Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée and Le Cinq gain three stars in the MICHELIN Guide France 2016

Including 3682 hotels and guesthouses and 4347 restaurants, the 2016 edition of the MICHELIN Guide France grants  three stars to two famous Paris establishments, both part of my favorite palaces in the French capital: Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée and Le Cinq, at the Four Seasons Hotel George V.

At Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée,  “Alain DUCASSE has introduced a bold change of direction by designing his cuisine in harmony with nature,” says Michael Ellis, International Director of MICHELIN Guides. “Based around the trilogy represented by vegetables, cereals and fish, his cuisine offers unusual combinations of flavours and shakes up the standard conventions of haute cuisine. The results live up to the scale of the challenge: a meal at the Plaza Athénée is a unique, memorable, and emotional experience – with stunning décor and a journey accompanying every dish.”

A short distance from the Plaza Athénée, Le Cinq in the Four Seasons Hotel George V also picks up a third star this year. “Chef Christian LE SQUER at Le Cinq is a true virtuoso!” continues Michael Ellis. “His signature is all over the superb dishes, mastered to perfection and demonstrating exceptional skills and a deep knowledge of the very best produce. Enjoyed in a sumptuous decor inspired by the Grand Trianon, each of Christian LE SQUER’s dishes is a true work of art, a shining example of the best of French gastronomy.”

The 2016 selection has also expanded with 10 new two star restaurants: JY’S, Jean-Yves SCHILLINGER’s restaurant in Colmar, Joël ROBUCHON’s La Grande Maison in Bordeaux, Jean-Georges KLEIN’s La Villa René Lalique in Wingen-sur Moder, the 1920 in Megève, where Julien GATILLON officiates, and Nicolas DECERCHI’s Paloma in Mougins. Of the new two star restaurants, half are Paris chefs who all took up post in 2015: Christophe MORET’s l’Abeille, Jérôme BANCTEL’s Le Gabriel, Mathieu PACAUD’s Histoires, Sylvestre WAHID’s Sylvestre and Jean-François PIEGE’s Le Grand Restaurant.

All the restaurants in the new 2016 selection can be booked through both MICHELIN Restaurants –
web and mobile – and ViaMichelin. Michelin not only helps consumers find the right restaurant at the right time but also makes a direct contribution to developing business in the selected
restaurants !