Guy Savoy's Paris restaurant loses third star as Michelin signals business as usual

Michelin has confirmed Guy Savoy's Monnaie de Paris restaurant and the eponymous Restaurant Christopher Coutanceau in La Rochelle will both be downgraded from three to two stars in the Michelin Guide France 2023.

Around 20 restaurants are also expected to have been downgraded from two- to one-star status when the guide is formally released on Monday, in a sign that the publisher of the red book is drawing a line under any post-Covid leniency.

The downgrading of Monnaie de Paris, which had held three stars since 2002, has made headlines across continents, with chef patron Savoy having been named the best chef in the world for six years running by restaurant guide La Liste.

Michelin confirmed that the restaurants had been informed of the decision during private discussions with Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides.

France 24 reported that Michelin has said the first downgrades made in its French Guide since 2019 are necessary for it to remain relevant.

In the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2022 stars were removed from 20 restaurants, although 16 of these were due to closures.

In a statement shared with The Caterer Michelin said: "We are fully aware of the impact of our decisions for the restaurants concerned. We maintain a trust-based relationship with the gourmets and our readers. They expect our recommendations to be serious and reliable in order to guide them in their choices.

"These recommendations, like all those issued by the Michelin Guide, are in no way permanent. In fact, all our awards are reassessed every year by our inspection teams in light of the restaurant experiences observed anonymously and independently. These experiences are assessed according to the Michelin Guide's methodology and five criteria, applied in an identical fashion throughout the world for over 100 years."

The Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2023 will be released on 27 March 2023.