small plates. Root Wells also offers small plates – but this time vegetarian-led – as well as lovely views over the Cathedral.
Still in the South West, this time in Devon, are two more new additions: Emilia in Ashburton and The Galley in Topsham. The name ‘Emilia’ refers to the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, which provides the influences at this classic osteria set within a former bank. The Galley provides a similarly cheery, welcoming feel – and it’s cosy, rustic interior and appealing menu are the perfect fit for this delightful town.
Further along the coast in the South East, Flint House in Brighton is promoted to become East Sussex’s newest Bib Gourmand restaurant. Appealing small plates with a European accent are served in a buzzy brasserie atmosphere, and the cocktail bar even comes with a terrace.
London sees one promotion – Hām – and three new additions: Evernight, Plaza Khao Gaeng and The Pelican; all of which bring great diversity to the selection. Welcoming neighbourhood restaurant Hām serves assured yet unfussy Mediterranean dishes, as well as brunch until the early afternoon, while Evernight is a trendy take on an izakaya, where British produce is married with Japanese refinement. Plaza Khao Gaeng is set within the Arcade Food Hall and comes with a buzzy, vintage vibe; here the chef grows many of the Southeast Asian ingredients in a tropical greenhouse in Dorset, then turns them into punchy Southern Thai curries. The Pelican, meanwhile, keeps things more traditional: this big Victorian former boozer serves up satisfying pub food with a British heart.
Moving up to the East Midlands, two new Bib Gourmands have been awarded. The Six Bells in Witham on the Hill in Lincolnshire has been promoted, while Kushi-Ya in Nottingham, joins the selection. Continuing further up the country to the North West, The Spärrows in Manchester has also been added to the Guide. The Six Bells is a bright, characterful spot which offers sophisticated dishes on its main menu, along with freshly cooked rotisserie chicken and pizzas from the wood-burning oven. Moving further afield, Kushi-Ya specialises in Japanese kushiyaki skewers cooked over a charcoal grill, while Eastern Europe is the focus at The Spärrows, with Poland and Russia leading the way.
Wales’ new Bib Gourmand comes in the form of Yr Hen Printworks in Cardigan – another new addition to the Guide. A stone-built chapel and later, a printworks, it’s been lovingly restored and now houses this modern restaurant. Small plates are the order of the day and some of the meats come from their family farm; smoking and pickling are also a feature.
Ireland also sees three new awards. In Belfast, Northern Ireland, EDŌ has been promoted, while Waterman features for the first time. In the Republic of Ireland Saint Francis Provisions also joins the Guide. A modish bistro in the heart of the city, EDŌ comes with a faux-industrial look and an international sharing menu, with many dishes cooked over wood. A bistro vibe is also found at Waterman, where unfussy modern dishes feature European flavours and Italy takes the lead. At the opposite end of the scale, the diminutive Saint Francis Provisions seats just 13; this endearing restaurant serves punchy, daily changing Mediterranean small plates, accompanied by all-natural wines.
The list of new restaurants awarded a Bib Gourmand is available in the attached PDF and can also be found in the magazine section of the MICHELIN Guide website and mobile app. The full online listings for the 2023 Bib Gourmand awarded restaurants will be updated in the evening of 27th March, following the Great Britain & Ireland 2023 MICHELIN Guide Ceremony, when all of the new MICHELIN Stars, Green Stars and Special Awards will be announced.
