Michelin inspectors identified six new restaurants in France which they deemed worthy of two stars in the 2022 guide. Here’s what they said about them…
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 seven to nine 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 flavours 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 Saint-Pierre-de-Mons 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 Mediterranean flavours. 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 Mediterranean 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 flavours which are brimful of finesse and which convey this passionate chef’s commitment.
On the top floor of the Peninsula, the L’Oiseau Blanc restaurant is 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. Here, chef David Bizet conducts a musical score with great precision. Offering modern and seasonal fayre, he wonderfully masters texture combinations, different types of cooking, sauces and emulsions. Culinary techniques are entirely dedicated to sparking emotions, accompanied by an artistic sensitivity which is expressed through a pure and graphic presentation.
In total, 74 restaurants received two Michelin Stars in the 2022 selection.
