Michelin France 2026:
the year’s great culinary drama — and a cult of cuisine in the Savoie
On the 16th of March, Monaco hosted the Michelin France 2026 awards ceremony — an evening that will be remembered not only for the champagne, but for the tears. The night’s defining sensation: L’Ambroisie, the legendary Parisian restaurant on the Place des Vosges, lost its third star after 38 years of impeccable service. Founded by Bernard Pacaud, the restaurant had held three stars without interruption since 1988 — an absolute record of longevity for Paris. The kitchen is now led by Sintaro Ava, formerly of Épicure, and the Pacaud era has drawn to a close.
Michelin gave the new chef a chance, but lowered the status — a firm yet fair rule of the guide: stars belong to no one, not even to legends.
The true triumph of the evening, however, belonged to a modest Savoyard restaurant — Les Morainières, in Jongieux. The only establishment to receive three stars this year, it was opened twenty years ago by chef Michel Arnoult and his wife Ingrid on a hillside among the vineyards. Today it is a place of pilgrimage for the discerning. The menu features crab tartare with mandarin and herb-crusted lamb, and the windows frame a serene view over the Rhône Valley. For those who wish to linger, a cosy six-room hotel sits close by. In choosing Arnoult, Michelin sent an unambiguous signal: the kitchen it prizes is one rooted in terroir — not built on hype or the ephemeral currency of social media.
In total, this year’s guide awarded 62 new stars: 54 restaurants received their first, 7 their second. Among the notable newcomers, two Paris addresses with a Japanese sensibility stand out — Hakuba at Cheval Blanc and Alliance in the Latin Quarter. On the Côte d’Azur, Épicentre in Nice and La Table du Cap Estel in Èze earned their stars — a fine pretext for dinner after a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais. And for those visiting Paris: 11 of the 54 new stars are in the capital. Monsieur Dior, Prévelle, and Maison Ruggieri Palais Royal are now officially on the must-visit list.
