London is open: Michelin chef Smyth hails survival of toughest year

Britain's newest winner of three Michelin stars, Clare Smyth prepares her signature dish "Potato and roe, dulse beurre blanc, herring and trout roe" at her Core restaurant, which sold out three months of bookings in 20 minutes, as the country reopens following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain, May 12, 2021. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

LONDON (Reuters) - Celebrated chef Clare Smyth sold out three months of bookings in 20 minutes when her Core restaurant said it would reopen from lockdown, underscoring her faith that London is ready to rebound with a bang on May 17.

Smyth became the first female British chef to win Michelin's highest distinction of three stars when all restaurants were shut as part of a strict COVID lockdown in January, shoring up the team after months when she wondered if her life's work would ever return to normal.