The Michelin inspectors have offered us a little amuse-bouche ahead of the 2024 guide to dining in France, which launches in March. Gourmets will have to wait until then for the full lowdown on stars, green stars and Bib Gourmands, but each month, inspectors add to their list of where’s great to shake off your napkin and tuck in. Twenty-three new restaurants have just been added – here’s a look at what the inspectors had to say about ten of them.
PARIS
33 avenue du Général-Leclerc, Boulogne-Billancourt, 92100
Michelin says…
Chef Émile Cotte has given his Parisian address a little brother. In a modern bistro décor lit by large bay windows (and divided into several spaces including a table d’hôte), the chef does what he loves: generous bistro classics updated with a gourmet simplicity, like the gridouille (andouille sausage from Vire with a piece of lean pork belly) and its ultra-buttery mashed potatoes. Limousin, the chef’s birthplace, is often in the spotlight on the plate. Tempting menu with pâté en croûte, vol-au-vent, sweetbreads, millefeuille, chocolate soufflé.
13 rue des Gravilliers, Paris, 75003
Michelin says…
Chef Manon Fleury has had high-level experience (with chefs William Ledeuil, Pascal Barbot, Alexandre Couillon…) and ephemeral residences before opening her own house with a Scandinavian-style décor. Its gastronomic philosophy, made up of respect for nature and people, local sourcing and zero waste, is expressed with an authentic passion. The menu highlights vegetable above all (fruits and vegetables equally), with a hint of animal protein. A refined style that reveals all the subtleties and aromatic complexities of cereals in particular (to which she has dedicated a book), but also of fruits whose sweet-acid balance is subtly channelled. A relaxed atmosphere led by a great team.
9 rue du Vertbois, Paris, 75003
Michelin says…
A stone’s throw from Place de la République, come and discover the cuisine of Israeli chef Ohad Amzallag by sitting down at a large marble guest table to share a moment of conviviality. The chef here serves cuisine with a Near Eastern influence that honours seafood, as well as fermented plants and vegetables, like his oyster cream, mint granita, chili pepper and koshu; the lobster and agnolotti with ricotta, spinach and sage cream and the delicious cheesecake and caramelised garum.
Kitchen by Stéphanie Le Quellec
Madame Rêve, 48 rue du Louvre, Paris, 75001
Michelin says…
Completely renovated, the emblematic Haussmannian building of the Louvre post office also houses a luxury hotel including this restaurant, supervised by chef Stéphanie Le Quellec. The menu is divided by type of cuisine (healthy, veggie, etc.) and not by starter/main course/dessert. A single watchword: pleasure without sophistication! The dishes speak for themselves: ripe tomatoes, herb sorbet; confit lamb shoulder, zaatar, tagine vegetables; milk rice. Classy large brasserie-style decor from the end of the 19th century. under an impressive ceiling height.
BORDEAUX
33 rue des Bahutiers, Bordeaux, 33000
Michelin says…
Chestnut soup and mushroom toast; duck breast, sweet potato and orange sabayon: for lunch, this bistro offers traditional and gourmet dishes that change every week. At dinner, the concept revolves around food and cocktail pairings that accompany a multi-stage à la carte menu. The finer products come out of the pantry (pigeon, oysters, scallops, etc.). On the ground floor of a Bordeaux building, address located in the heart of old Bordeaux, careful decoration, cozy and relaxed atmosphere.
6 rue du Cancera, Bordeaux, 33000
Michelin says…
A pleasant surprise at this Franco-Mexican table led by an authentic child of Guadalajara, chef Kristian de Anda, who ran the Biondi kitchen in Paris, and demonstrates that Mexican cuisine is not just about tacos and enchilladas! Moreover, the menu is not only Mexican, it is rather fusion, punctuating French gastronomy with Mexican touches – in short, no extra-hot pepper. In addition to the menu, there’s a plate of five tacos inspired by different Mexican regions: ideal to share as an aperitif.
CADILLAC
7 rue Porte-de-la-Mer, Cadillac, 33410
Michelin says…
Alexandre Goniak and Gerie Jenner met in Australia, but it was in a country house on the banks of the Garonne that they opened their small restaurant, a stone’s throw from a beautiful medieval gateway. The chef doesn’t use a menu, only working with fresh produce depending on availability. This contemporary bistro cuisine shows a chef with an efficient technique. He judiciously composes his dishes, like the filet mignon with Paimpol coconut beans, bacon cream, potato mousse and roasted cauliflower. Friendly welcome and educational service, particularly for the wines.
AIX-EN-PROVENCE
24 rue de l’Aumône-Vieille, Aix-en-Provence, 13100
Michelin says…
An original and iconoclastic chef, Loïc Pétri studied in the beautiful Parisian houses (Jean-François Piège, Joël Robuchon) before returning to his southern home. In his trendy restaurant on a pedestrianised street in Aix, he unleashes his inspiration five evenings a week. Through daring pairings and relevant use of oils, spices and peppers, his free cooking combines ideas that work, like Camargue oyster sushi; meagre (a type of fish), eggplant and white miso and coffee juice; lamb, candied pepper and crispy semolina; and cherries and frosted almond milk… Modern room with polished concrete floor, varnished wooden tables, background music.
MARSEILLE
145 rue Sainte, Marseille, 13007
Michelin says…
In the Saint-Victor district, leaning against the hill of La Garde, this small ‘olive grove’ (alivetu in Corsican) is an oasis of indulgence spread between a dining room with a polished concrete floor and a mezzanine. The chef cooks up Mediterranean cuisine like this grilled octopus, sweet potato puree, corn and virgin pepper sauce. Market menu on slate at lunchtime and surprise menu in the evening.
NÎMES
7 rue de Bernis, Nîmes, 30000
Michelin says…
A family affair, with the dad in the kitchen, daughter in the pastry, bread and appetisers, her partner front of house, supported by his mother-in-law. Here, everything is homemade in a traditional Mediterranean style: zucchini flowers and sea cicada broth; rabbit ballotine with herbs; Provençal stuffed dishes; veal from Aveyron and vin jaune jus; rhubarb rice pudding. From pigeon to Camargue rice, including olive oil and meats from the butcher-breeder of Les Halles, not all the products have travelled far to end up on our plate. Bistrot located in the city centre a few steps from the arenas in a pedestrian street. The terrace overlooks a small square.
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