Unveiled on March 22nd at Cognac theatre, at the heart of the Charentes region, and in the presence of a number of chefs and restaurant professionals coming together for the occasion, the new selection of the Michelin Guide demonstrates the excellence, talent and creativity of the French gastronomic scene, which is particularly engaged and resilient. In total, there are 627 MICHELIN-Starred restaurants in the 2022 vintage, including 49 newly promoted eateries.

“While the two-year pandemic has severely impacted the restaurant sector, with mid- and long-term effects which are still difficult to gauge, France’s restaurant owners have worked hard all year to impress us. Through their energy to concentrate on what matters – welcoming diners and protecting their staff members – their ability to constantly reinvent themselves and their determination to rewrite the rule book when it comes to an evolving professional sector. Without ever putting aside their quest for excellence and authenticity, which sets French gastronomy apart, and while remaining open to the world and its resources, the chefs and all the other catering professionals, have brought to light an evolving French culinary landscape which our inspectors were delighed to explore for the benefit of gourmets everywhere”, explained Gwendal Poullennec.

“As a pioneering and influential figurehead of gastronomy, France is one of the countries where awareness of sustainability issues is growing. France alone boasts 87 Green Star restaurants, all of which, in their own way, are inciting professionals to lead an ethical transformation of their activity and urging gourmets to succumb to inspiring dining experiences”.

Two restaurants join the distinguished Three MICHELIN Stars circle

Photo : VK

Located in a stunning and secluded cove in Cassis’ cap Canaille, La Villa Madie has reached the pinnacle of gastronomic success with its third MICHELIN Star. Managed by Dimitri and Marielle Droisneau since 2013, this charming restaurant is meant as an ode to the Mediterranean, which provides inspiration both for the design and the cuisine. In the dishes, influences of the Southern coast and inland region unfold in finely sculpted offerings. The taste combinations are striking, subtle and feature both elements of the sea and those of wild herbs and and plants picked in the surrounding area. The Carabineros shrimp on a red berry tartlet and the rabbit and jumbo shrimp fricassee with early apricots, are two of the house’s emblematic dishes, reflecting all the talent and elegance the two restauranteurs wish to share with their diners. As a nod to the roots of Marielle Droisneau, who brings unparalleled kindness and hospitality to the dining room, diners will find on each table an inconic Aveyron Le Livadou knife, used by wine-growers in the Marcillac-Vallon vineyard.

At the heart of the French capital and overlooking the Seine, Plénitude – Cheval Blanc Paris has succeeded in the feat of earning Three MICHELIN Stars in one go. Within the legendary Samaritaine building, chef Arnaud Donckele creates virtuoso dishes, revealing all the qualities of this artisan and ingenious master creator of sauces. At the table, the soul of French cooking is not only summoned and exalted, but reversed because the sauces, stocks and vinaigrettes, not only serve as binding agents, but take pride of place on the menu and in each dish.

Just like a perfumer or alchemist combining rare and complex varieties, the prized nectars transport and enthrall diners, while whisking them away on an exceptional sensory experience. As the starting point for all the menus which gravitate around them, these sauces, which the chef has christened “Absolutes”, and explained in a menu which resembles a handbook, provide accords with remarkable accuracy.

In the 2022 edition, the MICHELIN Guide France recommends 31 Three Stars restaurants.

6 new tables earn Two MICHELIN Stars

In Paris’ 12th district, Table – Bruno Verjus delivers precise and subtle cuisine, entirely dedicated to exceptional produce which the self-taught chef, Bruno Verjus deftly enhances. The wanderlust-inspiring names – Crunchy Lobster on its Rock – are only equalled by the story of the products themselves, just like the Utah Beach oysters, which have escaped a pocket or two and which are harvested out to sea at 7-9 years old. This promotion of regional produce, as well as relationships of proximity forged with committed producers, earned the establishment a MICHELIN Green Star back in 2020.

In Monaco, eclecticism and sensitivity are the watchwords for the cuisine of Marcel Ravin, who, at the Blue Bay, takes his diners to discover his native Martinique and his childhood culinary memories. Martinique flavors and recipes are revisited and complemented with Mediterranean products, resulting in original and exotic creations, such as the green vegetable and Chayote soup with lightly seared red mullet strips and smoked tea, the marinated murex sea snails with spicy coconut water, cockles and urchin tongues, or the toasted sweet potato brioche with pistachio crumbs. At the heart of the Sauternes region, Lalique, which earned its first Star in 2019, proposes, under the aegis of chef Jérôme Schilling, dishes which pay tribute to local and seasonal produce, such as the hunter’s mallard and the St-Pierre-deMons tomato. Whether it be the single or the plant-based menu, the cuisine is accurate, hearty and sharply honed, just like the Sauternes terroir.

