Three London restaurants added to Michelin

Michelin added three London restaurants to its guide in May, with the new entries covering Soho, Fitzrovia and Covent Garden. The May 20 Michelin update named KHAO BIRD, Cometa and Rucola as the latest additions to the London selection. Time Out London, in a June 1 report, said the three were the only London venues among eight U.K. restaurants added last month. (timeout.com) The additions matter because Michelin’s monthly guide updates are separate from its annual star announcements. (guide.michelin.com) A restaurant does not receive a star simply by entering the guide, but inclusion means Michelin inspectors have selected it for listing and the venue is now part of the guide’s tracked London roster. (guide.michelin.com) Time Out said restaurants must show quality ingredients, mastery of flavor and technique, consistency, and the chef’s personality in the dishes to get in. ### Which three restaurants were added in May? KHAO BIRD in Soho was listed by Michelin as a Thai restaurant and described by Time Out as a northern Thai barbecue spot. Michelin said the restaurant occupies what used to be Soho’s last adult cinema and serves “well-priced” dishes centered on northern Thai barbecue flavors. (guide.michelin.com) Time Out highlighted dishes including raw beef larb, mutton fries and onglet steak with white curry. Cometa in Fitzrovia was listed by Michelin as Mexican and described as having a seafood tilt. Michelin said the restaurant sits in the former wine bar space at Carousel on Charlotte Street and pointed to crab chilpachole rice with smoked eel cream as a standout dish. (timeout.com) Time Out called it a fish-focused Mexican restaurant and listed oysters with fermented petróleo, prawn ceviche and sea bass with mole verde among the menu items. Rucola in Covent Garden was listed by Michelin as Italian Contemporary and is located on the fifth floor of The Conduit private members’ club. Michelin said the restaurant offers a terrace and a menu of Italian classics, while Time Out said the venue is open to non-members and focuses on northern Italian fare. (guide.michelin.com) The reports cited dishes including pici ai gamberi, tomato bucatini, shrimp linguine and spicy vodka paccheri. ### Are these Michelin stars? Michelin’s May 20 article described the venues as “added to the MICHELIN Guide,” not awarded stars. The guide’s London restaurants page lists starred restaurants, Bib Gourmands and other Michelin-selected venues, indicating that guide inclusion and star status are different categories. (guide.michelin.com) Time Out also framed the additions as restaurants entering the guide and said that inclusion puts them in the running for a Michelin star later. ### Why was the May list shorter than earlier months? Time Out said May’s roster was “much shorter” than previous months. Its June 1 report said 10 London restaurants were added in March and eight in April, compared with three in May. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin’s own May update for Great Britain and Ireland said eight restaurants joined the guide across the country that month. ### Where can diners check what Michelin added? Michelin said its latest additions are released monthly and marked with a “New” symbol on the guide website and app. The London restaurants page also carries the broader city selection, including starred restaurants, Bib Gourmands and other listed venues. (guide.michelin.com) As of June 1, KHAO BIRD, Cometa and Rucola were the three London restaurants identified by Michelin and Time Out as May’s new guide entries. (guide.michelin.com) (timeout.com)