PARIS (Reuters) – French chef Sylvain Sendra’s restaurant has been closed for months, and his staff is furlough, but on Monday he received a morsel of good news: his restaurant was starred. kept in Michelin’s annual lead.
The guide, widely known as the Bible of gastronomy, published its annual French edition on Monday.
Preparing the start of a slice in a cream and vanilla dressing in his empty restaurant, the Fleur de Pave, Sendra said the guide offered a much-needed recognition of a trade hit hard by influences COVID-19 pandemic.
With restaurants ordered closed to try to keep the spread of the virus at bay, Sendra has the same revenue from private dinners that he prepares for some loyal customers.
“For people who get their first star, in the time we suffer through it, this will be a comfort to them anyway,” said the chef.
This year, ending the leadership was a headache. There were only a few weeks when restaurants were open between COVID-19 locks.
When locking restrictions were reduced, inspectors suspended their holidays so that they could enter as many tours as possible before the restaurants were closed. close again, said Gwendal Poullennec, the guide ‘s international director.
“They were able – whilst adhering to our time-honored approach and visiting as many times as usual – to establish such a reliable range of restaurants. and reliable as in previous years, ”said Poullennec.
In this year’s leadership, one new restaurant was upgraded to the most prestigious of three Michelin stars.
The AM par Alexandre Mazzia in the southern city of Marseille merged into the other 29 restaurants in France that already have a reputation.
Two restaurants received two stars for the first time, and 54 places received one star for the first time.
Reciting with Christian Hartmann, Yiming Woo and Michaela Cabrera; Written by Christian Lowe; Edited by Andrew Heavens