In Nîmes in the Gard Department, chef-duo Nicolas Fontaine and Julien Caligo, who run Duende on behalf of Pierre Gagnaire, offer creative cuisine with a focus on Mediterraean flavors. The Baron des Cévennes pork rubs shoulders with Palamos shrimp in subtle and delicate dishes, which earned their first Star last year, while Pierre Gagnaire’s sumptuous dessert, a true gourmet orchestral score, delivers a riot of sweet notes.

In Paris, Greek-born chef, Philip Chronopoulos and his team earned their second Star at the Palais Royal Restaurant. His Mediterraean cuisine with strong Greek influences, the only one of this type to have earned Two Stars in France, will carry diners away to far-flung climes. One-of-a-kind, the platters of refined mezze and the more personal creations, reveal flavors which are brimful of finesse and which convey this passionate chef’s commitment.

Finally, on the top floor of the Peninsula, at the L’Oiseau Blanc restaurant, named after the plane – which has been reproduced and exhibited on top of the hotel – aboard which Nungesser and Coli attempted a trans-Atlantic crossing in 1927, chef David Bizet conducts a musical score with great precision. Offering modern and seasonal fayre, the chef wonderfully masters texture combinations, different types of cooking, sauces and emulsions. Here, culinary techniques are entirely dedicated to sparking emotions, accompanied by an artistic sensitivty which is expressed through a pure and graphic presentation.

In total, 74 restaurants have received Two MICHELIN Stars in the 2022 selection.

Photo : VK

The MICHELIN Guide recommends 41 new restaurants in the One Star category

The inspection teams travelled the length and breadth of France searching for new gastronomic talent. With 41 tables joining the One MICHELIN Star selection, the inspectors hope to share with the Guide’s gourmet community, a whole host of discoveries throughout France.

Among the most endowed regions, Ile-de-France, and more precisely, Paris, can pride themselves in their 12 new restaurants, featuring a highly eclectic gastronomic offering. From Japanese flavors at Ogata in the 3 rd district, to topflight sushi at Sushi Shunei in the 18th district and not forgetting the Italian influenced menus by Oliver Piras and Alessandra Del Favero at Il Carpaccio in the 8 th district, the whole world is reflected in the French capital’s dishes. Paris’ oldest inn, L’Auberge Nicolas Flamel, which opened in 1407, and which is run today by Grégory Garimbay, also received its first Star, as well as Jean Imbert at Plaza Athénée for his impressive revival of the greatest classics of French gastronomy and FIEF, where chef Victor Mercier produces empowering cuisine, made exclusively using French produce

Brittany and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur have not been outdone, with 6 and 4 new One Star restaurants respectively. In Brest, at L’Embrun, Guillaume Pape, who once worked with Olivier Belin in Plomodiern, pays a vibrant tribute to Brittany terroir, just like the Le Tirrand brothers – one of whom is in the kitchen while the other is out front – at Sources in Lorient. Le Gavrinis in Baden, managed with an expert hand by chef Luca Marteddu, has been promoted from a Bib Gourmand to One MICHELIN Star. The Armorican flavors marry with those from Provence, which Hélène Darroze delivers packed-full with personality at Villa La Coste in Puy-Sainte-Réparade. In Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, in Ceto at The Maybourne Riviera Hotel, Mauro Colagrecco and his team produce a very sea-based cuisine, where fish cold cuts, matured in a special cellar, are used to season dishes. In Nouvelle-Aquitaine, of the 5 newly Starred restaurants, Les Belles Perdrix de Troplong Mondot, run by David Charrier, allows diners to sample a cuisine among the vines which pays homage to South-West French produce. Pauillac lamb, Aquitaine caviar or eel complement to perfection all the riches of the restaurant’s kitchen garden. In Ciboure, Guillaume Roget, a former sommelier who moved into the kitchen, proposes in Ekaitza – “storm” in Basque – a dynamic cuisine where, atypically, diners are invited to choose their own food-wine pairings. In Bordeaux, la Maison Nouvelle by Philippe Etchebest was recognized for its accurate, casual and gourmet cuisine. In Nancy, Charles and Roxanne Coulombeau, both with remarkable track-records, have taken the helm at La Maison dans le Parc, a local institution which they have deftly brought up to date with more modern food. In the mountains, Sylvestre Wahid – Les Grandes Alpes in Courchevel and La Dame de Pic – le 1920 in Megève, also received their first Star. This year, sponsored by San Pellegrino, the chefs from these 41 new MICHELIN Starred restaurants will spend a day in the company of Hélène Darroze and Mirko Benzo, the patrons of the 2022 selection.

