Dominique Crenn first female in the US to attain three Michelin stars

Chef Dominique Crenn has become the first woman in the US to receive a coveted three Michelin stars following the guide’s annual ranking of top restaurants in the San Francisco area, released on Thursday.

Chef Dominique Crenn

The French-born chef’s restaurant, Atelier Crenn, opened in 2011 and gained two Michelin stars in 2012. It only has eight tables, and offers a tasting menu for $335 focusing on French cuisine.

Awarding the restaurant its third star this year, Michelin inspectors said its current menu displays “a wonderful balance of grace, artistry, technical ability and taste”, and praised the restaurant for the “consistently top-quality experience across numerous visits”.

She is the fifth female chef currently in the world, helming a Michelin three-star establishment, and the first in the US.

Others include Carme Ruscalleda in Spain, Anne-Sophie Pic in France, Nadia Santini in Italy and Clare Smyth in Britain.

SingleThread, in Sonoma County, was also awarded its third star having shown “consistent commitment to the highest standards of ingredient quality and exceptionally refined cuisine”.

In a second victory for Crenn, Bar Crenn, a wine bar next door to Atelier Crenn that serves classic French dishes, also received its first star.

“The dining scene in San Francisco is booming at the moment and our inspectors were especially impressed with the choice of cuisine styles, the levels of consistency and the overall high quality of the food they found in the city,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides.

“In particular, the teams at Atelier Crenn and SingleThread should be extremely proud, as our inspectors were very impressed by the quality of the produce used in the preparation of the dishes. This, along with their meticulous attention to detail, creativity, and dedication to delighting their customers, means they always offer diners a memorable and very enjoyable gastronomic experience. Without a doubt, they are definitely worth a special journey.”

Michelin’s latest San Francisco guide will go on sale on 4 December.