Nov. 14 (Bloomberg) -- The Michelin Guide to Germany elevated three chefs to three-star status in its 2008 edition, ranking the country second only to France in the number of restaurants with the highest accolade.

The new awards, bringing the three-star count to nine, may help change perceptions of dining in Germany, which is rarely viewed as a gourmet paradise, said Juliane Caspar, editor-in-chief of the German guide. France has 26 three-star restaurants; Spain and Italy trail Germany with six and five, respectively, she said.

``Our inspectors were amazed by the progress,'' Caspar said today in a telephone interview. ``This is extraordinary. There is a lot of movement in the German gastronomy world, with plenty of young, ambitious and well-trained chefs doing a great job.''

New recipients of three stars were Claus-Peter Lumpp, for his French-influenced cuisine at Restaurant Bareiss in the Black Forest town of Baiersbronn; Juan Amador, for his experimental cooking at Amador in Langen in Hesse; and Klaus Erfort for his classic dishes at Gaestehaus Erfort in Saarbruecken.

``We're happy, but it's a big responsibility,'' Erfort said in an interview from Saarbruecken. ``We'll celebrate tonight.''

The number of two-star eateries rose to 15 in the 2008 guide, with four gaining an extra star. They are Fischers Fritz in Berlin; Essigbraetlein in Nuremberg; Le Moissonnier in Cologne; and Meierei in the Alter Meierhof Vitalhotel in Gluecksburg.

One-Star Winners

Sixteen more restaurants won one star, including Weinbar Rutz in Berlin, Restaurant Dallmayr and Terrine in Munich, and Bean & Beluga in Dresden. Nine of the restaurants awarded new stars were in the southern states of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg, where there is already a high proportion of Michelin-starred chefs.

``There is a little bit of a north-south divide,'' Caspar said. ``We notice that gourmet restaurants spring up wherever there is demand -- in areas where there is lots of wealth or in regions that attract tourists.''

Michelin & Cie., the world's biggest tiremaker, is based in Clermont Ferrand, France, and has been publishing dining guides for more than a century. The German book will go on sale on Nov. 16.

The restaurants awarded new stars are:

3 Michelin stars: Restaurant Bareiss, Baiersbronn

Amador, Langen

Gaestehaus Erfort, Saarbruecken

2 Michelin stars: Fischers Fritz, Berlin

Essigbraetlein, Nuremberg

Le Moissonnier, Cologne

Meierei, Gluecksburg

1 Michelin star: Rutz, Berlin

17fuffzig, Burg

Landgasthof Adler, Langenau/Rammingen

Laurentius, Weikersheim

Schwingshackl's ESS-Kunst, Bernried

Dallmayr, Munich

Terrine, Munich

Herrmann's Restaurant, Wirsberg

Burg Schwarzenstein, Geisenheim

L'etable, Bad Hersfeld

Villa Rothschild, Koenigstein im Taunus

Tasca, Wiesbaden

L'escalier, Cologne

Buchholz, Mainz

La Belle Epoque, Luebeck

Bean & Beluga, Dresden

The restaurants that lost stars are:

Zum Alde Gott, Baden-Baden

Klosterstube, Eppingen (closed)

Speisemeisterei, Stuttgart (closed)

Adler, Weil am Rhein

Zum Alten Rentamt, Klingenberg am Main

Acetaia, Munich

Mittermeier, Rothenburg o.d. Tauber

Bischoff am See, Tegernsee (closed)

Landhaus Goetker, Lembruch

Hefter's, Dueren

Metzlers Gasthof, Bad Kreuznach

Eucken, Husum

To contact the writer on this story: Catherine Hickley in Berlin at chickley@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 14, 2007 07:45 EST