The ban and the backbenches of French gastronomy were gathered this Monday March 18 at the Palais des Congrès in Tours (Indre-et-Loire) where Michelin unveiled its 2024 prize list in the evening. “A great vintage”, according to the famous gastronomic guide, with a total of 62 promoted restaurants, compared to 28 demotions revealed two weeks earlier.
Only two addresses join the very exclusive three-star club.
The first, the Gabriel, establishment of the Parisian palace La Réserve, near the Champs-Élysées (8th arrondissement).
In the kitchen, chef Jérôme Banctel, 52, originally from Rennes and worked at the biggest Parisian houses: Bernard Pacaud's Ambrosie, for ten years, then Alain Senderens' Lucas Carton de la Place de la Madeleine (2006). -2013).
He signs “a most personal cuisine”, greets the red guide.
“Ocillating between the flavors of his native Brittany and those gleaned during his numerous journeys, the dishes are sharp, precise and often traveling.
At dinner, whether it is the Virée menu – a gastronomic homage to the chef's region of origin – or the Périple menu – in which foreign cuisines, particularly Turkish and Asian, respond to each other – Jérôme Banctel reveals his talents as a chef. "cosmopolitan alchemist juggling with acidity, iodine, spices and herbs as in this dish of lobster cooked with binchotan, almond praline", justifies the bibendum.
Fabien Ferré becomes the youngest three-star chef
But the big surprise of this 2024 list goes to the second promoted in this category: the Table du Castellet, in the Var.
Surprise, because the chef at its head, Fabien Ferré, is only 35 years old.
This native of Burgundy, son of chocolatiers, grandson of farmers, becomes the youngest three-star chef.
After ten years alongside his mentor Christophe Bacquié and a remarkable career, punctuated by awards of excellence, he took over the kitchens of the Table du Castellet alone.
He succeeded, judges Michelin, “a dazzling reopening”.
“It was a challenge and he met it successfully and brilliantly, recreating the history of this house.
And, what’s more, which doesn’t spoil anything, Fabien Ferré is a beautiful person,” applauds his colleague Glenn Viel, who himself was the youngest three-star in France when he won the title in 2022.
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“On the plates, Provence and its marine and plant terroir are celebrated with creative dishes perfectly executed and enhanced with concentrated, deep and punchy sauces, juices and emulsions - like this coral velvet with strawberry vinegar which highlights a delicious langoustine with rhubarb,” explains the guide.
Under the sign of youth
Overall, it is a prize list under the sign of youth since of the 52 tables which reach the first macaroon, more than thirty chefs are under 40 years old.
Among them, Manon Fleury, 32, who opened Datil in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, or Maxime Bouttier, 31, also at the head of his own restaurant, Géosmine in the 11th.
Quite atypical and modern figures in the often ultra-normed environment of haute cuisine.
Eight restaurants are upgraded to two stars.
In Paris, the legendary Jules Verne, on the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower, finally manages to gain height thanks to chef Frédéric Anton and his executive chef Kevin Garcia.
A few metro stations away, the Italian Martino Ruggieri, who we have long known alongside Yannick Alléno, is also gaining momentum.
The Maison Benoît Vidal has made a descent but in the literal sense of the term.
She left Val-d'Isère for Annecy (Haute-Savoie).
Despite this move, it is directly reconfirmed in its two stars.
Not far from there, in Grandes Alpes, a luxurious residence in Courchevel, Sylvestre Wahid, a chef of Pakistani origin who arrived in France at the age of 9, is also getting closer to the summits with a table with a crazy setting, which only has eight place settings, and now... two macaroons.
In total, the Michelin guide, which will be available in bookstores from Friday, now includes thirty three-star restaurants, 75 two-star restaurants, and 534 one-star restaurants.
This brings the number of starred addresses in France to 639, a world record.