It is a record with no rival.

No other restaurant on the continent has been as highly rated for so long. In fact, few restaurants have been in business as long as the 55-year-old Maisonette.

"It's a record that's unmatched, and I doubt will ever be repeated," said Maisonette owner Nat Comisar, whose grandfather opened the restaurant in 1949.

Though the contemporary French food that chef Bertrand Bouquin now serves is a far cry from its original haute cuisine, the Maisonette has maintained the fine-dining traditions that Mobil looks for in its highest-rated restaurants.

No other Cincinnati-area restaurant is on this year's list of five-star establishments.

The Maisonette has maintained the five-star rating although its financial picture is driving Comisar to search for a new location. There has not been enough business downtown to drive diners to his dining room, Comisar said.

But nothing is definite.

"We're planning on moving, but it's not inevitable," Comisar said. "If someone comes up with a plan that makes it worth it to stay downtown, that's what we'd rather do."

Moving could jeopardize Maisonette's Mobil rating, which is a cornerstone of the restaurant's marketing.

"It's pretty clear we'd be unrated for a time" if the restaurant moved, Comisar said, "but we never come to work worrying about the stars. We just concentrate on taking care of our guests."

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E-mail pcampbell@enquirer.com