Over the past year, our MICHELIN Guide Inspectors shared the dishes that impressed them most while dining across France’s MICHELIN-Starred restaurants — whether for their precise execution, exceptional ingredients, emotional resonance or inspired combinations of flavor.
This selection brings together standout plates served in One-, Two- and Three-Star restaurants across France, each united by the same thread: the memory of an extraordinary culinary moment.
Click on the dishes below to find out more:
Canard Burgaud sur Grill (Grilled Burgaud Duck) at Le 1947 à Cheval Blanc in Courchevel — Three Stars
Gratinée d’Oignons Contemporaine (Contemporary Onion Soup) at Le Cinq in Paris — Three Stars
Écrevisse du Rhône en Tartare, Beurre Mousseux Mandarine et Tagète, Jus de Carcasse (Rhône Crayfish Tartare, Mandarin and Marigold Butter Froth, Shellfish Jus) at Les Morainières in Jongieux — Three Stars
La “Rose,” Hommage à Notre-Dame de Reims (The “Rose Window,” a Tribute to Notre-Dame Cathedral in Reims) at Arbane in Reims — Two Stars
Le Thon Rouge, Shiso, Kiwi et Concombre (Bluefin Tuna, Shiso, Kiwi and Cucumber) at La Chèvre d’Or in Èze — Two Stars
Balade Dans les Alpages (“A Stroll Through Alpine Pastures”) at L’Auberge de Montmin in Talloires-Montmin — Two Stars
Coquilles Saint-Jacques à Cru, Oursin, Livèche (Raw Scallops, Sea Urchin, Lovage) at La Scène in Paris — Two Stars
Calamar du Golfe du Lion et Extraction de Carottes Fermentées (Gulf of Lion Squid and Fermented Carrot Extraction) at La Table de Lionel Giraud in Narbonne — Two Stars
Carotte et Truffe (Carrot and Truffle) at Maison Aribert in Uriage-les-Bains — Two Stars
Les Asperges d’Herblay: les Abeilles Commencent à Butiner (Herblay Asparagus: “The Bees are Starting to Forage”) at Zostera in Paris — One Star
1. Canard Burgaud sur Grill — Le 1947 à Cheval Blanc (Courchevel) — Three StarsGrilled Burgaud Duck
Chef: Yannick Alléno
Aged duck from Maison Burgaud is deboned and macerated in leaves and peppercorns, then grilled over live embers. Two juicy aiguillettes of duck arrive, with a juniper gel condiment, while withered escarole, slow cooked in butter and olive juice, acts as a bitter counterpoint. A remarkably full-bodied and peppery jus completes the dish.
This highly rigorous preparation, in which maceration, open-fire cooking and the peppercorn jus build a gradual intensity, is underpinned by the bitterness of the juniper and the earthiness of the escarole.
Grilled Burgaud duck at 1947 in Courchevel, French Alps. © Simon Detraz/Le 1947 à Cheval Blanc
2. Gratinée d’Oignons Contemporaine — Le Cinq (Paris) — Three Stars
Contemporary Onion Soup
Chef: Christian Le Squer
From the get-go, it is clear this creation is a world away from the traditional French onion soup. A sculptural presentation of loose spheres of onion purée alternating with candied petals and pieces of bread hides a compote of sweet Cévennes onions with black truffle and a Parmesan crust.
A caramelized onion jus, poured at the table, replaces the traditional consommé. A powerful and brilliant take on the Parisian classic, this structured interpretation works thanks to extremely precise textures and a measured depth, from the caramelized onion jus to the truffle notes.
Contemporary onion soup, à la parisienne at Le Cinq in Paris. © Alix Marnat/Le Cinq
3. Écrevisse du Rhône en Tartare, Beurre Mousseux Mandarine et Tagète, Jus de Carcasse — Les Morainières (Jongieux) — Three Stars
Rhône Crayfish Tartare, Mandarin and Marigold Butter Froth, Shellfish Jus
Chef: Michaël Arnoult
Nestled in a wooden dish, the crayfish tail tartare is surrounded by a frothy butter flavored with mikan (Japanese mandarin) zest and marigold leaves. Tart nasturtium leaves, a few flowers and crunchy croutons are the finishing touch.
In a separate bowl, a fennel purée — think light aniseed notes — meets crayfish tails cooked in a remarkably elegant and deep Nantua-style reduction. A toasted square of laminated brioche and crayfish butter round off this masterful dish.
Rhône crayfish tartare, frothy mandarin and marigold butter with shellfish jus at Les Morainières. © Pascal Etienne Lattes/Thuries Magazine/Les Morainières
4. La “Rose,” Hommage à Notre-Dame de Reims — Arbane (Reims) — Two Stars
The “Rose Window,” a Tribute to Notre-Dame Cathedral in Reims
Chef: Philippe Mille
A “rose window” crafted out of crispy pastry is laid over a perfect round of Oscietra caviar from Aquitaine, which covers a neat bed of exceedingly fresh langoustines. Around it, a verjus jelly and a celeriac cream mingle with herb oil and a reduced jus from the langoustine heads, to compose a tableau reminiscent of a stained-glass window. A work of art, as striking as it is delicious.
