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

Alain Ducasse’s au Plaza Athénée and Le Cinq in the Four Seasons Hotel George V have gained three stars in this year’s Michelin France. "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 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 Bancel’s Le Gabriel, Mathieu Pacaud’s Histoires, Sylvestre Wahid’s Sylvestre and Jean-François Piege’s Le Grand Restaurant. "The strong attraction exerted by Paris on chefs is a particularly striking element in the 2016 selection," says Michael Ellis. "Whether small bistros or more luxurious restaurants, chefs and investors continue to believe in Paris and want to set up in business there. Moreover, among the 380 establishments that appear in the Guide for the first time, 100 are in Paris. This is proof that Paris is still a city in which chefs want to open new establishments." 42 restaurants acquire their first star in the 2016 edition of the Michelin Guide. The Michelin Guide France 2016 will be available for sale from Friday 5 February, and is priced at €24.90.

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