The Michelin Guide Shanghai 2020 was released on Thursday with innovative Western restaurant Ultraviolet awarded three stars for the third year.

A record 40 restaurants have been awarded one or more Michelin stars in the food guide’s fourth Shanghai edition.

Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, said the award for Paul Pairet's Ultraviolet was "a testament to the open-mindedness of the Michelin guide, whose one of universal judging criteria is the personality of the chef through his plates, and also shows the expertise and the extreme sensitivity of its inspectors.”

Eight restaurants, including Canton 8 (Runan Street), a Cantonese restaurant, and Italian-style restaurant 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana, were awarded two stars.

Two were promoted to this rank for the first time.

There were also six more one-star restaurants compared to the previous edition of the Shanghai guide. Of these 31, nine are new.

Jade Mansion, a Huaiyang cuisine restaurant, Yu Zhi Lan, a Sichuan-style restaurant, and French contemporary restaurant Maison Lameloise were award one star.

Cantonese restaurant T'ang Court which was down graded to two stars last year was awarded just one star this year.

"With a record number of 40 starred restaurants, Shanghai is confirming the development and upscaling of its gastronomic scene along the Bund, in Pudong and elsewhere in the city,"Poullennec said.

“With 31 types of cuisine rewarded in the Michelin Guide Shanghai 2020, this selection also highlights the great diversity offered to gourmets, with tables that perfectly represent local cuisine and others that offer flavors from around the world," he said.

"Our teams of local experts and international inspectors were also pleased to observe the attention given to the choice of ingredients, the quality of service and the richness of the wine list, all worthy of international standards," he added.