Bray: One Tiny English Village with Three Michelin Starred Restaurants

Located in the Royal County of Berkshire, deep in the historic English Home Counties, Bray is a quaint yet little-known food-lovers' Paradise.  Totalling seven Michelin stars, the tiny village of Bray outstrips any other village and indeed most towns and some cities in the UK.  The highest accolade in the restaurant industry (three Michelin stars) has been awarded to both The Fat Duck and the Waterside Inn, and a single star to The Royal Oak.

THe Michelin Guide has been awarding stars to the world's best hotels and restaurants for the past 35 years. It is regarded the highest prize, and complete recognition of the status as one of the best restaurants in the world in which to dine. The Michelin Guide of 2010 awards a total of 140 British restaurants either one, two of three stars, reinforcing Britain's reputation as an un-and-coming gastronomic haven.

The village of Bray is located on the shores of the River Thames, not far from the Queen's official residence, Windsor Castle. London is also close by with accessible transport links.

Bray won the prestigious Britain in Bloom award of "Best Small Village" in 2005. There are several typically English cottages, a beautiful parish church and, if you wish to people-watch, there are many British celebrities living in and around Bray.

There are some lovely country walks all across the county of Berkshire.  Many visitors to the area take advantage of the excellent fishing, shooting and golf opportunities available.

However, the most recent pull towards this village is currently the award-winning food.

The Fat Duck, run by Heston Blumenthal, received the title of the "Best Restaurant in the World" in 2005 by Restaurant magazine, and Best UK Restaurant in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The restaurant is famous for its unusual dishes, which include bacon and egg ice-cream and snail porridge, and uses psychology and perception as well as the quality of the food to enrich the dining experience.  The Fat Duck website opens just one day per year to book all 8,000 tables for the year ahead.

The Waterside Inn is the second of the two three-star restaurants in Bray, and has been so recognised for the past 25 years. It is an exquisite French restaurant run by the famous Roux family. The restaurant also offers a private dining option which is highly exclusive, and deluxe accommodation is also available.

The most recent addition to the Michelin starred restaurants of Bray is the Royal Oak.  This restaurant is in the more informal surroundings of a traditional English country pub, but serves some of the best food available in the country.  It is surprisingly reasonably priced and yet entirely deserving of the award.

If your next holiday is going to be a Gastro-Vacation, then consider Bray amongst your stopovers for the full English, Michelin-star experience.

THREE STARS

LONDON

Gordon Ramsay, Chelsea

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, Mayfair (new)

REST OF ENGLAND

Fat Duck, Bray-on-Thames, Berkshire

The Waterside Inn, Bray-on-Thames, Berkshire

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TWO STARS

LONDON

Pied a Terre, Camden, Bloomsbury

The Ledbury, Kensington (new)

Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, Belgravia

Le Gavroche, Mayfair

Hibiscus, Mayfair

The Square, Mayfair

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Covent Garden

REST OF ENGLAND

Midsummer House, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Gidleigh Park, Chagford, Devon

Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Whatley Manor, Malmesbury, Wiltshire

Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Great Milton, Oxfordshire

SCOTLAND

Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Perth and Kinross

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin

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ONE STAR

LONDON

Chapter One, Farnborough Common, Kent

Hakkasan, Bloomsbury

Club Gascon, City of London

Rhodes Twenty Four, City of London

The Harwood Arms, Fulham (new)

River Cafe, Hammersmith

La Trompette, Chiswick

St John, Clerkenwell

Rasoi, Chelsea

Tom Aikens, Chelsea

Bingham Restaurant (at Bingham Hotel), Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey (new)

The Glasshouse, Kew, Richmond-upon-Thames, Surrey

Chez Bruce, Wandsworth

Amaya, Belgravia

Apsleys (at The Lanesborough Hotel), Belgravia (new)

Nahm (at The Halkin Hotel), Belgravia

Zafferano, Belgravia

Benares, Mayfair

Galvin at Windows (at London Hilton Hotel), Mayfair (new)

The Greenhouse, Mayfair

Helene Darroze at The Connaught, Mayfair

Kai, Mayfair

Maze, Mayfair

Murano, Mayfair

Nobu (at The Metropolitan), Mayfair

Nobu Berkeley St, Mayfair

Semplice, Mayfair

Sketch (The Lecture Room and Library), Mayfair

Tamarind, Mayfair (new)

