Germany wins record number of Michelin stars

Germany has increased its tally of top-ranked restaurants in next year's prestigious Michelin guide, unveiled on Wednesday, and has a record number of eateries with star status.

The three stars bestowed on La Belle Epoque restaurant in the northern town of Lübeck-Travemünde for 2013, gives Germany 10 restaurants in the top Michelin category and is ranked only behind France within Europe.

La Belle Epoque chef Kevin Fehling, 35, wowed Michelin guide authors. “He skilfully combines intelligence and maturity in his blending of flavours, while also adding a distinctly personal touch,” they said.

Germany's gourmet cuisine is “extraordinarily varied” with those restaurants chosen offering a wide array of styles from traditional to contemporary, Asian to regional, they added.

A woman head chef features for the first time in Germany among seven new
two-star restaurants – Douce Steiner, together with her husband Udo Weiler,
heads up the kitchen at Hirschen restaurant in Sulzburg, in the south-west of
the country.

In total, Germany now counts its highest ever number of restaurants of either one, two or three star status, numbering 255.