The Michelin guide 2012 awarded three stars to a restaurant tucked into the French Alps, taking the total number of eateries with the coveted rating to 26 in France.
French chef Emmanuel Renaut scooped the award for his "Flocons de Sel" ("Salt flakes") restaurant, which benefits from an idyllic chalet setting up a winding mountain road, in the southeastern Megeve region.
But the addition still leaves France well behind Japan, which has 32 three-starred restaurants.
The guide, which goes on sale on Thursday, lists a total of 4,289 restaurants of which 594 have one to three star ratings.
