Michelin Guide: the Oise has only four starred restaurants
“Of course, we are disappointed, but we respect their choice,” says Nicole Wilms-Kauffmann, of the Auberge du Jeu-de-Paume, a hotel located in the gardens of the Domaine de Chantilly. The commercial director is not surprised, fortunately, the news did not fall on Monday. Like all establishments affected by the loss of a star, the Cannes restaurant was warned ahead of the announcements of the Michelin Guide.
“They will be back to us shortly”
La Table du Connétable, which had obtained up to two stars in 2016 – before losing one the following year – is therefore no longer part of the Oise starred club. So there remains the Grange de Belle-Eglise, in Belle-Eglise, the Edge of the Forest, in Étouy, the hostel A la Bonne Idée, in Saint-Jean-aux-Boisand the Verbois, in Saint-Maximin.
A few unknowns still remain for the former starred Chantilly. On what criteria was this demotion decided? Impossible to know at the moment. For more than 100 years, the Guide’s inspectors have operated discreetly, without ever revealing their identity.
“But they will give us a return shortly and it will be important for us to understand their decision”, estimates the commercial. On the phone, she assures us that this loss will not change anything, or anything. “We are the relay of the Chantilly castle. Our customers are loyal to us and our house has a reputation in France but also internationally. It is not because we no longer have this star that the quality will drop or that attendance will drop. »
She recalls that her teams work with “passion” to offer “beautiful experiences” to their guests. “We have a new chef who arrived in October, there are great projects to come. In the kitchen: Clément Le Norcy, back “in the house where he started”. The chef had thus worked at the Table du Connétable between 2013 and 2015, as second in command to Arnaud Faye. “Our goal is to write a new page in gastronomy. The Michelin guide followed us and I hope will follow us again. »
Two stars in 2016
A “new page” but above all a symbolic setback, because this gourmet restaurant had obtained its first star just 10 years ago. At the time, he was the chief Arnaud Faye who was in charge, the Table du Connétable had only just opened its doors a few months earlier. “We were working for it, but perhaps we didn’t expect to get it so quickly,” he explained to Le Parisien, after this first consecration.
In 2016, a second star was won, making La Table du Connétable the only two-star restaurant in the department. It only lasted a year, being withdrawn after the departure of Arnaud Faye. A waltz of chefs will follow for a few years. Now, everything has to start over. In charge of revenge for next year? “We’re going to say it that way,” concludes Nicole Wilms-Kauffmann.