An iconic chef who runs several MICHELIN-Starred restaurants, including the Three Stars The Connaught in London, the Two Stars Marsan in Paris and the newly Starred Villa La Coste in Puy-Saint-Réparade, Hélène Darroze and the Managing Director of her restaurant, The Connaught, will share their experience and recommendations with them.
Within the 2022 selection of the MICHELIN Guide France, 522 One Star addresses have been recommended.

6 new restaurants have received the MICHELIN Green Star to shed light on their sustainable initiatives

For the third year running, the MICHELIN Guide has awarded its Green Star to restaurants from its selections which stand out for their ambitious approach to more sustainable gastronomy.
Each defining working philosophies and particularly engaged and inspiring dining experiences in their own manner, 6 new establishments have received the MICHELIN Green Star: Domaine Riberach – La Coopérative in Bélesta, Toya in Faulquemont, La Table de la Butte in Plouider, La Table du Gourmet in Riquewihr, Les Belles Perdix de Troplong Mondot in Saint-Emillion and l’Auberge Sauvage in Servon. These 6 addresses join the 81 establishments which received the award last year in France, which boasts a pioneering gastronomic scene in the field. Table service, Sommellerie and Pastry: the MICHELIN Guide is committed to promoting the diversity of gastronomy professions. More committed than ever to promoting the diversity of gastronomy professions and showcasing the players who bring to life the expertise required for fine dining experiences, once again this year, the MICHELIN Guide has singled out particularly talented professionals. Anne-Charlotte Pérou, from the Manoir de la Régate in Nantes on the banks of the Erdre and Roxane Coulombeau from Maison dans le Parc in Nancy, receive the MICHELIN Welcome and Service Award. Presented by Chantal Wittmann, Meilleure Ouvrière de France in the Maître d’Hôtel, Service and Table Arts category 2011, this award pays tribute to these two outstanding professionals’ commitment, accuracy, dynamism and sense of hospitality. Cédric Bilien, at the Moulin de Rosmadec in Pont-Aven, and François Lhermitte, Sommelier at Julien Binz in Ammerschwihr, meanwhile, received the Michelin Sommelier Award, presented by Paz Levinson, Executive Sommelier for the Pic Group.

Designed and created four years ago by MICHELIN Guide inspectors to showcase establishments who set themselves apart with their sweet endeavors, and who offer exceptional quality desserts, the Passion Dessert selection, sponsored by Valrhona, now features 6 new restaurants. From the daring pairings of Aleksandre Oliver at La Rotonde – Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz, to the haute couture creations of Maxime Frédéric at Plénitude – Cheval Blanc in Paris, and not forgetting the briny associations particularly rooted in their terroir by Jérémy Garnier and Alexandre Couillon at La Marine on Noirmoutier island, all of these establishments concoct new ideas on the fast-paced sweet art scene. In total, 46 restaurants and an equal number of talented pastry chefs have been recognized in this year’s Passion Dessert selection. With the aim of promoting young talent, and fostering the establishment of new vocations, the MICHELIN Guide gave its Young Chef award to Victor Mercier, head chef at the FIEF restaurant in Paris. The award celebrates the talent and audacity of a professional who, at only 31 years old, has a restaurant concept and culinary identity maturity which impressed the inspectors. Finally, and new for this year, the MICHELIN Guide wished to promote the commitment to serving the industry and the inspiring personality of a professional with the Chef Mentor Award, presented by Blancpain. Awarded to Thierry Marx, head chef at the 2 Stars Sur Mesure restaurant by Thierry Marx in Paris, this award recognizes all the endeavors and initiatives implemented by this chef who is deeply invested in promoting the cooking profession and defending restaurant careers as a source of personal and professional fulfilment.