Joke Bakare has made history as the United Kingdom’s first Black female chef to receive a Michelin star, marking a significant moment for British fine dining and for West African cuisine.
The Nigerian-born UK chef is the founder of Chishuru, a West African–inspired restaurant in London that has rapidly risen from modest beginnings to international recognition. Michelin awarded the restaurant its first star less than six months after Chishuru established a permanent site in Fitzrovia, having previously operated as a pop-up in Brixton Village.
Chishuru’s journey from a small Brixton location to a high-profile address in central London has been driven by Bakare’s ability to deliver distinctive, accessible West African flavours within a refined dining setting. The restaurant gained early attention for offering carefully crafted dishes that were both culturally rooted and competitively priced, even as it attracted a clientele accustomed to high-end dining.
Michelin’s Chief Inspector for the UK described Bakare’s cooking as “unique” and “a wonderful reflection of her personality,” adding that her cuisine is “fun, full of life, generous, and hugely enjoyable.” The inspector praised Chishuru for delivering cooking that meaningfully enriches the UK’s culinary landscape.
What a Michelin Star Represents
A Michelin star is awarded to restaurants that demonstrate outstanding cooking across five universal criteria: the quality of ingredients, harmony of flavours, technical mastery, the chef’s personality as expressed through the cuisine, and consistency across the menu and over time. Stars are not permanent distinctions; Michelin inspectors continually reassess awarded restaurants to ensure standards are maintained.
Decisions are made by teams of anonymous Michelin inspectors—full-time professionals with backgrounds in hospitality—who visit restaurants independently before reaching a collective judgment.
Why Michelin Recognition Matters
Earning a Michelin star typically transforms a restaurant’s commercial and reputational standing. Industry estimates suggest that a one-star restaurant may see a business uplift of around 20 percent, with higher gains for two- and three-star establishments. Beyond bookings, Michelin recognition helps restaurants attract and retain talent while cementing a chef’s long-term professional standing.
Globally, roughly 2,500 restaurants hold one Michelin star, about 500 hold two stars, and approximately 150 hold the coveted three-star distinction. Stars are awarded to restaurants rather than individuals, although Japan’s Yoshihiro Murata remains unique in personally presiding over seven Michelin stars through his family’s Kyoto restaurant, Kikunoi.
London currently has around 80 Michelin-starred restaurants, up from 71 the previous year, reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most competitive fine-dining cities.
Black Michelin-Starred Chefs and Global Context
Despite the Michelin Guide’s global reach, Black chefs remain significantly underrepresented. There are currently only about six Black Michelin-starred chefs worldwide, with Bakare now joining that small group.
They include South Africa’s Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, who became the first African chef awarded a Michelin star in 2016 for his restaurant Jan in southern France, and Iré Hassan-Odunkale, co-founder of Ikoyi in London. Ikoyi, which incorporates West African ingredients into a contemporary menu, holds two Michelin stars in the 2024 guide.
France-based chef Mory Sacko, of Senegalese and Malian descent, earned a Michelin star for his restaurant MoSuke in 2020, while Georgiana Viou became the second Black female Michelin-starred chef when her restaurant Rouge in Nîmes was awarded a star in 2023.
Against this backdrop, Joke Bakare’s achievement stands out not only as a personal milestone, but as a broader signal of West African cuisine’s growing legitimacy within the highest tiers of global gastronomy.