Restaurants keep Michelin stars

The three Norwegian restaurants that won stars in the prestigious Michelin Guide last year have won them again in the guide’s latest edition. Maaemo, the innovative Oslo restaurant that won two stars last year, kept both of them.

Two other Oslo restaurants, Bagatelle and Statholdergaarden, retained their single stars. A fourth Oslo restaurant, Osgarsgate, had won a Michelin star as well but it has since gone out of business.
Espen Holmboe-Bang, chef at Maaemo, told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) he was relieved that both stars were intact. “This confirms that we’re Norway’s best restaurant, so we’re very glad and proud,” Holmoe-Bang told NRK. “The mood in the kitchen is very good at the moment.”
There would be no immediate celebration, though. “No, we have guests coming this evening, so the rest of the day will be used for preparations in the kitchen,” Holmboe-Bang said. The restaurant is usually fully booked for months in advance.
Three other Norwegian restaurants, all in Oslo, won the title Bib Gourmand, including Lille B (the less-formal sister restaurant to Bagatelle), Restaurant Eik and Oro Bar & Grill. That was also unchanged from last year.
Copenhagen remained the “restaurant capital” of the Nordic region, with 15 Michelin stars awarded to 13 restaurants. Geranium and Noma each won two stars. Noma also has topped a British list of the world’s best restaurants, but suffered some bad publicity last week when 63 persons fell ill after eating there and Danish health authorities penalized Noma for poor hygiene in the kitchen.