“I wrote a letter to the Michelin Guide to thank them for the trust they showed in me and to let them know they could drop my restaurant from the new guide. It wasn’t easy. You don’t just turn your back on something you fought for your whole life – first to win the stars, then to hold on to them.”

The fine-dining restaurant will be integrated into an entertainment complex, featuring a hotel, rest home, swimming pool, brasserie and a park. Denis, 63, will hand over the whole complex to his daughter, Veronique. “I’ll miss it, but I promised my wife,” he explained.

www.closstdenis.com