17 March 2026
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After Inspectors' latest restaurant reveal in France, dozens of newly awarded Star restaurants are celebrating their new distinctions — and the travelers who frequent these pages are planning their visits. They'll find no shortage of world-class hotels near the latest Stars.
From a castle château by the country's only new Three-Star restaurant, to the actual childhood home of a new Two-Star chef, here's where to stay for visits to Inspectors' top restaurant picks for France in 2026.
The Restaurant: Les Morainières — Jongieux, Savoy
Where to stay nearby: At an intimate hotel château or at one of three One-Key hotels scattered about the region home to France's newest Three-Star restaurant.The biggest news to come from the French reveal is Les Morainières, the latest restaurant in France to earn Three Stars. There will be much written about Chef Michaël Arnoult, and the way he uses seasonality to reflect the very best of the Savoy region and its craftsmen in the days and weeks to come. But Savoy has its own appeal, and Inspectors' favorite hotels are spread throughout this historic Alpine region and its neighbors.
A 40-minute drive to the vineyard-surrounded Les Morainières is Château Brachet, a 15-room castle best for games of croquet and walks along forest paths; while between an hour and an hour and a half away you'll find several One-Key hotels, like Auberge du Père Bise, Maison Aribert and Le Clos des Sens, each its own version of lakeside or bucolic glamor, each with its own distinguished restaurants — including the self-titled Two-Star Maison Aribert and the Three-Star Le Clos des Sens.
The Restaurant: Arbane — Reims, Champagne
Where to stay nearby: At one of two Three-Key hotels, either in the historic city or the heart of the Champagne countryside.Chef Philippe Mille opened Arbane in 2024, earned a Star in 2025, and added one more in 2026. His visionary take on seafood incorporates the markers of this famous region, including dishes cooked over vine branches, and the best hotels are just as linked with the terroir. The Three-Key Domaine les Crayères was once owned by one of the most important names in the history of Champagne, Madame Pommery, who turned Champagne Pommery into a powerhouse. Set in the city of Reims, a 15-minute drive from the restaurant, guests take bespoke tours of wine country when they aren't lounging in lavishly appointed rooms or walking the garden-sculpted grounds through trees planted by Pommery herself.
A half-hour from Arbane, with Three Keys to recommend it, the Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa is another gem of the Champagne countryside — and host to an excellent spa, with a massive pool overlooking the vineyards, and its own One-Star restaurant, Le Royal. Meanwhile, for a more affordable stay in Reims, find the MICHELIN-selected La Caserne Chanzy, just across from the city's beautiful Notre-Dame Cathedral.
The Restaurant: Le Corot — Ville-d'Avray, Île-de-France
Where to stay nearby: A contemporary, spa-driven boutique hotel in this bucolic town between Paris and Versailles.To experience the modern cuisine of the virtuoso Chef Rémi Chambard — and new Passion Dessert prize winner Baptiste Vial — you might stay at any number of hotels in nearby Versailles or Paris. But do yourself a favor and skip even the smallest commute after a dining experience just distinguished with Two Stars.
The restaurant's associated hotel, Les Étangs de Corot, is named for French landscape painter Camille Corot, known for painting the ponds nearby. And while the hotel is an extension of the area's pastoral setting and green spaces, this is no rustic experience. The style is contemporary, and the spa is excellent. Not to mention, there's an additional MICHELIN selection on-site, the contemporary bistro Le Café des Artistes.
The Restaurant: Frédéric Doucet — Charolles, Burgundy
Where to stay nearby: The actual childhood home of the chef behind Burgundy's newest Two-Star gem.Chef Frédéric Doucet, of the region's newest Two-Key restaurant, cites the many beautiful footbridges and canals of this picturesque village in the south of Burgundy, sometimes compared to Venice, as among its great appeals. And when it comes to regional expertise, his is beyond question: the building now home to his hotel, the intimate Maison Doucet, is the very same one in which he was born and raised.
While Inspectors tout Chef Doucet's visceral, instinctive reflection of the Burgundy region — including his use of the region's famous breed of beef — the hotel itself is its own peaceful, cozy reflection of Charolles. A comfortable spot, complete with pool and spa, from which to explore Charolles' ancient buildings and the beautiful greenery of the region beyond.
The Restaurants: Hakuba and Virtus — 1st and 12th Arrondissement, Paris
Where to stay nearby: At the Three-Key hotel host to Hakuba, or the little cinema of a hotel in Paris's residential 12th Arrondissement a brisk walk from Virtus.You can stay anywhere in Paris and enjoy its latest batch of One-Key restaurants and its two brand-new Two Stars. But for the latter, there are two perfect complements. The Three-Key Cheval Blanc, a deeply luxurious stay as welcoming to families as it is to celebrating newlyweds, is in fact the site of the newly awarded Hakuba, a Japanese restaurant with three beloved chefs and, rare for the cuisine, a can't-miss dessert menu.
Meanwhile, there has never been a better reason than new Two-Star Virtus to explore the lovely, green and largely residential 12th Arrondissement. Hotel Paradiso is the standout hotel in the neighborhood, a hotel developed by a French cinema chain and kitted out with playful film allusions and large screens with projectors in each room. The fact that there's no restaurant means it's perhaps the ideal pairing with dinner at one of Paris' most exciting new Two-Star restaurants. In summer, return from dinner to rooftop movie screenings.
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Header image: A look at One-Key Maison Aribert in the French spa town of Uriage-les-Bains. © Maison Aribert
