Image courtesy Francie
Here are all of Brooklyn’s Michelin-starred restaurants for 2021
For 2021, the borough has eight Michelin starred spots—including Francie, which joins the list for the first time—and 37 Bib Gourmands
After a rough year for the restaurant industry, 2021’s Michelin ratings come as a beacon of good meals to come. The group’s ratings paused for 2020, but the list has returned for 2021—and Brooklyn showed up in a big way. For 2021, the borough has eight Michelin starred spots and 37 on the Bib Gourmand list.
In all, Brooklyn now has six single-starred restaurants, and two with two out of three stars. The “Bib Gourmand” designation recognizes quality restaurants where patrons can enjoy two courses and a drink or dessert for $40 or less.
Francie, on the corner of Broadway and Bedford in Williamsburg, earned its first coveted Michelin star this year. Named after the protagonist in Betty Smith’s 1943 novel “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” Francie was named a standout out for its excellent New American fare.
“Native New Yorker Chef Chris Cipollone excels at balancing intriguing flavors and textures,” Michelin announced. “His expertise is on display in contemporary pasta dishes, his signature pithivier and the sauces that accompany each course.”
Francie opened just in December—and it was the only restaurant in the borough to join the one-star list this year, along with six Manhattan eateries. The five other one-star restaurants in Brooklyn are: Four Horsemen in Williamsburg, Meadowsweet in Williamsburg, Oxomoco in Greenpoint, Peter Luger Steakhouse in Williamsburg, and The River Cafe in Dumbo.
Only two restaurants in the borough have earned the ultra-prestigious two stars so far: Scandinavian Aska in Williamsburg and New American Blanca in East Williamsburg.
Of the 37 Bib Gourmand designees, 11earned spots for the first time. The new awardees across the borough were Bolero, Chavela’s, For All Things Good, Gentle Perch, Gordo’s Catina, Hanon, Mao Mao, Pierozek, Rangoon, Winner, and Xilonen.
“It was totally unexpected. It’s awesome. Myo [Moe], our chef, and I have been working every day, literally, since we opened. It just gave us a second wind to just keep going and work some more. It’s a fantastic validation,” Randoon co-owner Daniel Bendjy told Bklyner. “Basically we had to open the restaurant four different times in one year. We had a regular opening, a take-out and delivery opening, an outdoor dining opening, then back to indoor dining. It’s constantly changing, so [this] just validates and affirms that all in all we’ve been doing a good job.”
Michelin’s star system was first introduced in 1926, with a single star denoting “a very good restaurant.” The second and third stars were added in 1933, with two stars meaning “excellent cooking that is worth a detour,” and three stars “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.” Any star is hard to come by: Pioneering French chef Paul Bocuse is reported to have once said, “Michelin is the only guide that counts.”
The Michelin announcements come at a great time for going out to eat—the indoor dining capacity limit expands to 75 percent starting today.
