Today Is The Biggest Day For The Restaurant Industry In France

The Michelin Guide is the longest running, and most established, restaurant ratings service in the world. It started in France in 1900, and now publishes 24 guides around the world. New York has their own guide, as does Tokyo, London, San Francisco, Germany and Spain. France takes their little red book the most seriously, and rightly so. It's the O.G. and most influential in a country that counts dining out as a national pastime. Los Angeles and Las Vegas, on the contrary, suspended its Michelin Guide after wide criticism and an overall tepid response from consumers. (In the States, that other little red book still runs the show.)

Earlier today, the 2013 ratings were announced in Paris with great fanfare — even though the updated ratings read virtually the same as they did yesterday. A single restaurant, St. Tropez's La Vague d'Or at Residence de la Pinede, received an upgraded ranking from two to three stars — taking that number to 27. This elevates the 35-year-old chef Arnaud Donckele to the highest strata of chefdom in France, a huge accomplishment for a man of his age.

Five restaurants were elevated from one to two stars: Yoann Conte, La Table du Kilimandjaro,William Frachot, La Marine and Auberge du Pont d'Acigné. The number receiving their first Michelin star grew to 39.

Eater has the entire press release and a scrollable list of the noted restaurants.


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