Michelin inspectors are on the road, year round assessing new places to eat to see if they are worthy of recommendation.
In October they added 16 to the famous gastronomic guide for Great Britain and Ireland, including two North London newcomers - Marylebone's Lita restaurant and The Hero pub in Maida Vale.
The Mediterranean bistro, which took over a former Carluccio's in Paddington Street, Marylebone, was an instant hit when it opened in March, and has been busy ever since.
Short for abuelita, Lita celebrates the flavours of southern Europe with open fire cooking and a produce-driven seasonal menu.
Critics praised Irish chef Luke Ahearne (formerly of The Clove Club, Luca, and Corrigan's Mayfair) and his menu, which includes the likes of slow cooked cull yaw, (ewe) celeriac, preserved winter truffle; veal sweetbread, pomme puree, girolles, Tropea onion; and smoked Basque sardines, with ajo blanco and cherries.
The Michelin Guide says: "They don’t shy away from big flavours at Lita. Across the extensive menu of variably sized sharing plates, the chefs make bold choices and pull them off with aplomb.
"Diners are clearly thanking them for it, with the Marylebone premises having been packed since day one. The atmosphere is filled with the best kind of buzz – that of contented diners having a thoroughly good time.
"It only takes a few bites of dishes like the Norfolk quail with nectarines to know that your taste buds are in for a treat."
Meanwhile The Hero saw a major revamp of a pub in Shirland Road, Maida Vale, which reopened in May.
Formerly the Truscott Arms, it's named after Sir John Stuart, who triumphed over the French at Maida in southern Italy, back in 1806, prompting the developers building in the area to call the new neighbourhood Maida Vale.
The ground floor serves "nostalgic British food and cask ales" while elegant upstairs dining room The Grill serves speciality cuts of meat and fish cooked over an open fire.
Pigeon with girolles, leek and Lincolnshire poacher pie and mallard with blackberry are currently on the menu and The Good Food Guide recently named it among Britain's best cosy pubs, while The Telegraph, The Standard, The Times and The Guardian critics praised both the decor and delicious food.
The Michelin Guide says: "Maida Vale residents hit the jackpot when the owners of Notting Hill’s The Pelican and The Bull in Charlbury chose this neighbourhood for the location for their third venture.
"The Hero is like a blueprint for how to sympathetically restore and update a pub, and has been understandably packed since day one. The ground floor offers a great value list of classic pub dishes, from fish pie to sausage and mash. Upstairs is ‘The Grill’, where things are taken up a level with dishes like sweetbreads and lobster gravy."
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