Chefs win back third stars in new Michelin
Two restaurants have been awarded a much-coveted third Michelin star in the new edition of the French restaurant guide, due to be published at the end of the month.
Michelin, for the second year running, pre-empted the publication of the 2003 Michelin Guide to France by releasing the key changes early, after there had been leaks about which chefs had won and lost stars.
In the new guide, there are two restaurants which have been upgraded from two stars to three - Le Cinq at the George V hotel in Paris, and Le Louis XV in Monaco.
For the Louis XV, which is run by chef Alain Ducasse, the third star is an honour won back after it was lost two years ago. At Le Cinq, chef Phillipe Legendre will also be refamiliarising himself with a third star, which he held at his previous job at fellow Parisian restaurant Taillevent.
Ducasse is now the only chef in France to hold three stars at two different restaurants, as he also retained three stars at his restaurant in the Plaza Athénée hotel in Paris.
Three Parisian restaurants were downgraded from two stars to one, including the highly prestigious Les Ambassadeurs at the Hôtel de Crillon, Faugeron and Gérard Besson.
No three-star restaurants were downgraded in France this year. In total, 29 restaurants gained a first or additional star, while 43 lost one.
A spokesman for Michelin said that this year's leak, like last year's, did not come from within the organisation, which suggests that the difficulties in keeping the results secret originate at some point during the guide's production or printing process.
