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, 10 with two stars, 58 with one star 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
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 inspectors, who test the restaurants every day, with new - and renewed - experiences. Dining anonymously like ordinary customers, they systematically pay their own bills. However, as true hospitality industry professionals, they painstakingly judge each dish to ensure that the restaurant meets Michelin's criteria in terms of product quality, preparation and flavors, the chef's personality as revealed through his or her cuisine, value for money, and consistency over time and across the entire menu. The best restaurants are awarded the Bib Gourmand label or stars, distinctions that are based solely on cooking quality and are always attributed on a consensus basis. Comfort and service are rated separately.

Hotels and guesthouses for a memorable overnight experience

The guide also features a selection of 4,457 hotels and guesthouses covering all price and comfort categories. Again, the Michelin inspectors have leveraged their expertise, applying rigorous selection criteria to point customers to the very best addresses. This year, 835 establishments have been rated "quiet" or "very quiet" while 873 have been rated as "particularly pleasant" (the inspectors favorites). The selection of hotels with spa facilities has also been expanded, with a total of 281 certified as having superior "well-being and relaxation" facilities. In addition, the guide includes more than 520 guesthouses. The best in each region are indicated. Whether small family inns, seaside resorts, renowned luxury establishments or hotels that reflect the latest trends in design, the guide has something for vacationers and business travelers alike.

From March 1 to 31, 2012, an iPhone application is offered free of charge for each purchase of a MICHELIN guide.

Throughout the month of March, Michelin is for the first time ever offering the 2012 MICHELIN Guide France Hotels & Restaurants iPhone application free of charge with each purchase of the print guide. The application is the perfect complement to the printed guide, enabling users to consult the Michelin inspectors' selection of hotels and restaurants at any time. It can be downloaded from the App Store simply by entering the promotional code included in the guide.

The gourmet cooking scene in the French capital is also vibrant. The 2012 MICHELIN guide Paris explores some 453 restaurants and 60 hotels, of which 72 first-time selections. The guide includes attractive descriptions with photos, a special Paris Pratique section containing useful advice, 11 theme lists enabling readers to choose according to their desires or budget, street plans of Paris's 20 arrondissements and a removable map of the entire city.

For more than a century, the MICHELIN guide collection has been committed to making life easier for travelers by providing them with a selection of the best restaurants, hotels and guesthouses around the world. Today, the 27 MICHELIN guides cover 23 countries on three continents.

2012 MICHELIN guide France:
- 8,746 establishments, of which 4,457 hotels and guesthouses and 4,289 restaurants
- 594 "starred" restaurants, of which 485 with one star (58 new listings), 83 with two stars (10 new) and 26 with three stars (1 new)
- 630 Bib Gourmand restaurants, of which 124 newly awarded the label
- 2,016 pages - €24.00
- To be released on Thursday, March 1 2012

2012 MICHELIN guide France Hotels & Restaurants: the iPhone application:
- The full selection of hotels and restaurants listed in the 2012 MICHELIN guide France
- Functions: search for nearby hotels and restaurants, by address or name; list of favorites;customer comments; map view of the establishment; sharing opinions and suggestions via social networks, etc.
- Available in five languages for iPhone. €7.99

2012 MICHELIN guide Paris:
- 513 establishments, of which 60 hotels and 453 restaurants
- 77 "starred" restaurants, of which 50 with one star (11 new listings), 17 with two stars (2 new) and 10 with three stars
- 70 Bib Gourmand restaurants, of which 20 newly awarded the label
- 480 pages - €15.90
- To be released on Thursday, March 1 2012

Michelin Media Relations: +33 1 45 66 22 22