Chefs celebrate as Michelin stars are dished up early

LONDON'S newest Michelin-starred chefs today told of their delight after being named in the prestigious guide.

The results were due to be released on Wednesday but were leaked on the internet, forcing Michelin bosses to make frantic calls to the chefs. No new three-star restaurants were named but four were elevated to two-star status, including three in London.

Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, which was panned by critics when it opened, was also given the marker "rising three star", signifying the judges' view that it will soon clinch the highest accolade.

There was a "great flurry of activity" on Saturday evening when the list emerged. A source told the Standard: "We were expecting to hear at midnight on Tuesday as the list goes live on the Michelin website, but it all went crazy. The chef jungle drum network moved into action - all the chefs were calling each other, telling each other it had been leaked. It was extraordinary."

Joel Robuchon, voted chef of the century by his peers in 1990, was given two stars for L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Covent Garden which serves Japanese-inspired French cuisine.

Head chef Olivier Limousin said: "It is a dream come true, not only for me but for the whole team, from the commis chef to the director - everyone involved. It is wonderful that the consistently high standards we have been trying to achieve have been rewarded, and that the concepts have worked in a city like London and that the English like this type of food." Other two-star winners were Martin Burge's The Dining Room at Whatley Manor in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, and Claude Bosi's Mayfair restaurant Hibiscus, which lost a star when it moved from Ludlow to London. He said: "To get the second star back in London means an enormous amount both for me and for my staff."

Hélène Darroze picked up a star for her eponymous restaurant at The Connaught. The chef, who has two stars for her Paris restaurant, said: "I have been thrilled with the response from our customers and it is particularly pleasing now to receive this prestigious accolade after just six months of opening. We are all very happy."

There were 26 new one Michelin star restaurants, including the Connaught's former chef Angela Hartnett, who picked up a star for her restaurant Murano. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea, Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, and Michel Roux's the Waterside Inn, also in Bray, all kept their three stars.

Michelin Guide editor Derek Bulmer said: "This was another good year for London. With plenty of new restaurant openings, the capital can boast one of the most varied and diverse restaurant scenes in the world." Michelin is now reviewing security measures.