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The Michelin Guide Strikes Back

Restaurant Paul Bocuse Loses It’s Third Star

Francois de Melogue
5 min readJan 21, 2020

By now anyone who loves French food has heard the earth-shattering news that Paul Bocuse’s restaurant lost their coveted third star that they’ve held for an unprecedented 55 years straight. Despite my deep appreciation for the life and legacy of Paul Bocuse I am not completely surprised, though probably not for the reasons you think.

Before I go too far, I must confess I am a classicist. I prefer eating dishes like civet de lapin, blanquette de veau, or bouillabaisse to the sometimes-bizarre combinations I have witnessed in many of France’s modern temples of gastronomy. I am all for change, but a change still rooted in tradition.

For many years if not decades, the Guide Michelin has struggled to remain relevant with foodies. In many cases, they have diluted the brand to be more inclusive.

Famous chefs are turning in their Michelin stars

Marco Pierre White famously lamented that “today they dish out stars like confetti. What does Michelin mean anymore?” Perhaps the Michelin Guide deserves to fade away just like the absurdly lengthy epoch of France’s dominance over global restaurant cuisine.

In Lyon, Paul Bocuse is everywhere © F. Crouzet — This Is Lyon

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Francois de Melogue
Francois de Melogue

Written by Francois de Melogue

My earliest attempt at cookery began with the filleting of my sister's goldfish at age 2 and cooking my pet rabbits by age 7. Life has been downhill ever since.

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