Michelin shake‑up in France
The Michelin Guide France 2026 added 62 new starred restaurants but only one new three‑star — Les Morainières in Savoie, led by chef Michaël Arnoult — highlighting a year of selective top promotions (luxus-plus.com). The guide also notes high turnover at top tables (e.g., Somssi at the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair closed after chef Jihun Kim’s March departure), and a clear trend toward hyper‑regional menus ( ).
France’s 2026 Michelin selection lists 668 starred restaurants in the country, announced on March 16, 2026 during the ceremony in Monaco. (guide.michelin.com) This year’s promotions break down to seven restaurants elevated to two stars and 54 newly awarded one-star listings, according to the Guide’s official summary of new distinctions. (guide.michelin.com) Paris and its outskirts were a major focus: the Guide highlights four new two‑star tables around the capital — Hakuba, Virtus, Alliance and Le Corot — and lists eleven new one‑star openings in the city. (guide.michelin.com) Inspectors flagged significant churn alongside the promotions, with reports that 44 establishments across France lost one or more stars, 17 houses dropped their lone star outright, and the historic L’Ambroisie was downgraded from three to two following chef Bernard Pacaud’s departure and a leadership handover to Shintaro Awa. (sortiraparis.com) Les Morainières in Jongieux (Savoie) is described by Michelin inspectors as a compact house with six guestrooms that centres its tasting on lake and mountain sourcing, with signature plates such as a Rhône crayfish tartare accompanied by mandarin‑whipped butter noted in the write‑up. (guide.michelin.com) The Guide’s commentary points to operational shifts at top restaurants this year — more daytime set menus, bistro‑linked concepts and an emphasis on local sourcing and plant‑forward dishes — alongside a technical return to intense broths and sauces in several promoted kitchens. (jds.fr) In London context tied to the red guide’s ripple effects, Mandarin Oriental Mayfair confirmed the closure of Somssi after chef Jihun Kim’s Instagram announcement of his departure on March 17, 2026, a move that followed the restaurant’s short run and recent star recognition. (thecaterer.com)
