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Michelin's guide for Great Britain and Ireland has awarded its top accolade of three stars to French celebrity chef Alain Ducasse's eponymous restaurant at London's Dorchester hotel.

It is the first time since 2004 that Michelin has handed three new stars to a UK restaurant and brings the total of restaurants holding three stars to four including Gordon Ramsay's flagship restaurant on Royal Hospital Road in London, Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck and the Roux's Waterside Inn, both in Bray, Buckinghamshire.

The Ledbury in London is the only restaurant in this year's Michelin guide to have been raised to two-star-status, while 18 establishments have been awarded their first star.

This brings the total of Michelin-starred restaurants in Great Britain and Ireland to 140, the highest number in the guide's 36-year history.

Among the new one-star restaurants is the Harwood Arms in London, which sees Ledbury and Harwood Arms chef Brett Graham as the big winner in this year's guide being awarded a total of three stars at his two restaurants.

Other restaurants celebrating their first Michelin star are: Galvin at Windows, Apsleys A Heinz Beck Restaurant at the Lanesborough, and Texture, all in London, as well as the Samling in Ambleside, Cumbria, The Goose in Britwell Salome, Oxfordshire, and Paul Kitching's 21212 in Edinburgh.

Fifteen restaurants have lost their stars in the 2010 Michelin guide for Great Britain and Ireland, with the most high profile loss being Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's in London. The Capital in London, and the Vineyard at Stockcross in Berkshire have both been demoted from their respective two-Michelin-star status, following the departure of their respective head chefs Eric Chavot and John Campbell last summer.
 

Michelin has identified four restaurants as rising stars including Simon Radley at the Chester Grosvenor in Cheshire, who has been tipped as a future two-star establishment.

The Marquis at Alkham, Kent, the Black Swan at Oldstead, North Yorkshire, and Rosel and Co in Padstow, Cornwall, have named as rising one stars.

The 2010 Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland has named 28 new restaurants as Bib Gourmands, a move reflecting a continued trend within the UK dining market towards competitive pricing.

The Bib Gourmand status is awarded to a restaurant offering "good food at moderate prices" at £28 or less for three courses (€40 in Ireland). The 28 new Bib Gourmands bring the total to 31. 

French chef Eric Chavot wants to launch an informal brasserie next year.

Chavot, who left his role of head chef at the two-Michelin-starred Capital after more than decade earlier this year, said he wants to launch a new venture that has "nothing to do with Michelin".

"It's still early days but I want to launch a more informal restaurant next year, a brasserie or bistrot de luxe," he said.

"I've spent my whole career cooking Michelin food and 22 years is enough - it's time for another life."

Chavot, who is looking for an investor to go into business with, added that the new venture would be a simple restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere but great service.

"It will be a restaurant version of Le Pain Quotidien and it will feature large tables and an open kitchen," he said.

French chef Jérôme Ponchelle is to join the two-Michelin-starred restaurant at London's Capital hotel as head chef.

The move sees Ponchelle depart from his position of chef de cuisine at British restaurant Wiltons after seven years to step into the foot steps of Eric Chavot, who left the Capital in August.

He will be replaced at Wiltons by Andrew Turner, currently head chef at the Landau restaurant at London's Langham hotel.

Ponchelle will join the Knightsbridge-based Capital next month and brings with him 20 years of experience working in restaurants in France and England including a number of years cooking under Michel Bourdin at the Connaught.

His menu will have a French influence and will include signature dishes including lobster, crab and truffle omelette; and braised filet of wild Scottish turbot with Champagne sauce; next to British classics such as braised oxtail.

Ponchelle said he was excited about his new role. "It was a privilege to work at Wiltons but I wanted to move into a more challenging environment that will put my culinary experience to the test," he said.

He certainly has big shoes to fill at the Capital where Chavot held two Michelin-stars for eight years.

Iconic chef Pierre Koffmann's pop-up restaurant at London department store Selfridges has been extended by two weeks following overwhelming demand for bookings.

The former three-Michelin-starred chef patron of the famous La Tante Claire restaurant is still so popular among chefs and foodies alike that his temporary restaurant, which was first scheduled for a week, will now run from 8-31 October.

The 80-cover La Tante Claire at Selfridges, which forms part of the inaugural London Restaurant Festival, will be housed in a marquee atop the Oxford Street department store, which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary. The restaurant will be designed, set up and managed by Selfridges with its high-profile sommelier Dawn Davies overseeing the front of house. All produce will come from Selfridges's suppliers.

Koffmann will be joined in the kitchen by some of his former protégés including the Michelin-starred chefs Eric Chavot, Tom Aikens and Tom Kitchin.

Raphael Duntoye, head chef at La Petite Maison, and Helena Puolakka, head chef at Skylon, will also be part of the restaurant together with award winning chocolatier William Curley.

Each will spend a day in the kitchen with Koffmann, cooking a three-course menu to represent their respective restaurants.

Koffmann, whose passion for cooking is clearly as alive as it has ever been, said he was excited to stay at Selfridges for longer and was thrilled people still remember him.

"By extending my time I am thrilled to have more opportunity to experiment with new dishes and introduce a daily special, which will sit alongside some of my more classic dishes," he said.

French chef Eric Chavot is leaving the two-Michelin-starred restaurant at the Capital hotel in London.

The surprise move sees Chavot leave the restaurant in Knightsbridge after more than a decade behind the stove. He will leave on 15 August.

His departure is one of a series of recent staff changes at David Levin's Capital and Levin hotels including general manager Henrik Muehle, who left to join the St James's Hotel and Club in Mayfair last month.
 
The Capital's restaurant manager, Christoph Thuilat, is also leaving to join Muehle and become food and beverage manager at the St James.

Last year, Levin's son Joe left his long-serving role as managing director at the Capital Group.

Chavot said he made the decision to leave the Capital, where he has held two Michelin stars for eight years, to change his life.

"I am leaving after ten years and my departure is amicable," he said.

"I have done everything I can at the Capital and it's been great. But I feel the time has come for me to do something different with my life. I've been doing Michelin cooking for so long and I'm not sure I want to do this anymore.

"I have no idea what I am going to do or where I am going to go. Some people may call me crazy to do this in a recession but you only live once and now is as good a time as any."

Chavot added that after his departure in August he will take time off to go on a culinary tour of England.

"For now I am going to take time off and go see my friends - Sat Bains, Nigel Haworth, Michael Caines, Raymond Blanc and David Everitt-Matthias."