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PRESS RELEASE Paris - February 27, 2012

The 2012 MICHELIN guide France: Reflecting the vibrancy of French gourmet cooking
Scheduled for release in bookstores on March 1, the 2012 MICHELIN guide France offers a unique view of the country’s hospitality industry with 4,457 hotels and 4,289 restaurants recommended, 426 establishments listed for the first time, 1 new restaurant with three stars o, 10 with two stars n, 58 with one star m and 124 new Bib Gourmand restaurants. In ten years, the number of starred restaurants in France has risen by 15% and the number of Bib Gourmands by nearly 40%. Dining every day in a wide variety of restaurants across all price categories, the MICHELIN guide inspectors can attest to the fact that quality everywhere is on the upswing. A new restaurant with three stars o Flocons de sel now ranks among the 105 restaurants around the world that are “worth a special journey.” Located atop Megève, the restaurant headed by Emmanuel Renaud, a chef whose talents have been confirmed today is on top of the gourmet dining world. His restaurant has become an indispensable destination for lovers of mountain scenery and fine cuisine. With an expanding array of culinary trends and a constant focus on ingredients, high standards of cooking and renovated interiors, the French restaurant industry is being revitalized and transformed. Despite the current economic environment, young chefs are boldly – and successfully – carving out their own niches with new gourmet restaurants. As proof, a total of five restaurants that formerly displayed the Bib Gourmand label have this year been awarded their first star: l’Auberge de l’Abbaye in Ambronay (01), L’Arbre in Gruson (59), L’Éventail des Saveurs in Rostrenen (22), Le Bec au Cauchois in Valmont (76) and Le Juliénas in Villefranche-sur-Saône (69). From the most prestigious restaurants to simple bistros, the same commitment to quality is lifting the entire French gourmet dining scene and providing the guide’s