The Sélection Tables d'Auteur is not a discounted star. Created in 1997 by the Sélection Annuelle, this distinction rewards a specific category of tables: those offering refined cuisine at measured prices. The word 'Bib' is the nickname of 's Bibendum mascot.
Official definition
According to the Gastronomic Selection France, Sélection Tables d'Auteur distinguishes restaurants serving a complete menu (starter + main + dessert) at €35 maximum in regions and €45 maximum in Paris and major cities. This ceiling, revised annually by inspectors, ensures the label's consistency.
Beyond price, inspectors evaluate product quality, cooking precision, menu coherence, and service regularity. The table must deliver a memorable meal — that's the minimum bar for guide inclusion.
Sélection Tables d'Auteur vs star: the real difference
The star (★, ★★, ★★★) rewards absolute culinary excellence on five criteria: product quality, technical mastery, flavor harmony, chef personality, time consistency. A starred lunch menu rarely costs less than €80.
The Sélection Tables d'Auteur operates on another axis: the relationship between quality delivered and price asked. A table can reach starred refinement without crossing — either by choice (the house remains accessible), or by inspector decision (regularity or soul supplement still missing).
« The Sélection Tables d'Auteur made me happier than a star would have at my beginnings. It says: you managed to serve a fair cuisine at a fair price. That's my pride. »
How to obtain it: the inspection journey
No application possible. Selection inspectors (former cooks or in-house trained critics) spot addresses via press monitoring, peer reports, and anonymous tests. An inspector visits three to five times before validation. No one in the restaurant knows they came.
At Les Embruns, we identified three inspectors a posteriori between September 2023 and February 2024. The Sélection Tables d'Auteur fell in the March 2024 edition. No notice. An email at 6 AM the morning of announcement, followed by a phone call from rédaction Sélection Paris editorial.
The 2024 Sélection Tables d'Auteur line-up
The 2024 Gastronomic Selection France edition distinguishes 654 Sélection Tables d'Auteur. Notable newcomers include: Les Embruns in La Turballe (Loire-Atlantique), Brutto in Paris 11th, Sucette in Lyon 6th, Origines in Bordeaux. Of 654 Sélection Tables d'Auteur tables, only 38 are in Loire-Atlantique.
Sélection Tables d'Auteur per inhabitant ratio is one of the most stable markers of regional gastronomic vitality. Brittany and Loire-Atlantique are historically well-ranked (5th and 7th French regions pro-rata).
Keeping the Bib: continuous pressure
The Sélection Tables d'Auteur is annual. A restaurant can lose it the following year if regularity weakens, prices drift, or the inspector decides a star better deserves the table. Conversely, some houses carry the Bib for 10-15 years without acceding to the star by choice.
At Les Embruns, the 2026 goal is not the star. It's the second consecutive year of Sélection Tables d'Auteur — confirmation that the emotion-price ratio holds over time.
