Gault Millau, a renowned French restaurant guide, employs a rating scale ranging from 1 to 20 points, where 20 signifies the highest excellence. Restaurants are evaluated primarily on the quality of their cuisine, with separate assessments provided for service, price, and ambiance. Esteemed establishments achieving a score of 13 points or higher are granted the privilege of displaying small toques. These toques symbolize varying degrees of culinary proficiency:
- No Toque: 10-12.5/20
- One Toque: 13-13.5/20
- Two Toques: 14-14.5/20
- Three Toques: 15-16.5/20
- Four Toques: 17-18.5/20
- Five Toques: 19-20/20
The evaluation criteria for cuisine encompass:
1. Freshness and quality of seasonal ingredients used.
2. Creativity, reflecting both innovative approaches to traditional dishes and the richness of ideas for new creations.
3. Harmonious preparation aimed at preserving the original flavors.
4. Consistency in the execution of soups and sauces.
5. Appropriate duration of preparation.
6. Consideration of the evaluators' preferences.
The Gault Millau rating system assigns points according to the following guidelines:
- 20/20: A perfect rating rarely awarded, reflecting an exceptional culinary experience.
- 19/20: Reserved for the world's top restaurants, denoting outstanding excellence.
- 17 and 18/20: Acknowledging the highest levels of creativity and quality, representing impeccable dish preparation.
- 15 and 16/20: Recognizing a superior level of culinary skill, creativity, and quality.
- 13 and 14/20: Indicative of very good cuisine surpassing ordinary standards.
- 12 and 12.5/20: Reflecting good cuisine typically found in everyday restaurants.
Notably, Gault Millau refrained from awarding a perfect score of 20 points for many years, contending that perfection exceeds the capabilities of ordinary individuals. However, in 2004, two restaurants helmed by chef Marc Veyrat, Maison de Marc Veyrat (or L'Auberge de l'Eridan) in Veyrier-du-Lac near Annecy and La Ferme de Mon Père ("My Father's Farm") in Megève, earned this exceptional accolade.
Source - Google, https://lnkd.in/e_yNnirC, AI help
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