Dining Houses - Cooking For The Stars: Everything You Need To Know About Michelin Dining
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Michelin Stars are a notorious grading scale for the elite of fine-dining restaurants. Executive Chefs strive for and struggle to keep them, constantly upping their game to remain relevant. In recent years, however, the Michelin Guide has expanded its scope and awarded more casual restaurants their stars. Even street vendors, like Jay Fai, have been able to earn Michelin Stars since the Michelin Guide refocused its standards for what constitutes great food. But just how long has the Michelin Guide been awarding restaurants these stars? How do they earn them? Read on to learn all about the Michelin Guide and the restaurants that wear their Michelin Stars with pride.
Humble Beginnings
It is curious why a tire manufacturer would be assessing culinary expertise, but it all comes back to the first Michelin Guide in 1900. André and Éduoard Michelin, brothers and founders of Michelin, wanted to promote long-distance travel, thus boosting tire sales. In order to do so, they developed the very first Michelin Guide, which was a little red book full of traveling tips. The first guide had maps, information on fueling and rest stops, all at no cost to the traveler. Two decades later, the brothers decided to start charging seven francs per guide, removing advertisements from the book, and shifting the focus from vehicle tips to travel recommendations. The new and improved Michelin Guide listed hotels and restaurants in several varying categories. However, the restaurant section seemed to have a growing attraction among consumers. Diners now knew where to eat when in a foreign city or had their dining decisions made for them. The brothers soon realized there was a demand for restaurant recommendations. They established a team of anonymous diners who would visit fine-dining restaurants and assess the quality of the food. The diners first awarded only a single star to restaurants they deemed worth visiting, but in 1936, the Michelin Guide published the three-star hierarchy that we recognize today.
All About The Michelin Guide And The Michelin Star System
The Michelin Guide recognizes hundreds of restaurants each year, but only some of them are worthy of a Michelin Star. The Michelin Guide simply outlines fine-dining restaurants that meet some culinary standards, but the stars are only awarded to restaurants that go above and beyond in their dishes.
One star denotes a restaurant that is considered “very good for its category.” Two stars denote “excellent cooking that’s worth a detour,” and three stars, the highest honor, denote a restaurant with “exceptional cuisine that’s worth a special journey.”
There is no set number of restaurants able to win a Michelin Star each year, and star status can be revoked if quality goes downhill. The restaurants with star status change every time a new Michelin Guide is released. So, a restaurant that has maintained Michelin Stars for a decade is still at risk of losing them every year. In 2024, 145 restaurants around the world were awarded three Michelin Stars, with France at the top of the leaderboard for most three-star restaurants. 31 restaurants in France were awarded three stars, with some maintaining their star status since the 1970s. Japan, Spain, and the United States follow behind, with 16-20 restaurants awarded three Stars.
Maintaining Stars isn’t just about the dishes themselves. It’s important that restaurants remain consistent and their Executive Chef’s personality shines through in the dishes. Contrary to popular belief, service and ambiance are not taken into consideration when assessing if a restaurant is worthy of a Michelin Star. Still, most restaurants with stars have a certain standard of service. The anonymous restaurant inspectors will often dine at the same restaurant multiple times to determine if their quality is consistent.
A similar misconception is that the Executive Chef receives Michelin Stars, rather than the restaurant itself. While the Chef’s culinary personality is an important criterion, the Michelin Guide awards restaurants, not chefs. This means that there is no such thing as a “Michelin Star Chef”.
The integrity of the Michelin Guide is incredibly valuable, so it’s vital that the inspectors are treated as standard guests with no special treatment. The inspectors pay for their food in full and must maintain anonymity.
While receiving one or many stars is the highest award given to restaurants, the Michelin Guide has introduced several other awards to recognize culinary prowess. The Bib Gourmand award, which was established in 1957, recognizes restaurants with excellent cooking at a lower cost. These restaurants must offer a three-course meal below a certain price point, which is dependent on local average costs. The Michelin Plate award recognizes good restaurants that aren’t quite up to the standard of receiving a star. The Green Star, a fairly new development in the Michelin Guide, is an award given to restaurants that prioritize sustainable and ethical cooking. It’s important to note that a restaurant must already have some Michelin award prior to receiving the Green Star. Inspectors take into account the use of local ingredients, carbon footprint, and waste management. Currently, all Green Star awarded restaurants are in the United States.
The Michelin Guide continues to shape public perception and the reputations of restaurants all over the world. In an effort to diversify their narrative of who is achieving culinary excellence, the Michelin Guide has expanded to encompass more cuisines and countries that had previously been overlooked in past guides. The Michelin Guide and stars highlight exceptional dining, but there simply aren’t enough inspectors to account for every great restaurant. We recommend taking your own dining journey, you might discover unforgettable dishes beyond the Michelin Guide.
