Suicide chef’s restaurant keeps Michelin stars
The l'Hotel de Ville restaurant in Crissier, outside Lausanne, has retained its three-star Michelin rating despite the shock suicide of its star chef Benoit Violier in January.
It was one of three restaurants in Switzerland to win the coveted three stars, the Michelin Guide said in a press release on Wednesday.
Only 100 restaurants around the world are honoured with three stars.
Violier had emerged as one of the giants of elite cuisine, steering the restaurant outside Lausanne to three-star honours just four years after taking over.
He had also been named chef-of-the-year in the prestigious Gault & Millau guide in 2013.
The culinary world was shocked when the 44-year-old chef took his own life just four months after the French-based La Liste labelled Crissier the best restaurant in the world.
Following his death, Violier's widow Brigitte vowed that Crissier would remain open, with former sous-chef Franck Giovannini taking charge of the kitchen.
"The new chef has successfully retained the highest distinction," Michelin said.
The other Swiss restaurants given Michelin's top honour were Schauenstein in the eastern canton of Graubünden and Cheval Blanc in Basel.
With 117 establishments winning at least one Michelin star, Switzerland remains the country with the highest number of starred restaurants per inhabitant in Europe, 20 Minutes reported.
The country has risen up the rankings in the past five years “confirming the high level and extraordinary diversity in the gastronomic offer between Geneva and St Gallen, Basel and Lugano”, said Michael Ellis, international Director of the Michelin Guide.
Comments
See Also
It was one of three restaurants in Switzerland to win the coveted three stars, the Michelin Guide said in a press release on Wednesday.
Only 100 restaurants around the world are honoured with three stars.
Violier had emerged as one of the giants of elite cuisine, steering the restaurant outside Lausanne to three-star honours just four years after taking over.
He had also been named chef-of-the-year in the prestigious Gault & Millau guide in 2013.
The culinary world was shocked when the 44-year-old chef took his own life just four months after the French-based La Liste labelled Crissier the best restaurant in the world.
Following his death, Violier's widow Brigitte vowed that Crissier would remain open, with former sous-chef Franck Giovannini taking charge of the kitchen.
"The new chef has successfully retained the highest distinction," Michelin said.
The other Swiss restaurants given Michelin's top honour were Schauenstein in the eastern canton of Graubünden and Cheval Blanc in Basel.
With 117 establishments winning at least one Michelin star, Switzerland remains the country with the highest number of starred restaurants per inhabitant in Europe, 20 Minutes reported.
The country has risen up the rankings in the past five years “confirming the high level and extraordinary diversity in the gastronomic offer between Geneva and St Gallen, Basel and Lugano”, said Michael Ellis, international Director of the Michelin Guide.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.