Today Michelin announced the Michelin stars 2016 for Germany. With this new guide Michelin Germany is celebrating 50 years of awarding stars. In the 1966 guide Michelin awarded stars to 66 restaurants for the first time. Two stars were awarded for the first time to seven restaurants in 1974, including Eckart Witzigmann's Tantris in Munich. The 1980 guide featured Germany's first three-star restaurant, Eckart Witzigmann's Aubergine in Munich. The 2016 guide will go on sale on 13 November 2015. 

The Table by Kevin Fehling in Hamburg debuts in the 2016 guide with three Michelin stars. Chef Kevin Fehling, who previously earned three Michelin stars at La Belle Epoque in Travemünde, opened the 20-seat restaurant in August 2015.


Three-star restaurant Amador in Mannheim is no longer featured in the guide, as the restaurant closed in May 2015. Chef Juan Amador is planning to open a new venture. Also no longer included is the above-mentioned La Belle Epoque in Lübeck, which closed after the departure of chef Kevin Fehling.

With these changes the number of three-star restaurants in Germany drops from 11 to 10, which still is the second-highest number of three-star restaurants in Europe after France. Germany's three-star restaurants are: La Vie in Osnabrück, Bareiss in Baiersbronn, Schwarzwaldstube in Baiersbronn, Aqua in Wolfsburg, Vendôme in Bergisch-Gladbach, Waldhotel Sonnora in Wittlich, Schloss Berg in Perl, Restaurant Überfahrt in Rottach-Egern, and Gästehaus Erfort in Saarbrücken.

In the 2016 guide four restaurants have gained a second star: Horváth in Berlin, Restaurant Lafleur in Frankfurt, Atelier in Munich and Schanz Restaurant in Piesport (Mosel). Le Noir Gourmet in Saarbrücken has lost its second star. Two restaurants that are no longer included in the guide are Gourmetrestaurant Lerbach and La Mer in Sylt; both restaurants closed in 2015.

The number of two-star restaurants in Germany now stands at 39, a number that has only seen a small rise in recent years, particularly considering the huge jump the number made from 2011 (23) to 2013 (36).

Last but not least, 26 restaurants have been awarded their first star in the 2016 guide, with no fewer than 5 new one-stars in Berlin. Among the winners are:

• Berlin: KochZIMMER, Bandol sur Mer, Bieberbau, Markus Semmler, Nobelhart & Schmutzig and Richard
• Frankfurt: Gustav, Restaurant Villa Merton, Seven Swans
• Hamburg: TrüffelSchwein
• Cologne: Ox und Klee

Fifteen restaurants have lost their star in the new guide. The 2016 guide will feature 241 one-star restaurants in total (233 in 2015). Longest holder of a Michelin star (since 1966) in Germany is restaurant Adler in Häusern (Black Forest).

The Bib Gourmand results for Germany were announced earlier this week. The 2016 guide features 471 restaurants with the Bib Gourmand accolade (3 course meal for €37), with 50 new entries, which is a small drop compared to last year's number of 474. Among the new entries in Germany's main cities are: Restaurant Stüffel and Trific in Hamburg, Basilicum and Metzger & Marie in Cologne, and Le Cézanne in Munich.

A full list of Michelin stars and Bib Gourmands can be found here Germany2016stars - Germany2016bib.