The “Rose Window”, a tribute to Notre-Dame Cathedral in Reims at Arbane. © Nicolas Quiniou Voyage Voyage Magazine/Arbane
5. Le Thon Rouge, Shiso, Kiwi et Concombre — La Chèvre d’Or (Èze) — Two Stars
Bluefin Tuna, Shiso, Kiwi and Cucumber
Chef: Tom Meyer
A striking composition, the dish consists of cucumber matchsticks, shiso ice cream, tart kiwi and marinated tuna loin, covered with a shiso leaf. At the table, a piece of tuna belly is seared on one side and then placed on top of the other ingredients. A dense fish jus with a subtle umami flavor completes this precise, refined and impeccably balanced dish.
Bluefin tuna, shiso, kiwi and cucumber at La Chèvre d’Or in the South of France. © Paul Stefanaggi/La Chèvre d’Or
6. Balade Dans les Alpages — L’Auberge de Montmin (Talloires-Montmin) — Two Stars
“A Stroll Through Alpine Pastures”
Chef: Florian Favario
Lamb chops from Bergerie Éolienne are grilled and served with a pepper and harissa condiment, a spicy sausage and stuffed zucchini flower. A lamb jus with tomatoes and Taggiasca olives, served again while you eat, prolongs the moment of indulgence.
A kebab of confit leg of lamb, Savoie chickpea hummus with caraway, a Tatin of confit onions and half a roasted garlic bulb come together to complete the Mediterranean landscape interpreted with utmost finesse. A dish designed as a sequence, in which each element plays a key role.
Milk-fed lamb and onion tart Tatin at restaurant L’Auberge de Montmin. © L’Auberge de Montmin
7. Coquilles Saint-Jacques à Cru, Oursin, Livèche — La Scène (Paris) — Two Stars
Raw Scallops, Sea Urchin, Lovage
Chef: Stéphanie Le Quellec
Two immaculate white and exceptionally fresh scallops are shucked to order by the kitchen. Served raw, they have a firm, supple texture and a delicate, slightly sweet flavor. An emulsion of the corals and dots of lovage gel elevate the scallops perfectly. A Galician sea urchin “tongue” adds a briny punch, a shoot of dulse seaweed brings a salty, peppery snap, while a scallop crisp provides contrast. A dish whose purity of form fully honors the intent and the ingredients.
Raw scallops, sea urchin and lovage at La Scène in Paris. © Stéphane RISS/La Scène
8. Calamar du Golfe du Lion et Extraction de Carottes Fermentées — La Table de Lionel Giraud (Narbonne) — Two Stars
Gulf of Lion Squid and Fermented Carrot Extraction
Chef: Lionel Giraud
The squid “spaghetti,” briefly seared over embers, has a remarkably supple texture. The ribbons nestle in a deep, concentrated Catalan sofregit-type sauce enriched with squid heads reduced in Maury wine. A fermented carrot extraction, poured tableside, introduces a precise sweet-and-sour edge. This vibrant vegetable foam lifts the dish, while a quenelle of caviar provides seasoning and salinity. It is a beautiful creation — precise and balanced — in which the smoke from the embers, the sauce and the carrot extraction marry together seamlessly.
Gulf of Lion squid and fermented carrot extraction at La Table Lionel Giraud. © Agence Le Petit Gastronome/La Table Lionel Giraud
9. Carotte et Truffe — Maison Aribert (Uriage-les-Bains) — Two Stars
Carrot and Truffle
Chef: Christophe Aribert
This dish celebrates the carrot in a trinity of forms: a silky purée, thick ribbons flavored with horseradish and crunchy chips. Tucked beneath the chips, a black truffle ice cream unfurls its intense aroma. A carrot jus, brightened by ginger and turmeric, lends vibrancy and balance. The juxtaposition of earthy ingredients and pungent spices is seamless — a clear dialogue between vegetal, spicy and earthy elements, navigated with a light touch.
Carrot and truffle at Maison Aribert. © PAM STUDIO/Maison Aribert
10. Les Asperges d’Herblay: les Abeilles Commencent à Butiner — Zostera (Paris) — One Star
Herblay Asparagus: “The Bees are Starting to Forage”
Chef: Julien Dumas
A beautiful green asparagus spear prepared three ways — the tip raw, the stalk confit in wax, the stalk cooked — offers a precise interplay of textures. The slightly tart pollen sabayon yields an indulgent, waxy character. A cohesive idea, driven by cleanly contrasting textures and an exacting sense of balance.
Herblay asparagus: the bees are starting to forage; Aspargus and pollen at Zostera in Paris. © Zostera; © Emmanuelle Levesque/Zostera
Hero Image: One of our MICHELIN Guide Inspectors’ favorite dishes is a contemporary twist on the traditional French dish of onion soup à la parisienne. © Alix Marnat/Le Cinq
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the MICHELIN Guide
Dining and Cooking