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Cooked three stars for the first time: Edip Sigl for the restaurant “Ess:enz” in Upper Bavaria

Photo: Marcus Brandt/dpa

In Hamburg, the new Michelin stars have been awarded to outstanding restaurants. And although the catering industry is also struggling with a shortage of skilled workers, rising purchasing prices, inflation and higher energy costs, there are more star restaurants in Germany than ever before. This year, a total of 340 establishments have been awarded at least one star from the “Guide Michelin” gourmet guide. This emerges from the 468-page restaurant guide, which was presented in the evening in Hamburg and is due to be published at the beginning of May.

The number of outstanding restaurants also surprised the director of the Michelin Guide for Germany and Switzerland, Ralf Flinkenflugel. »We ourselves are amazed at the new record. There have never been so many stars in Germany - especially considering the situation.

In 2024, ten restaurants will be able to receive the highest Michelin award and receive three stars. New to the star Olympus is the Upper Bavarian restaurant “Ess:enz” by Edip Sigl in Grassau, which was awarded two stars just two years ago and now already has the third star in its pocket. »A really great achievement. “What stands out here is the absolute top quality of the products and Mr. Sigl’s very personal style,” said the inspectors.

Sigl was very happy about the award on stage. "Incredible. I thought it couldn't be any more within three years. “I’m extremely happy,” said the star chef after the award. His children already have blue fingers because they have been keeping their fingers crossed for weeks. "A dream came true."

The nine other three-star restaurants can be found in Berlin (“Rutz”), Baden-Württemberg (“Bareiss” and “Schwarzwaldstube” in Baiersbronn), Bavaria (“Jan” in Munich), Hamburg (“The Table”), Lower Saxony (“Aqua” in Wolfsburg), Rhineland-Palatinate (“Waldhotel Sonnora” in Dreis, “Schanz. Restaurant” in Piesport) and Saarland (“Victor’s Fine Dining by Christian Bau” in Perl).

The inspection team also rated 50 restaurants with two stars. Three of these are new, namely the “Komu” in Munich, the “Pur” in Berchtesgaden (Bavaria) and the “Seo Küchenhandwerk” in Langenargen (Baden-Württemberg). In addition, 280 top kitchens with one star – 32 of them new – are now in the “Guide Michelin Germany 2024”.

Also awarded green stars for sustainability

In Germany, around two dozen testers work anonymously. The awarding of the coveted stars is based on a uniform rating system - regardless of the country. The criteria include the quality of the products, a personal touch, the price-performance ratio and consistent quality over the long term.

Ten years ago there were only 274 restaurants with one, two or three stars in Germany, said Flinkenflugel. Since then, the German culinary elite has moved a lot. Things are looser, more casual and more fun in the top restaurants. "It's no longer as stiff as it was 20 or 30 years ago." At the same time, the quality has increased. “The criteria haven’t changed – German cuisine is getting better and better,” said Flinkenflugel. “We could also show a little more pride to the outside world about what has developed here over the past ten to 15 years.”

There are also noticeable changes in terms of sustainability. More and more kitchens are taking up customers' wishes for environmentally conscious behavior. They cook seasonally, regionally, use meat and fish from species-appropriate husbandry and avoid waste. 77 restaurants can now call a Green Star their own – ten more than in 2023.

The little red travel guide “Guide Michelin” was intended to encourage more drivers to travel more than 100 years ago. The founders of the French tire company Michelin wanted to use this to boost their sales. The travel guide, first published in 1910, initially contained maps and tips for drivers on refueling, changing tires, eating and staying overnight. The first stars for fine dining were finally awarded in 1926. The first Michelin stars were awarded in Germany in 1966.

czl/dpa