Gordon Ramsay and Alain Ducasse tied on 12 Michelin stars

Gordon Ramsay has not toppled Alain Ducasse as Michelin's highest-ranking chef in the world, despite being awarded two stars for his eponymous restaurant in New York in the city's Michelin guide, published this week.

Gordon Ramsay Holdings issued an announcement suggesting Ramsay had overtaken the French chef with the latest award, with 12 stars to Ducasse's 10. However, closer inspection of the figures shows that Ducasse has in fact also got 12 stars.

In a further twist, Ramsay is set to lose one star in next year's Great Britain and Ireland guide, following the closure of Angela Hartnett's restaurant at the Connaught hotel.

Ducasse lost three stars after his eponymous restaurant at Essex House in New York was excluded from the guide because it was awaiting relocation. He is expected to regain the stars in the New York guide when the restaurant has reopened.

New York now has 42 Michelin-starred establishments including a trio of three-starred establishments that have retained the highest accolade of three stars - Jean Georges, Le Bernardin and Per Se - as well as six two-starred and 33 one-starred restaurants. The guide lists a total of 565 restaurants, 523 of which received no stars.

Ramsay said of his award: "It is a great honour to have received two stars from the Michelin guide in our first year in New York. To achieve such recognition means a huge amount and I am very proud of chef de cuisine Josh Emett, maitre d' Jean-Baptiste Requein and our very talented team."

● Ramsay last week settled an employment tribunal out of court after a Muslim chef claimed he was unfairly sacked and subject to racist abuse at Ramsay's flagship restaurant on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea.

Alain Ducasse's Michelin stars

• Louis XV: three stars
• Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée: three stars
• La Bastide de Moustiers: one star
• L'Hostellerie de l'Abba ye de la Celle: one star
• Trattoria Toscana: one star
• Le Relais Plaza: one star
• Benoit: one star
• Bar Boeuf & Co: one star

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View Top Michelin-rated restaurants here >>

By Kerstin Kuhn

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