The AA Rosette is an award recognizing culinary excellence in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Restaurants are rated from one to five rosettes.[1]
It was established in 1956.
In January the AA would publish its Guide to Hotels and Restaurants in Great Britain and Ireland, from 1967.[2] The rosettes would be listed in this guide.[3] The AA hotel classification would work with the British Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Association.
In 1972, two hotels and six restaurants (four were in London) received the three-rosette award. Of London's AA five-star hotels, only the restaurant at The Connaught had the three-rosette award. One of the four London restaurants with three rosettes was Le Gavroche. The 1972 guide called for 'more adventurous regional cooking'. Outside of London there were four three-rosette establishments, including The Box Tree and the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow, with head chef Jean-Maurice Cottet.[4] Sixteen hotels, out of the 4,150 hotels listed, had the five-star classification.
In 1992 the classification was increased to five rosettes.