Michelin quietly announce Bib Gourmands before official ceremony later this month

Ahead of its official Michelin stars announcement, Michelin has quietly revealed the new restaurants in the UK which have received a Bib Gourmand for 2023.

Twenty new restaurants have joined the ranks, being given the accolade of a Bib Gourmand this year. The heaviest weighting went to the northwest of England, but most of Great Britain and Ireland are represented in one way or another, excluding Scotland.

Three Bristolian restaurants were crowned, with COR among them, one of SquareMeal’s Top 100 restaurants in the UK for 2023. In London, Plaza Khao Gaeng was awarded, alongside Ham, Evernight, and gastropub The Pelican – the two latter of which also featured in our top 100, this time the Top 100 Restaurants in London for 2023. In fact, gastropubs made up a chunk of the award winners, with a definite skew towards upmarket British fare. 

Outside of England, Wales brought it home with Yr Hen Printworks (a restored chapel serving small plates with an emphasis on ferments), while Northern Ireland’s EDO (a modern bistro, according to the guide) and Waterman were amongst the list. Over in the Republic of Ireland Saint Francis Provisions made the cut. Notably, Scotland was not awarded any new Bib Gourmands this year. It is likely that previous entries will retain their ranking, including Glasgow’s Celentano’s, but the official list will be released on the 27 March 2023 along with the announcement of who has won Michelin stars this year.

As all hospitality business face challenging times, the guide celebrated those that were finding ways to serve guests affordable food despite the obstacles. Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides commented: ‘As chefs in Great Britain & Ireland face rising day-to-day costs – from the raw ingredients they purchase to the energy they use to keep their kitchens and restaurants running – it is heartening to see many of them also finding inventive ways to create affordable menus and keep costs down for their guests, while still offering creative and exciting culinary experiences.’

Bib Gourmands were first introduced in 1997 and are said to recognise restaurants that serve high quality food for a fair price. They’ve since become a hallmark of must-visit restaurants up and down the country and include everything from street food cafes through to high end restaurants.

Hungry for more? Here's our guide to what a Michelin Green Star means.