Michelin New York 2009 Ratings

Note: Click here for the 2010 Michelin Ratings.

The 2009 Michelin restaurant ratings for New York were announced this morning, with an early sneak peak available from Eater. (See also: press release.)

Obvious winners are Masa (promoted to three stars); Gilt (promoted to two); and both Adour and Momofuku Ko (awarded two right out of the gate). Four restaurants got one star in their first year of consideration: Allen & Delancey, Eighty One, Insieme, and Kyo Ya. The latter restaurant was ignored by most critics, including Frank Bruni, but the Michelin folks found it somehow.

The other promotions to one star were Alto (which got a new chef) and Public. We’ve never been impressed at Public, and we’re not aware of any intervening event that would have justified a re-evaluation. Fiamma re-gained the star it formerly had, which was taken away last year after a chef change.

Restaurants losing their stars include: A Voce (departed chef), Babbo (no obvious reason), Bouley (relocating), Café Gray (closed), Country (closed), Danube (closed), Dévi (no obvious reason), Kurumazushi (no obvious reason) and Vong (long overdue).

Eleven Madison Park remains the most obviously star-worthy restaurant that does not have one. Jewel Bako remains the most obvious candidate for demotion, but the Michelin inspectors seem to like it.

The full four-year history of the NYC Michelin ratings is presented below. Promotions are shown in green, demotions in red, ineligible restaurants (closed or opened too late in the year) in gray. A demoted restaurant that still has a star is shown in yellow (that has only happened once).

Restaurant	2006	2007	2008	2009
Adour				**
Alain Ducasse	***
Allen & Delancey				*
Alto				*
Annisa	*	*	*	*
Anthos			*	*
Aureole	*	*	*	*
A Voce		*	*
Babbo	*	*	*
BLT Fish	*
Blue Hill			*	*
Bouley	**	**	**
Café Boulud	*	*	*	*
Café Gray	*	*	*
Country		*	*
Craft	*	*
Cru	*	*	*	*
Daniel	**	**	**	**
Danube	**	*	*
Del Posto		**	**	**
Dévi		*	*
Dressler			*	*
Eighty One				*
Etats-Unis	*	*	*	*
Fiamma (Osteria)	*	*		*
Fleur de Sel	*	*	*	*
Gilt			*	**
Gotham Bar & Grill	*	*	*	*
Gordon Ramsay			**	**
Gramercy Tavern	*	*	*	*
Insieme				*
Jean Georges	***	***	***	***
Jewel Bako	*	*	*	*
JoJo	*		*	*
Kyo Ya				*
Kurumazushi		*	*
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon			*	*
La Goulue	*	*
Le Bernardin	***	***	***	***
Lever House	*	*
Lo Scalco	*
March	*
Masa	**	**	**	***
Modern, The	*	*	*	*
Momofuku Ko				**
Nobu	*
Oceana	*	*	*	*
Perry St.		*	*	*
Per Se	***	***	***	***
Peter Luger	*	*	*	*
Picholine	*	*	**	**
Public				*
Saul	*	*	*	*
Scalini Fedeli	*
Spotted Pig	*	*	*	*
Sushi of Gari		*	*	*
Veritas	*	*	*	*
Vong	*	*	*
Wallsé	*	*	*	*
WD~50	*	*	*	*

Comments

[Jon]

So only once has a restaurant gone from 3 stars to 2, or from 2 to 1? Wow...

[Marc Shepherd]

I suppose there are two reasons for that. The Michelin folks put a lot more scrutiny into the two and three-star places, so it's a status that is less likely to be awarded in borderline cases. Also, those places tend to be a lot more sensitive to their Michelin ratings, and place a high priority on maintaining them.

[Michael]

The ommissions of EMP and Aquavit make Michelin look ridiculous, but I am impressed that they had the good sense and nerve to cut Babbo.

[Marc Shepherd]

There is no conceivable list of 42 starred restaurants that wouldn’t have some choices that some people find “ridiculous.” Everyone you ask has their own view about which omission (or which inclusion) invalidates the list. But everyone you ask says something different.