Michelin hands out wealth of stars in France
Michelin today released its new guide to its home country of France and awarded a wealth of new stars, with Flocons de Sel picking up three stars.
Housed in a chalet in the Megève mountains in the Rhône-Alpes, Flocons de Sel is run by Emmanuel Renaud, who is known for his innovative, modern cuisine.
The restaurant's elevation brings the total of three-star establishments in France to 26, six less than Japan, which now has 32 restaurants holding the guide's top award.
Ten restaurants gained a second star, bringing the total to 83, including Sur Mesure, the restaurant run by chef Thierry Marx at the Mandarin Oriental hotel Paris; and Philippe Labbe's L'Abeille at the city's the Shangri-La hotel.
Meanwhile, Le Jardin des Sens, the former three-star restaurant run by twin brothers Jacques and Laurent Pourcel in Montpelier, was demoted from two-star to one-star status.
A total of 58 restaurants celebrated their first star, taking the number of starred restaurants in France to 485.
Michelin also awarded 124 Bib Gourmands, raising the total of establishments recognised for offering good-quality cuisine at moderate prices to 630.
"With an expanding array of culinary trends and a constant focus on ingredients, high standards of cooking and renovated interiors, the French restaurant industry is being revitalised and transformed," Michelin said.
The 2012 Michelin guide to France goes on sale on 1 March, priced €24.
Three-star restaurants in France L'Arnsbourg, Baerenthal/Untermuhlthal
Maison Lameloise, Chagny
Michel Guérard, Eugénie-les-Bains
Auberge du Vieux Puits, Fontjoncouse
Auberge de l'Ill, Illhaeusern
La Côte St-Jacques, Joigny
Bras, Laguiole
Paul Bocuse, Lyon
Le Petit Nice, Marseille
Flocons de Sel, Megeve (NEW)
Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse, Monte-Carlo/Monaco
Le Meurice, Paris
L'Ambroisie, Paris
L'Arpège, Paris
Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenée, Paris
Epicure, Paris
Ledoyen, Paris
Pierre Gagnaire, Paris
Astrance, Paris
Le Pré Catelan, Paris
Guy Savoy, Paris
Troisgros, Roanne
Regis et Jacques Marcon, Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid
Le Relais Bernard Loiseau, Saulieu
Pic, Valence
Georges Blanc, Vonnas
New two-star restaurants in France Le Parc Franck Putelat, Carcassonne
Serge Viera, Chaudes-Aigues
Le Strato, Courchevel
Jean-Luc Tartarin, Le Havre
Auberge Les Morainières, Jongieux
Mirazur, Menton
Chantecler, Nice
Sur Mesure par Thierry Marx, Paris
L'Abeille, Paris
Le Parc Les Crayères, Reims
New one-star restaurants in France Million, Albertville
Auberge de l'Abbaye, Ambronay
Yoann Conte, Annecy/Veyrier-du-Lac
Bacon, Antibes/Cap d'Antibes
Une Auberge en Gascogne, Astaffort
Cyril Attrazic, Aumont-Aubrac
L'Hostellerie du Château, Le Bar-sur-Loup
L'Escundudo, Bormes-les-Mimosas
Auberge du Château, Bully
A Contre Sens, Caen
Auberge du Bois Prin, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
De la Poste, Charolles
Le Pré Carré, Clermont-Ferrand
Alain Llorca, La Colle-sur-Loup
Rendez-vous de Chasse, Colmar
Toya, Faulquemont
Au Fil du Temps, Grasse/Magnosc
La Ferme St-Siméon, Honfleur
Au 14 Février, Issoudun/Saint-Valentin
La Table de Lachassagne, Lachassagne
L'Arbre, Neuville-de-Poitou
Les Loges, Lyon
St-Fortunat, Neuville-de-Poitou
Le Bistrot Gourmand, Nice
Kei, Paris
Sola, Paris
La Truffière, Paris
Le Diane, Paris
Le 39V, Paris
Le Lumière, Paris
Cobéa, Paris
Le Quinzième-Cyril Lignac, Paris
Akrame, Paris
Shang Palace, Paris
Les Tablettes de JL Nomicos, Paris
La Table du Pouyaud, Périgueux/Champcevinel
Le Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet
L'Eventail des Saveurs, Rostrenen
La Table de Marion, Saintes
La Coquerie, Sète
Jean Brouilly, Tarare
Stéphane Tournié Les Jardins de l'Opéra, Toulouse
Clovis, Tourrettes-sur-Loup
Aigue Marine, Tréguier
L'Atelier d'Edmond, Val-d'Isère
Le Musigny, Valenciennes
Le Bec au Cauchois, Valmont
La Gourmandière-La Table d'Olivier, Vannes
Auberge de Clochemerle, Vaux-en-Beaujolais
Le Juliénas, Villefranche-sur-Saône
Michelin's Tokyo guide gives Japan a total of 32 three-star restaurants >>
The Michelin guide to Great Britain & Ireland 2012 >>
By Kerstin Kühn
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