France’s lone new 3‑star
Les Morainières just became the only restaurant in France to earn three Michelin stars in the 2026 Guide — chef Michaël Arnoult led the achievement. The 2026 Guide added 62 new starred entries overall and highlighted regional dynamism, with Haute‑Savoie picking up two new one‑star spots this year ( ).
The Michelin ceremony for the 2026 France & Monaco selection took place on March 16, 2026 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco before roughly 1,200 guests, with Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene in attendance. The official MICHELIN release says the 2026 selection lists 668 starred establishments across France and Monaco—31 three‑star, 84 two‑star and 553 one‑star—and that inspectors awarded one new three‑star, seven new two‑star and 54 new one‑star distinctions this year. A MICHELIN inspector described Les Morainières as a converted local‑stone wine storehouse in Jongieux that overlooks the Marestel vineyards and the Mont du Chat, noting the restaurant’s remote, hillside setting. The same inspector reported the Arnoults renovated the building in phases, added a lower‑level dining room with a large picture window after an earlier promotion, and that the kitchen runs with a compact team in which the chef rarely leaves the pass. MICHELIN’s restaurant page highlights a wine list dominated by Roussette de Savoie (Altesse grape) and menu signatures such as a crayfish tartare with mandarin‑butter foam alongside dishes using local lamb, trout and lavaret. Haute‑Savoie picked up two first‑time Michelin‑starred tables in 2026: Le Chalet Flachaire in Abondance, led by chef Thomas Flachaire, and La Table d’Armante in Saint‑Gervais‑les‑Bains, led by Thomas Vonderscher. Among this year’s seven promotions to two stars are Frédéric Doucet’s Charolles, Bulle d’Osier in Langres (Valentin Loison), Hakuba at Cheval Blanc (Takuya Watanabe) and Arbane in Reims (Philippe Mille), as listed in the MICHELIN 2026 roundup.
