Guy Savoy, praised as the world’s top chef, loses one of his Michelin stars

Guy Savoy, celebrated as the best chef globally, has had one of his Michelin stars revoked.

His Monnaie de Paris restaurant, which earned three Michelin stars in 2002, held onto that prestigious status for two decades, according to the restaurant's records.

The restaurant also shared the top spot in Paris-based La Liste’s 2023 ranking of the world’s best restaurants for the sixth year in a row.

However, its Michelin rating has been reduced to two stars in the upcoming edition of the Michelin Guide France, which will be released next week, as confirmed by the Michelin Group in a Monday statement.

Savoy was informed of the news during a private conversation with Gwendal Poullennec, the international director of the Michelin Guides, alongside chef Christopher Coutanceau, whose seafood-focused restaurant in La Rochelle, southwest France, is also facing a downgrade.

“We understand the significance of our decisions for the restaurants involved,” the Michelin Group stated. “We maintain a relationship of trust with food enthusiasts and our readers, who expect our recommendations to be both serious and dependable to help guide their choices.”

The Michelin Guide mentioned that it is in the process of reaching out to other restaurants facing star removals, but emphasized that ratings are “not permanent” and are reviewed annually by their inspection teams.

In 2019, Marc Veyrat became the first chef to sue Michelin after his restaurant, La Maison des Bois in Haute-Savoie, was downgraded to two stars. The cause of the downgrade was reportedly the cheese used in his soufflé.

However, the court ruled in favor of Michelin, stating that the chef failed to provide evidence that the downgrade caused him harm.

Savoy began his culinary training in 1968 at the age of 15, spending the following decade working alongside chefs and in various restaurants across France, as noted on his website.

As a child, he would watch food being prepared in the pans of his family’s restaurant, La Buvette de l’Esplanade, in Bourgoin-Jallieu, France, according to Michelin.

He opened his first restaurant in Paris in 1980, moved to a larger location in 1987, and finally settled at the Monnaie de Paris, the French national mint building, in May 2015.

The restaurant, designed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, boasts six elegant dining rooms, large windows, hand-painted plates featuring a smiling face, colorful glass droplet ornaments, and stunning views of the Seine River.

Dinogo has reached out to Savoy for a statement.