Executive chef at L'Assiette Champenoise is 39-year-old Arnaud Lallement, who has trained in the kitchens of some of France's most legendary chefs, like Roger Vergé, Alain Chapel and Michel Guérard. The restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star in 2001, a second star followed in 2005.
Michelin on L'Assiette Champenoise: "Chef Arnaud Lallement offers a particularly creative and strikingly contemporary selection of cuisine"; "Arnaud Lallement’s cuisine, which is very much a reflection of himself: it is deeply rooted in his father’s legacy, to which Mr. Lallement adds his own very personal touch."
As in previous years, Le Point was the first to leak the news on the new three-star restaurant in the 2014 guide on 7 February 2014, well before the scheduled release of the guide today.
Alain Ducasse, who took over the reigns at Le Meurice in September 2013, has managed to maintain the restaurant's three-star status. The number of three-star restaurants in France remains unchanged and stays at 27, of which 9 restaurants are located in Paris. Ducasse's other Parisian three-star restaurant 'Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée' is not featured in the 2014 guide, since the hotel/restaurant is currently closed for refurbishment.
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Six restaurant have gained a second star. La Villa Madie in Cassis, La Table du Connétable in Chantilly, Le Chambard in Kaysersberg, Il Cortile in Mulhouse, Akrame in Paris and Le Kintessence in Courchevel 1850, the latter having being awarded a first star just last year.
With this new two-star restaurant the star-studded ski resort of Courchevel 1850 with its 1,967 inhabitants now has 12 Michelin stars (6 two-star restaurants). Five restaurants were demoted to one star, including Apicius in Paris and three two-star restaurants, including Senderens in Paris, are no longer featured in the 2014 guide. The number of two-star restaurants in France now stands at 79.
The 2014 guide will feature no fewer than 504 one-star restaurants, with 57 new entries this year. Among the new entries are 9 restaurants in Paris: Goust (opened last spring), ES, Okuda (kaiseki cuisine), La Scène, Qui Plume la Lune, St-James Paris, Rech (Alain Ducasse's seafood restaurant) and Bertrand Grébaut's Septime.
In their press release Michelin mentions that the chefs of seven of these 57 new Michelin starred restaurants are under 30 and one is even only 25 years old (Oscar Garcia of Table d'Uzès in Uzès). Michelin on these young chefs:
"This new generation of young chefs trained in the finest kitchens, and they do not hesitate to launch their own restaurants, often choosing small and relaxed establishments to start out on their own: this illustrates a changing of the guard in French restaurants!"
France's 2014 Bib Gourmand (3 courses for €31 or less, €35 or less in Paris) guide called 'Bonnes petites tables France' was released last month and shows a small increase. The 2014 guide has 651 entries (2013: 632), including 110 new additions.
A full list of Michelin stars and Bib Gourmands in France can be found here Stars2014 and Bibs2014
