AA Rosettes explained

What are Rosettes and how do you achieve one?

The long-established Rosette scheme celebrates successful cooking at different levels across the UK.

The Rosette award explained

Whether a Rosette is achieved is determined by an AA inspector during one or more visits to a hotel or restaurant. The visit is essentially a snapshot whereby the entire meal, including ancillary items (when served), is assessed.

1 Rosette

These restaurants achieve standards that stand out in their local area. They serve food prepared with care, understanding and skill, using good quality ingredients. The same expectations apply to hotel restaurants, where guests can eat in with confidence and a sense of anticipation. Around 50% of restaurants/hotels within our AA Restaurant Guide have one Rosette.

2 Rosettes

Excellent restaurants that aim for and achieve higher standards and better consistency. A greater precision is apparent in the cooking, and there will be obvious attention to the selection of quality ingredients. Around 40% of restaurants/hotels within our AA Restaurant Guide have two Rosettes.

3 Rosettes

Outstanding restaurants that achieve standards that demand recognition well beyond their local area. The cooking is underpinned by the selection and sympathetic treatment of the highest quality ingredients. Timing, seasoning and the judgment of flavour combinations will be consistently excellent. These virtues tend to be supported by other elements, such as intuitive service and a well-chosen wine list. Around 10% of the restaurants/hotels within the AA Restaurant Guide have three Rosettes and above.

See all 3 Rosette restaurants

4 Rosettes

Among the top restaurants in the UK, where the cooking demands national recognition. These restaurants exhibit intense ambition, a passion for excellence, superb technical skills, and remarkable consistency. They will combine appreciation of culinary traditions with a passionate desire for further exploration and improvement. There are very few restaurants with four AA Rosettes.

See all 4 Rosette restaurants

5 Rosettes

The pinnacle, where cooking is on par with the best in the world. These restaurants have highly individual voices, exhibit breathtaking culinary skills, and set standards to which others aspire, yet few achieve.

See all 5 Rosette restaurants

Presentation of awards

One and two Rosettes are awarded at the time of inspection.

Three and four Rosette awards are announced twice during the year (usually in February and September), but never at the time of inspection.

Five Rosettes are awarded just once during a year, and never at the time of inspection.

Suspension of three Rosettes

When an establishment holds three Rosettes and a chef moves from one establishment to another, the Rosettes will remain in place at the original establishment until we can re-assess the food.

The award does not follow the chef.

We therefore recommend that establishments inform us of a change of chef as soon as possible, in order to schedule a forthcoming inspection.

Should the food not achieve its existing level, the level of award will be adjusted at the time of inspection.

Suspension of four or five Rosettes

When an establishment holds four or five Rosettes and a chef moves on to another establishment, the award will be suspended at the hotel/restaurant they have just left.

As per the three Rosette award, it does not follow the chef.