5 Michelin Three-Star Meals Worth Traveling For

18.10.2023 - 17:03 / forbes.com / Belle Epoque / Alain Ducasse / Louis XV (Xv) / Star

There are currently 142 restaurants in the world with Michelin three-star ratings. As the world’s most influential restaurant guide, a Michelin rating is the most important accolade a chef can receive. A three-star rating vaults any Michelin-rated restaurant into the uppermost tier of the top restaurants in the world. If you’re a culture and gastronomy aficionado, and chasing the high price of excellence is of great importance in your culinary matters, here are five Michelin three-star restaurants worth paying a visit.

The Inn at Little Washington

Washington, VA

A destination in and of itself, The Inn at Little Washington is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains 70 miles west of Washington, D.C. The Inn is home to its namesake restaurant, along with a 24-room hotel, all founded and overseen by proprietor and head chef Patrick O’Connell.

Often referred to as “the Pope of American cuisine,” the self-taught O’Connell has taken many of his favorite foods from childhood and given them a fresh French spin. The gastronaut’s menu, for example, showcases “A Tin of Sin”: Petrossian Tsar Imperial Caviar with Chesapeake Crab and Cucumber Rillette, along with a Carpaccio of Big-Eye Tuna and Swordfish with Wasabi Sorbet and Puffed Wild Rice.

Each dish is carefully paired with a selection of wines. Also known for its slightly mischievous approach to food with flippant dessert names like “Do I Dare to Eat a Peach?” ― a peach mousse molded to closely resemble the fruit itself and named after a T.S. Eliot poem ― and the selection of cheese from the resident “Cheese Whiz,” the Inn at Little Washington is a must-do for those seeking the finest in French-influenced American cuisine.

Le Louis XV - Alain Ducasse à l'Hôtel de Paris

Monte Carlo, Monaco

The flagship restaurant of Alain Ducasse, Le Louis XV is located in the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo and is widely recognized as one of the most sought-after destinations in Provence. The grand fairytale decor in the storied Belle Epoque space includes gilding chandeliers atop washes of cream, white and glistening gold, matched only by the meticulous service and legendary wine selection. The menu is inspired by the French Riviera, showcasing the best of Provence seafood, meats and vegetables. The desserts have been described as heavenly, particularly the selection of croquembouches soaring high with spun sugar and sometimes covered in edible flowers or macarons. Cannes Film Festival attendees are among Le Louis XV’s most loyal fans, making celebrity spotting de rigueur.

As the only hotel restaurant to win three Michelin stars within four years of opening in 1987, Le Louis XV is the first hotel-based restaurant to earn that level of recognition. And, with