Le Lisita Restaurant - 2011 The only Michelin-rated restaurant in the southern city of Nimes handed back its star to become a humble brasserie, in the hope of enticing back people put off by the higher prices that come with the accolade.
In France, Michelin is king. Ambitious chefs slave away as apprentices in three-star kitchens for years in the hopes of learning what it takes to gain stars themselves. Careers and reputations rise and fall. So, most people take it for granted that this prestige is good for business. But Le Lisita restaurant, which sits across the street from the famed Nimes coliseum in southern France, thinks otherwise. 162
SUNSEARCH MAGAZINE
Since it won its first Michelin star in 2006, the restaurant’s owners have felt increasing pressure to maintain high quality, which involves hiring many more waiters and cooks than they otherwise would need. Chef Olivier Douet said he had initially cherished the coveted accolade but that the 2008 financial economic crisis forced him into a painful rethink.
With the economy still in limbo the cost to maintain the quality of service, food and perfection attributed to a Michelin Star has become too high so Le Lista Restaurant decided to give back their Michelin star and take a new route and have re-branded Le Lisita into a more informal “brasserie,” called “Tendances Lisita Restaurant,”