What Does the 2010 Michelin Guide Think of NYC Hotel Restaurants?
We don’t own a car, and we definitely don’t spend much time thinking about tires. But as long-time fans of London’s Bibendum restaurant and follower of the red-coated Michelin restaurant guides, the French tire maker and its well-padded mascot have insinuated themselves into our lives.
We loved John Colapinto’s 2009 New Yorker piece “Lunch with M,” which immortalized the author’s waistline defying meal with a proudly anonymous Michelin inspector at Jean Georges, the Trump International Hotel’s stylish restaurant. Jean Georges landed three stars, the Michelin equivalent of an A + (exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey), in the 2010 guide, the only restaurant in a hotel to do so last year.
How did hotel restaurants do in the newly released 2011 Michelin New York guide?
Forty-three restaurants scored a single star, which translates to “very good for food in its category.” Four are in hotels:
- Adour Alain Ducasse at the St. Regis
- Breslin at the Ace
- Café Boulud at the Surrey
- L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon at the Four Seasons
Of the ten restaurants awarded two stars (excellent cuisine, worth a detour), two are at hotels:
- Gilt at the Palace Hotel
- Gordon Ramsay at The London
And once again, Jean Georges merited three stars, the only hotel restaurant of the five dining establishments awarded a triple.
In addition, Asia de Cuba at Morgans and Fatty Crab, which has a branch at On the Ave, netted a Bib Gourmand nod for restaurants offering good value.
The verdict? It’s hard to argue — there’s not a bad choice in the bunch. And the Breslin‘s chic, damn-the-cholesterol gourmet pub choices upset the overarching predictability of the group (or perhaps not — Spotted Pig, a Breslin cousin with no hotel affiliation, also nabbed a star). We’d have awarded the Standard Grill a Bib Gourmand, but hey, the Standard gets plenty of kudos.
Bon Appetit!
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