Yesterday Michelin surprised fans and detractors alike by awarding not one but two restaurants a third star in the 2016 Nordic guide. Winners of this ultimate accolade are Maaemo in Oslo and Geranium in Copenhagen. Executive chef and co-owner of Maaemo is Esben Holmboe Bang (b. 1982 in Copenhagen), who opened the restaurant in 2010. Maaemo debuted with two Michelin stars in Michelin's 2012 Main Cities of Europe guide. Geranium was opened in 2007 by chef Rasmus Kofoed (b. 1974), and received its first star in the 2012 Main Cities of Europe guide; a second star followed in 2013.

Another winner is Magnus Nilsson's Fäviken Magasinet in Järpen, Sweden, which enters the guide with 2 Michelin stars. Michelin on Fäviken: "Fäviken Magasinet offers a unique dining experience in the idyllic setting of a remote hunting estate, Cooking here is highly assured, and has its essence in the surrounding land."


The 2016 guide features six two-star restaurants in total, the others being Noma and a|o|c in Copenhagen (Denmark) and Frantzén, Mathias Dahlgren Matsalen and Oaxen Krog in Stockholm (Sweden).

New in the one-star category are:

Denmark

• Kong Hans Kælder in Copenhagen
• Kadeau on the island of Bornholm
• Henne Kirkeby Kro in Henne
• Frederiksminde in Præsto

Norway

• Kontrast in Oslo
• RE-NAA in Stavanger

Sweden

• Sushi Sho in Stockholm
• Upper House in Gothenburg
• Borgholm on the island of Öland
• Daniel Berlin in Skåne Tranås
• PM & Vänner in Växjö

Denmark now has 1 three-star restaurant, 2 two-star restaurants and 19 one-star restaurants; the Finnish total remains at 4 one-star restaurants; Norway has 1 three-star restaurant and 4 one-star restaurants, and Sweden has 4 two-star restaurants and 20 one-star restaurants.

Michelin started publishing a separate guide for the Nordic cities in 2014. The 2014 guide was an extract from the Main Cities of Europe guide, featuring Copenhagen, Helsinki, Oslo, Gothenburg and Stockholm. In the 2015 edition two new cities were added: Aarhus in Denmark and Malmö in Sweden. In the 2016 edition Michelin has yet again broadened their coverage by adding Henne, Praestø and the island of Bornholm in Denmark, Stavanger in Norway, and Järpen, Öland, Skåne Tranås and Växjö in Sweden. This year the guide has also been renamed from Nordic Cities to Nordic guide.

Editor Rebecca Burr (who also edits the UK guide) on the new guide: "This year's guide is particularly exciting because, as well as awarding two new 3 Stars, we have also, for the first time, expanded the reach of our guide outside of the main cities and into the countryside."

The Nordic guide also features 30 Bib Gourmand restaurants with 11 entries for Denmark, 6 entries in Norway, 13 entries for Sweden and 4 for Finland.

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