Four new restaurants have won the coveted accolade of two Michelin stars, as the new UK edition of the famous Guide is published this week.
The 2009 Michelin Guide to Great Britain and Ireland will be available in book stores this Friday.
The results that were due to be announced later this week, but were leaked on the internet.
This year's guide includes four new restaurants elevated to two-star status. The Dining Room at Whatley Manor, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, l'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Claude Bosi's Hibiscus, which had previously lost a star when the restaurant moved from Ludlow to London.
No new three-star restaurants were named this year, but newly-promoted Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester was also tipped for a third star on the 2009 list of 'Rising Stars.'
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck and Michel Roux's the Waterside Inn all kept their three stars.
Twenty-six new one-star restaurants were announced. 'We have never awarded so many stars in a single year before,' editor Derek Bulmer said.
These new stars have been awarded to a variety of establishments from gastro-pubs, country hotels, family-run locals as well as trendy London restaurants.
The 2009 list of 'Rising Stars' also includes three restaurants tipped for their second stars; Tom Aikens, The Ledbury, and Nathan Outlaw.
'This was another good year for London. With plenty of new restaurant openings, the capital can boast one of the most varied and diverse restaurant scenes in the world', Bulmer said.
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