Chef Guy Savoy, often touted as the world's best chef, has lost one of his three Michelin stars for his Monnaie de Paris restaurant. The restaurant had held its three-star status for the last 20 years since it was awarded in 2002, but the latest edition of the Michelin Guide France downgraded it to two stars.
Chef Savoy was informed of the demotion in a private discussion with the Michelin Guides' international director, Gwendal Poullennec, along with chef Christopher Coutanceau, whose marine-themed restaurant in La Rochelle is also being demoted.
The Michelin Group has confirmed that the rating is subject to yearly reassessment and that it is in the process of contacting other restaurants that will have stars removed. The Michelin Guide aims to provide reliable recommendations to gourmets and readers to help guide them in their choices. The ratings are not permanent, and they are reevaluated annually by inspection teams.
High-end restaurants that lost Michelin stars
Gordon Ramsay at the London, the flagship restaurant of renowned chef Gordon Ramsay located in a luxurious Manhattan hotel, was stripped of its two Michelin stars in 2013. Michael Ellis, the director of the Michelin guide, cited the restaurant's inconsistent meals as the reason for the demotion, stating that consistency is a significant factor in their ratings.
Michelin inspectors evaluate a restaurant based on objective factors such as food quality, service, atmosphere, and overall experience, not on the identity of the head chef. However, an exception happened five years back.
In 2014, Mitsuhiro Araki established The Araki London, a Japanese restaurant that was awarded two Michelin stars in 2016, followed by another star in 2018, making it the first Japanese restaurant in the UK to receive a prestigious three-star rating. However, when Araki announced his departure as head chef, Michelin downgraded the restaurant to a two-star rating, sparking controversy.
In 2019, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco was downgraded to two stars in the Michelin Guide, causing controversy in the food world.
In 2020, Michelin stripped the three-Michelin-starred L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges in France of its stars after the restaurant's founder, the legendary chef Paul Bocuse, passed away.
Also in 2020, the Michelin Guide for Switzerland announced that it was revoking the two stars it had previously awarded to the restaurant Le Chat-Botté in Geneva, citing changes in the restaurant's cuisine and service.
In the same year, Michelin removed a star from French chef Sébastien Bras's restaurant Le Suquet, after Bras requested that his restaurant be removed from the guide, citing the pressure and stress that came with maintaining a Michelin-starred establishment.
Michelin star from India
India has seven Michelin Star chefs, and the most prominent of them all is Chef Vikas Khanna. He, along with the first Indian woman to get the Michelin star - Chef Garima Arora, is hosting Masterchef India at the moment along with Chef Ranveer Brar. The other people on the prestigious list are Chef Vineet Bhatia, Chef Atul Kochhar, Chef Srijith Gopinathan, Chef Sriram Aylur and Chef Alfred Prasad.
HomeNewsworldWorld’s best chef penalised: Here’s a look at some Michelin-starred restaurants stripped in the past
FAQs
The decision was said to be down to the cheese used in the soufflé. However, the court ruled against him on the grounds that the chef provided no proof that the downgrade had caused him damage.
Why did Gordon Ramsay lose so many Michelin stars? ›
Michelin guide director Michael Ellis told Bloomberg, "We've had issues with consistency, and consistency is a huge thing for us ... we've had some very erratic meals [there]." He explained that the major two-star downgrade was a difficult decision to make but the Michelin team felt it was the right thing to do.
Which restaurants lost their Michelin star? ›
Restaurants that lost Michelin stars in 2024
- Hakkasan Hanway Place, Fitzrovia.
- Hakkasan Mayfair, Mayfair.
- Leroy, Shoreditch.
- Barrafina Dean Street, Soho.
- Le Gavroche, Mayfair (closed)
- Marcus, Belgravia (closed)
'Best chef in the world' Guy Savoy is mysteriously STRIPPED of a Michelin star at his Paris restaurant - 20 years since best friend Bernard Loiseau took his life after he dropped a rating.
Is Guy Savoy a good chef? ›
69-year-old Savoy has held Michelin's top three-star status since 2002 for his iconic eponymous restaurant, Monnaie de Paris, which overlooks the Seine. He was named as the best chef in the world as recently as November 2022; La Liste, which aggregates thousands of reviews from around the world, gave him that honour.
Did Bobby Flay lose a Michelin star? ›
The Las Vegas Mesa Grill earned Flay his only Michelin Star in 2008, which was taken away in the 2009 edition. Michelin did not publish a 2010 or 2011 Las Vegas edition, so the star could not be re-earned. Bolo Bar & Restaurant closed its doors on December 31, 2007, to make way for a condominium.
Does Gordon Ramsay own a Michelin Star restaurant? ›
To date, Gordon Ramsay holds a total of 7 Michelin stars across the restaurant group worldwide, including the flagship venue Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which has held three Michelin-stars for more than 2 decades.
Which restaurant refused Michelin Star? ›
Yes. Le Susquet in France held 3 Michelin stars for almost 20 years, then turned them down out of concern that one dish could trash the restaurant's reputation.
What states have no Michelin stars? ›
In the United States, it currently only covers a few states like New York, California, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. This is mainly because the Michelin reviewers, or inspectors as they are known, take a considerable amount of time to comprehensively review restaurants, considering factors like the quality of ...
Who is the number one Michelin star chef? ›
Late French chef and restaurateur Joël Robuchon was the chef with the most Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide as of April 2023. His restaurants were awarded a total of 31 stars across his career.
Introducing Joël Robuchon – the chef with the most Michelin stars. He holds the number one spot among the top 10 chefs in the world, which makes him the best chef in the world according to the Michelin star rating.
Who is the highest Michelin star chef today? ›
Top 10 Chefs with the Most Michelin Stars
- Joël Robuchon: 31 Michelin Stars. ...
- Alain Ducasse: 21 Michelin Stars. ...
- Gordon Ramsay: 17 Michelin Stars. ...
- Yannick Alléno: 15 Michelin Stars. ...
- Pierre Gagnaire: 14 Michelin Stars. ...
- Martin Berasategui: 12 Michelin Stars. ...
- Enrico Bartolini: 12 Michelin Stars. ...
- Anne-Sophie Pic: 10 Michelin Stars.
Guy Patrice Savoy (French: [ɡi savwa]; born 24 July 1953) is a French chef who is the head chef and owner of the eponymous Guy Savoy restaurant in Paris, France and its sister restaurant in Las Vegas, U.S., both of which have earned multiple Michelin stars. He owns three other restaurants in Paris.
Why do chefs lose Michelin stars? ›
In order to earn a star, the food in the restaurant will be reviewed multiple times. To lose one, it will be again reviewed a few times, but generally, it will take less time to make a decision. Key Takeaway: Any restaurant can lose a Michelin Star. Lack of consistency is the main reason why a Star is taken away.
Why did Marco Pierre White return his Michelin stars? ›
Four years later, he realized he wasn't fully satisfied with his work and announced his retirement, returning the Michelin stars. In this regard, he states: "I never earned the three Michelin stars; the men and women who were with me in the kitchen did.
Does the Savoy have a Michelin star? ›
The Michelin-starred Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay overlooks the hotel's iconic entrance and offers exclusive, contemporary fine dining, paying homage to the culinary titan Auguste Escoffier and providing guests with a true sense of delight.
