Michelin Guide Knocks Classic Paris Eatery

Now that the Michelin food critics have declared Tokyo the world's culinary capital, this week's publication of the 2008 guide to France had the feeling of a day of reckoning. Sure enough, the red book reduces Paris' vaunted Le Grand Véfour from three stars to two, citing inconsistency at a restaurant that predates the French Revolution. "No stars are awarded out of kindness," said the guide's director.

Michelin did find some good things to eat in Paris, reports Bloomberg; it awarded a second star to L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, a Japanese-inspired countertop eatery. But the only new three-star restaurant is a seafood restaurant in Marseille overlooking the Mediterranean. Achieving three-star status can boost a restaurant's revenue up to 40% as reservations swell, particularly from foreigners. (More Michelin stories.)