Umu, Mayfair

Wild Honey, Mayfair

L'Autre Pied, Marylebone

Locanda Locatelli, Marylebone

Rhodes W1(Restaurant) (at the Cumberland), Marylebone

Texture, Marylebone (new)

Arbutus, Soho

Yauatcha, Soho

Quilon, Victoria

Roussillon, Victoria

REST OF ENGLAND

Drakes on the Pond, Abinger Hammer, Surrey

The Samling, Ambleside, Cumbria (new)

Michael Wignall at The Latymer, Bagshot, Surrey

Fischer's at Baslow Hall, Baslow, Derbyshire

The Park (at Lucknam Park Hotel), Colerne, Wiltshire

The Terrace (at Montagu Arms), Beaulieu, Hampshire

The Pipe & Glass Inn, South Dalton, East Yorkshire (new)

The West House, Biddenden, Kent

Fraiche, Birkenhead, Merseyside

Purnell's, Birmingham, West Midlands

Simpsons, Birmingham, West Midlands

Turners, Birmingham, West Midlands

Northcote, Langho, Lancashire

Morston Hall, Morston, Norfolk

The Burlington (at The Devonshire Arms Country House), Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire

Lords of the Manor, Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire

The Royal Oak, Bray-on-Thames, Berkshire (new)

Casamia, Bristol

The Goose, Britwell Salome, Oxfordshire (new)

Manor House Hotel and Golf Club, Castle Combe, Wiltshire

Atlantic, Jersey

Bohemia (at The Club Hotel and Spa), Jersey

Simon Radley at The Chester Grosvenor, Chester, Cheshire

West Stoke House, West Stoke, West Sussex

Apicius, Cranbrook, Kent

Ockenden Manor, Cuckfield, West Sussex

The New Angel, Dartmouth, Devon

Sienna, Dorchester, Dorset (new)

36 on the Quay, Emsworth, Hampshire

Read's, Faversham, Kent

L'Enclume, Cartmel, Cumbria

Harry's Place, Great Gonerby, Lincolnshire

The Star Inn, Harome, North Yorkshire

The Neptune, Hunstanton, Norfolk

Box Tree, Ilkley, West Yorkshire

The Stagg Inn, Titley, Herefordshire

La Becasse, Ludlow, Shropshire

Mr Underhill's at Dinham Weir, Ludlow, Shropshire

The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, Little Bedwyn, Wiltshire

The Hand and Flowers, Marlow, Buckinghamshire

The Nut Tree, Murcott, Oxfordshire

Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

Hambleton Hall, Hambleton, Rutland

The Yorke Arms, Ramsgill-in-Nidderdale, North Yorkshire

JSW, Petersfield, Hampshire

L'Ortolan, Shinfield, Berkshire

Drakes, Ripley, Surrey

Mallory Court, Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

Old Vicarage, Sheffield, South Yorkshire

The Masons Arms, Knowstone, Devon

The Olive Branch and Beech House, Clipsham, Rutland

The Room in the Elephant, Torquay, Devon

Sharrow Bay Country House, Ullswater, Cumbria

Auberge du Lac, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire

The Sportsman, Seasalter, Kent

The Hambrough, Isle of Wight

5 North St, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire

Holbeck Ghyll, Windermere, Cumbria

SCOTLAND

Summer Isles, Achitibuie, Highland

Braidwoods, Dalry, North Ayrshire

Number One (at The Balmoral Hotel), Edinburgh

21212, Edinburgh (new)

The Kitchin, Edinburgh

Martin Wishart, Edinburgh

Plumed Horse, Edinburgh

Sangster's, Elie, Fife

Inverlochy Castle, Fort William, Highland

Champany Inn, Linlithgow, West Lothian

The Albannach, Lochinver, Highland

Boath House, Nairn, Highland

The Peat Inn, Peat Inn, Fife (new)

Knockinaam Lodge, Portpatrick, Dumfries and Galloway

Kinloch Lodge, Isle of Skye (new)

WALES

The Walnut Tree, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire (new)

Tyddyn Llan, Llandrillo, Denbighshire (new)

Ynyshir Hall, Machynlleth, Powys (new)

The Crown at Whitebrook, Whitebrook, Monmouthshire

NORTHERN IRELAND

Deanes, Belfast, Antrim

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

The House (at Cliff House Hotel), Ardmore, Waterford (new)

Chapter One, Dublin

L'Ecrivain, Dublin

Thornton's (at The Fitzwilliam), Dublin

Bon Appetit, Malahide, Dublin