Hot off the press (or should that be out of the oven?) are this year’s Michelin Guide star ratings. If you’re in search of a fancy-pants dinner (er, always), don’t book anything until you’ve had a peek at our round-up showing where the stars are rising and falling in our local counties for 2019. Sadly, Herts wasn’t in luck this year (*humph*)  but don’t despair, these restaurants are worth travelling to, believe you me.

Basically it’s the Tom ‘n’ Heston show around these parts, with Kerridge’s The Hand & Flowers and The Coach in Marlow both featuring (a new star for the latter) and Blumenthal’s Bray hotspots The Fat Duck retaining its three stars and The Hinds Head keeping its one. Cambridgeshire and Norfolk are showing a bit of Michelin girth this year. Meanwhile, The Sir Charles Napier near Chinnor, The Wild Rabbit in the Cotswolds, plus Lords Of The Manor and 5 North St, both in Glos, have sadly all lost their stars. There’s always next year, chaps!

STARS IN THEIR EYES FOR…

3 stars

The Fat Duck, Bray, Berks

The Waterside Inn, Bray, Berks

2 stars

Midsummer House, Cambridge

The Hand & Flowers, Marlow, Bucks

Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Great Milton, Oxon

1 star

Morston Hall, Holt, Norfolk

The Neptune, Old Hunstanton, Norfolk

Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham, Glos (down from 2 stars)

The Coach, Marlow, Bucks (NEW ENTRY)

Nut Tree, Murcott, Oxon

Coworth Park, Ascot, Berks (NEW ENTRY)

L’Ortolan, Reading (see my review here)

Oxford Kitchen, Oxford (NEW ENTRY)

The Crown, Maidenhead, Berks

The Hinds Head, Bray, Berks (see my review here)

The Woodspeen, Newbury, Berks

The Blackbird, Newbury, Berks

Have a gander at the full list of Michelin stars for 2019. PS – If you’re seeking for a more low-key, laid-back or frankly less spendy dinner, don’t forget we also review a ridiculous number of brilliant pubs, cafes and restaurants on a weekly basis – look HERE!