The annual Michelin Guide for France has been revealed and we saw no less than 52 restaurants awarded a first Star. Alongside these, eight restaurants achieved two Michelin Star status and two restaurants received the highest accolade of three Michelin Stars, joining an elite group of restaurants around the world that have achieved that status.
The first of the two new big winners was Fabien Ferré's La Table du Castellet, in the southern Var department, which was awarded three star status at its first time of trying, with chef Fabien becoming France's youngest three star cook in the process at the age of just 35. The second was Chef Jérôme Banctel's Le Gabriel - La Réserve Paris, located just one block back from the Champs-Élysées.
" It's a wonderful moment to be awarded these three stars, the culmination of a vital quest. I would like to thank Michel Reybier, who has trusted me since the opening and with whom we share the same vision of cuisine. I also wish to express my gratitude to my wonderful team members who daily strive to excel and without whom this ascent would have been impossible. I appreciate the value of this honour and am proud of having reached this degree of excellence within the real of French gastronomy," commented Jérôme Banctel.
The big news was the record number of new one star restaurants, 20 more than were awarded last year and including 23 venues that only opened in the past year showing the strength of French cuisine at present - a selection that showcases France's "cultural dynamism".
The restaurants awarded this year were also more geographically diverse than we've seen before with 40 villages and municipalities across France now boasting a restaurant with at least one Michelin Star. Within this spread, Paris still remains the culinary capital of the country with 12 new one star restaurants taking its total of Michelin starred restaurants to 132 now. To note, Tokyo remains the city with the most Michelin stars with a total of 212 venues currently.
Discover the full 691 strong list of 2024 Michelin Star restaurants in France here.
Image credit Contraste, Paris