18 restaurants awarded three and four AA rosettes
With all the doom and gloom surrounding the credit crunch, the AA has announced some good news for the restaurant sector, with the most recent additions to the AA Rosette awards.
Due to the exceptional standards found by AA inspectors, 17 restaurants were awarded three AA rosettes and one restaurant achieved the coveted status of four AA rosettes.
The Latymer at Pennyhill Park Hotel won the four AA rosettes for establishing itself as an intimate fine-dining restaurant with a very high level of consistency and innovative and skilful modern cooking underpinned by a classical theme.
The seventeen new three AA Rosette winners are:
- Min Jiang at the Royal Garden Hotel: with breathtaking views over Hyde Park, this striking restaurant serves traditionally prepared dishes from China's gastronomic provinces.
- Hélène Darroze at The Connaught: overseen by one of France's most distinguished chefs, this new restaurant offers French-inspired cuisine in an elegant setting.
- Bingham Restaurant at the Bingham: set in the opulent surroundings of the boutique Bingham hotel, this chic restaurant delivers the best in seasonal British cooking under the direction of executive chef Shay Cooper.
- The Abbey Restaurant: this modern Penzance restaurant, with views across the harbour, offers skilfully prepared classic French cooking underpinned by top quality locally sourced British ingredients.
- Galvin at Windows: chef-patron Chris Galvin oversees this exciting restaurant, which is located on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane and offers confident modern French cooking.
- Albermarle at Brown's Hotel: formerly titled The Grill, this modern and stylish restaurant takes a classic British approach driven by high quality seasonal ingredients.
- Ambassade de L'Ile: this Kensington restaurant will impress diners with its bold interiors and distinctive and inventive dishes rooted in classic French cuisine.
- Roussillon: Situated in Pimlico, this discreet and sophisticated modern French restaurant offers accurate and imaginative cooking, with classical dishes based on luxury seasonal ingredients.
- The Hambrough: the modern European dishes at this stylishly renovated seaside hotel are highly appealing, imaginatively conceived and skilfully cooked, with eye-catching presentation.
- Purnell's: this stylish and modern self-titled affair offers highly imaginative modern European cooking under the direction of chef Glynn Purnell.
- The Crown at Celtic Manor: situated at the Celtic Manor resort in Newport, this newly opened restaurant has a fresh and modern approach to its cuisine, with intense flavours and a strong emphasis on the use of locally sourced ingredients.
- Murano: Gordon Ramsay protégée Angela Hartnett is the chef patron of this newly opened restaurant, which offers fine modern cuisine with an "Italian accent".
- The Pass at South Lodge Hotel: this new restaurant features an innovative take on the chef's table, with 22 covers in the kitchen; the menu is modern British with Mediterranean influences.
- Aubergine at the Compleat Angler: sister restaurant to the renowned Aubergine in Chelsea, this restaurant, set on the banks of the Thames at Marlow, offers modern European cuisine.
- North by North West at Pool House: situated on the shore of Loch Ewe, this stunningly located restaurant provides imaginative Scottish cuisine influenced by a light and natural style of cooking.
- York and Albany: overlooking Regent's Park, this newly opened hotel from Gordon Ramsay Holdings offers a seasonal and uncomplicated menu from head chef Colin Buchan.
- Corrigan's: this relaxed and informal yet stylish restaurant serves rustic, traditional British cuisine with flair from acclaimed Irish chef Richard Corrigan.
AA Hotel Services' group area manager,
Giovanna Grossi said: "It is wonderful to see so many restaurants achieving such high standards. It's particularly exciting to see new ventures such as Hélène Darroze at The Connaught and Corrigan's coming straight in at a three Rosette level while longer-established restaurants such as Purnell's and The Abbey Restaurant have worked hard to make the transition from two to three Rosettes.
"Restaurants serving food of a three Rosette standard are worthy of recognition from well beyond their local area, while four Rosette-awarded restaurants exhibit culinary skills that demand national recognition. I am glad these eighteen very deserving restaurants have been acknowledged for their efforts."
Three Rosettes are awarded to outstanding restaurants that demand recognition well beyond the local area. The highest quality ingredients receive sympathetic treatment, and there is consistent timing, seasoning, and judgement of flavour combinations. You can expect excellent and intelligent service, and a well-chosen wine list.
Four Rosettes highlight cooking that demands national recognition. Dishes demonstrate intense ambition, a passion for excellence, superb technical skills and remarkable consistency. An appreciation of culinary traditions is combined with a desire for exploration and improvement.
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