Top chef Adam Handling has seen his new restaurant added to the Michelin Guide after it was forced to relocate to another hotel. The restaurateur was forced to close his Ugly Butterfly restaurant after Carbis Bay Hotel decided they didn't want to work with him anymore.
But he was later welcomed at the Headland Hotel in Fistral, Newquay, and reopened a newly located version of Ugly Butterfly 2.0 soon after.
Now, in a fresh wave of hope for the chef, Ugly Butterfly has been added to the Michelin Guide, which describes the spot as having “top-drawer cooking that prioritises using the best local ingredients” with “stunning views over Fistral Beach ”.
The guide’s entry states: “After the closure of Ugly Butterfly in Carbis Bay, Adam Handling didn’t let his followers mourn for long before opening up Ugly Butterfly 2.0 in the Headland Hotel.
“Come for the stunning views over Fistral Beach and stay for the top-drawer cooking that prioritises using the best local ingredients. Be it Cornish hen or ‘mids’ potatoes, all are treated with great skill and a welcome touch of restraint. Minimal waste is a key tenet here too, so look out for trimmings and offcuts used in drinks, snacks and even post-meal sweets.”
Commenting on the news on X, chef Adam wrote: “Amazing! Thank you for coming to Ugly butterfly.”
It comes just weeks after the top chef, who also owns the Tartan Fox gastro pub outside Summercourt and Frog in London, released a new £170 tasting menu at Ugly Butterfly 2.0, made up of nine courses which aim to reflect the "level of artistry seen at Handling’s Michelin-starred London restaurant, Frog, with striking coastal views as an added bonus".
The chef previously said: "We’re striving for a Michelin star with this menu and Cornwall couldn't be a more inspiring setting for that ambition. We've ramped up our foraging massively across the collection in the last year and having this kind of seasonal Cornish produce right on our doorstep is just unbeatable."
While Michelin Stars and Bib Gourmands are only revealed at the annual Michelin Guide Ceremony, the Inspectors add restaurants to the selection year round.
Also added to the guide this month was The Chalk Freehouse in London and The Pullman in Galway.
Ugly Butterfly 2.0 is open daily from 12pm-11pm for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, and will be closed on Sundays and Mondays from the last week of September.
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