One of the most highly-anticipated moments in the world of gastronomy unfolded in Italy today, with the presentation of the 66th edition of the Michelin Guide Italy during an event live-streamed from Milan. In what has been an 'annus horribilis' for the hospitality industry in general, in which the coronavirus pandemic has blocked or slowed down many activities, there was still some surprises and emotional highs during the online event.
"Never more than this year, do we want to be close to chefs and dining room staff. To celebrate them we chose a particular event: a state, not a place," said Marco Do, Michelin Italia's director of communication. "Italy has moved on and restaurants have somehow struggled."
"The protagonists are the chefs, but also the inspectors, who work anonymously and are employees of the Michelin Guide," he said. "By trying restaurants, inspectors also realise the passion and stories from which dishes and restaurants are born. Passions from which the Michelin Guide special awards are born."
Among the news of the 2021 edition of the Michelin Guide Italy, was the debut of a new symbol, the Michelin green clover, already introduced in France and the Nordic countries in 2020, which rewards the sustainability of restaurants and attention to the environment, regardless of the stars. It's a kind of parallel classification, which gives recognition to the restaurants (not necessarily Michelin-starred) that have distinguished themselves for their commitment to greenness.
Michelin Guide Italy 2021 in Numbers
The 2021 Edition of the Michelin Guide includes more than 2000 restaurants and 252 Bib Gourmands (including 11 new entries).
Unfortunately 20 restaurants lost stars, but 26 new Michelin-star entries are included in this 2021 edition.
Tuscany is the region with the most Michelin stars. There are also 14 under 34s and 4 under 30s in the 2021 Michelin Guide.
The Michelin 2021 guide includes 371 stars (previously 374) of which:
11 three-star restaurants (no new)
37 two-star restaurants (three new)
323 restaurants one star (23 new)
Three-Michelin-Star Restaurants 2021
The three-Michelin-star restaurants in Italy remain at 11, with no new stars reported in the 2021 guide.
Michelin Guide Italy 2021: See the new stars
One Star
Don Alfonso 1890 San Barbato
Relais Blu, Massa Lubrensa
Lorelei, Sorrento
Osteria del Povero Diavolo, Torriana
Zia, Antonio Ziantoni, Rome
Essenza, Terracina
Nove, Alassio
Impronta d’acqua, Ivan Maniago, Cavi di Lavagna
Kitchen, Andrea Casali, Como
Aalto, Takeshi Iwai, Milan
Borgo Sant’Anna, Monforte d’Alba (Cuneo)
Piano 35, Turin
Casa Sgarra, Trani
Poggio Rosso, Castelnuovo Berardenga (Sienna)
Gabbiano 3.0, Marina di Grosseto
Franco Mare, Marina di Pietrasanta (Lucca)
Sala dei Grappoli, Poggio alle Mura (Sienna)
Linfa, San Gimignano (Sienna) Peter Brunel, Arco (Trento)
Prezioso, Merano (Bolzano)
Senso Alfio Ghezzi, Rovereto (Trento)
Vecchio Ristoro, Aosta
SanBrite, Cortina d’Ampezzo (Belluno)
La Cru, Romagnano (Verona)
Amistà, San Pietro in Cariano (Verona)
Re Santi e Leoni, Nola (Naples)
Two Stars
Matteo Metullio, Harry’s Piccolo, Trieste
Rocco De Santis, Santa Elisabetta, Florence Davide Oldani, D’O, Milan
The new green stars in the Michelin Guide Italy 2021: the sustainability award
The new sustainability award, the 2021 green stars (introduced in the Michelin Guide with a new symbol similar to a 'green clover'), were introduced by Olympic swimmer Federica Pellegrini, an athlete attentive to environmental issues, chosen as an ambassador by Michelin.
"We are really pleased to introduce the Michelin green star, which rewards sustainable gastronomy initiatives. We are witnessing new challenges for the industry, which is striving to improve its business. Often these actions combine genuineness and basic knowledge with the genius of chefs. The Michelin Guide wants to be a sounding board for chefs who have decided to invest in a sustainable approach, to offer the best to their customers, with their initiatives: the way they source, the management of waste and menus are some of the parameters evaluated in the field by the inspectors," said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of Michelin Guide.
Mariangela Susigan, Gardenia, Caluso (To)
Alfonso e Ernesto Iaccarino, Don Alfonso 1890, Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi (Naples)
Massimo Bottura, Osteria Francescana, Modena
Caterina Ceraudo, Dattilo, Strongoli (Crotone)
Piergiorgio Siviero, Lazzaro 1915, Pontelongo (Padova)
Antonello Sardi, Virtuoso Gourmet - Tenuta Le Tre Virtù
Pietro Leemann, Joia, Milano
Davide Oldani, D’O, Cornaredo (Milan)
Fabrizio Caponi, I-Ciocio Osteria
Igor Macchia, Casa Format, Orbassano (Turin)
Norbert Niederkofler, St. Hubertus, S. Cassiano in Alta Badia (Bolzano)
Franco Malinverno, Caffè La Crepa, Isola Dovarese
Roberto Tonola, Lanterna Verde
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