Michelin reviews unopened restaurant

guido · Site Admin Joined: Oct 18, 2004 Posts: 381 Location: Italy

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Michelin group has withdrawn its 2005 guide to the Benelux region after recommending a Belgian restaurant that had not opened when the highly respected gastronomic guide went to press.

The Belgian press caused a stir on Wednesday by revealing that the Ostend Queen, a restaurant in the coastal town of Ostend, had been awarded two "forks" and a "gourmet's bib" by the Michelin guide, despite not having opened.

The guide made the award on the recommendation of top Belgian chef Pierre Wynants, who owns Brussels' three-star-rated "Comme chez soi", a favourite with European diplomats and politicians.

"We've taken the decision to withdraw the Benelux 2005 guide from sale," said Michelin spokeswoman Fabienne de Brebisson.

"The quality system for the development of the guide was not respected," said de Brebisson, speaking by telephone from the group's Clermont-Ferrand headquarters.

A new edition of the guide should be available in about two months, de Brebisson added.
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