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Cheryl  Queen of Markets's avatar

Bit late to the party but...interesting episode. I'm currently researching places to eat in Tallin. The Fotografiska museum restaurant has a green Michelin star. I've eaten at the one in Stockholm and I loved their ethos. I'd never usually search for places via Michelin but Fotografiska seem genuinely to be sustainable in every way. Do you think the green star is hogwash?

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Vanilla Black's avatar

We don’t use Michelin as a tool either. In my humble opinion the green star is just a way for Michelin to keep up to date. And what are the criteria? How do they check? As usual with Michelin, so many questions.

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Cheryl  Queen of Markets's avatar

Agreed. I ask my own questions. Sometimes the front of house team scurry away and hide. At Fotografiska they were more than happy to answer all my queries.

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Vanilla Black's avatar

Sounds like a decent place

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Felicity Jones's avatar

As a vegetarian I have never found Michelin remotely helpful! Love the shocked responses to northern waitress owning a restaurant, a nice one at that ..

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Vanilla Black's avatar

Agreed, irrelevant.

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Matt Inwood's avatar

Michelin has never not been an intriguing world that seems to upset and delight in equal measure. I can recall quite a few 'results' days/eves that coincided with cookbook shoots with various chefs, and the tension and quiet that would hang in the room, and then a relief and cheer afterwards that was always palpable. Congratulations on getting in!

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Vanilla Black's avatar

It certainly is intriguing, but I wonder how much of it is for the benefit of the restaurant or tyre sales.

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Matt Inwood's avatar

Michelin is the biggest tyre company in the world and I suspect the shareholders all eat well and have a useful little guidebook to direct them around the world!

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Vanilla Black's avatar

Oh of course.

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Missus's avatar

Ha we did the Waterstones thing too.Interestingly our recommendation in the guide came about because the inspector(I asked him) OVERHEARD HEARD SOMEONE TALKING ABOUT the meal they'd had with us whilst they were at a restaurant not too far away, that place happened to have...a Meechelin star...

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Vanilla Black's avatar

Ah, that is interesting. We have a similar story about the AA guide and a Welsh radio show. But that’s for another time.

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Sarah Thorley's avatar

Interesting theory re the Michelin thing and highly believable. I once won a competition at a Michelin recommended (I think or bib gourmand, a long time ago I forgot which one). It was dire!! Chipped plates. Mediocre food and wine. It was nothing special. Would definitely not pay to dine there. Yet I've dine in places that are incredible with no mention. I wonder how the AA rosette scheme differs to the MG if it dies at all?

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Vanilla Black's avatar

Doesn’t suprise me. The AA guide is a story for the future.

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Andy Lynes's avatar

Really interesting episode. I'm convinced the By Association thing is why there hasn't been a Michelin-starred restaurant in Brighton for 50 years. There are several restaurants here operating at a one-star standard that deserve a star. I know a lot of people will say their favourite restaurant deserves a Michelin star, but, being as objective as I can and based on quite a bit of Michelin starred-dining experience, I think I am correct in making that statement. But because they are not owned by an existing Michelin-starred chef or run by a chef who has held a head chef or executive chef position in a Michelin-starred kitchen, they have not been and probably will not be awarded a star. I would be extremely delighted to be proved wrong on the 10 February but time and time again I've expected it to happen and been disappointed. It's the curse of By Association!

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Vanilla Black's avatar

Well, I’m sure a lot of people would argue against this. However, here is an example. Many years ago people were incredibly suprised at a restaurant in a certain garden centre obtaining a star. A garden centre..….. no, how could that be.I was inquisitive. After a quick check it turned out that the chef was previously the food editor for Vogue and their father was, amongst other roles, a rather important tv executive.

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Andy Lynes's avatar

WTF!!

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David's avatar

⭐️

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Paola Bassanese's avatar

It seems that having a Michelin star is more of a burden than anything else, always trying to meet and exceed expectations. You did well getting the recommendation, less pressure!

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Vanilla Black's avatar

You’re dead right, a double edged sword.

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