How the Prestigious Michelin Star System Really Works (2024)

The way we hear about restaurants is always changing: whether it’s from the pages of magazines or an online article, a social media suggestion or even the long faithful word-of-mouth recommendation. Yet no matter how we discover them, the standard of how we measure them has remained the same for more than a century. Enter the Michelin Guide.

Since it was first launched in 1900, the Michelin Guide has remained the benchmark for evaluating culinary excellence. The surprising story of its unlikely origin has bounded around the internet and dinner party tables for some time, going as so: the Michelin tire company launched a ranking of French restaurants to encourage people to drive more, and ergo, go through tires at a faster rate.

Yet despite its importance within the industry, the guide remains shrouded in mystery. Who decides which regions are covered? What are inspectors looking for? And most importantly, how does a restaurant get one or more of those all-so-coveted Michelin stars?

[See also: Rising Stars: Next-gen Chefs in the Michelin Guide]

Despite its global expansion to become the industry staple that it is today, there are still a large number of culinary-rich countries and cities not covered – a fact often hailed as the guide’s biggest downfall. New York and Tokyo, both of which have long been considered fine dining capitals, only achieved inclusion in 2005 and 2007 respectively. It may go without saying, but if your restaurant is not in the covered region, it doesn’t matter how good the food is, you won’t be getting that star.

It’s important to clarify that restaurants are awarded Michelin stars, not chefs. There is no such thing as a ‘Michelin-starred chef’; if the head chef leaves a restaurant, the star does not go with them. That being said, the success of many of the world’s leading restaurants is synonymous with the chef at the helm, and it’s increasingly common for a star to be reminded the next time the inspectors come knocking following a big-name departure. For example, it is universally agreed that California’s The French Laundry‘s three-star status is thanks to the talent of chef/owner Thomas Keller.

[See also: See Elite Traveler’s Top Restaurants Ranking Here]

How are Michelin stars awarded?

The Michelin Guide still uses similar methods to rate restaurants as it did when it launched. To allocate its coveted stars, the Michelin Guide employs thousands of inspectors, who will travel around the world to sample the finest cuisine on offer. The highly trained inspectors will visit hundreds of restaurants a year in order to identify the best of the best.

Michelin inspectors are always anonymous to ensure they don’t receive any preferential treatment during their meals. Inspectors book, dine and pay for their meals in the same way as the average guest; if their experience was different from that of anyone else the integrity of the guide would be undermined. The inspectors’ anonymity is valued so highly that they are advised to not even tell their closest friends and family about their role.

Once each restaurant in consideration has been inspected, the Michelin guide director meets with the worldwide teams for what is called ‘star sessions’ where the rating of each restaurant is debated. These sessions often last days, with each establishment considered one by one until a unanimous decision is reached. The results are then published in a country-specific guide.

What do Michelin stars mean?

Restaurants can earn a maximum of three stars (as well as some additional awards, but more on that later). Michelin quantifies one star as being “high-quality cooking, worth a stop”; two stars are awarded for “excellent cooking, worth a detour”; and finally, the prestigious three stars represent “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”.

[See also: A Guide to All Three-Michelin-Star Restaurants in the USA]

Reportedly, what elevates a restaurant from two stars to three is emotion, with inspectors seeking completely unique dining experiences that last in the memory long after the meal has finished. Demonstration of a chef’s distinct style or personality in their cooking is another key criterion.

The final rating is never decided based on just one visitor or inspector. Instead, a collective of inspectors will individually visit restaurants on multiple occasions in order to ensure the quality is consistent. The rating will then be reassessed based on yearly visits, with some decisions factoring in several meals.

Although the exact criteria are kept low-key in order to avoid chefs embarking on a tick boxing exercise, it is widely known that inspectors base their selections on the quality of ingredients, culinary techniques, taste, consistency and value for money.

Crucially, the anonymous judges are instructed to take no notice of a restaurant’s décor or the service they receive when deciding the star rating. A restaurant may be stunningly fitted and the wait staff meticulously trained, but if the food isn’t up to scratch it won’t be receiving a star. Likewise, a restaurant with understated settings but exceptional food may still be eligible for the full trio of stars.

[See also: A Guide to All Three-Michelin-Star Restaurants in the UK]

Alternative Michelin awards

While the Michelin stars are its most famous awards, they are not the guide’s only recognition. In addition to star ratings, Michelin has also awarded the Bib Gourmand since 1957, the Michelin Plate since 2016 and most recently, the Green Star, which was first revealed in 2020.

Not to be confused as a lesser award than the star ratings, the Bib Gourmand is a separate category that recognizes excellent cooking at more pocket-friendly prices. While a price limit on starred restaurants is non-existent (despite value for money being among the deciding criteria) Bib Gourmand restaurants must offer a three-course meal for less than a certain price, which is set by local averages.

The Michelin Plate recognizes good food that is not quite of the same caliber as that served in Michelin-starred or Bib Gourmand restaurants but is still worthy of recognition. The title is awarded using the same criteria by the same judges; establishments will often enter the guide at this level before moving up based on a later inspection.

[See also: A Guide to All Green Michelin Star Restaurants in the US]

How to get a Green Michelin star

The Green Michelin star is separate from all of the guide’s other distinctions and is awarded only to those restaurants going above and beyond to operate in a way that is both ethical and environmentally friendly. Only those restaurants already in receipt of another Michelin award can receive a Green star, be it Michelin star, Bib Gourmand or Michelin Plate.

With the launch of the Green star the Michelin guide revealed that its inspectors do not follow specific criteria in awarding the title, given that each restaurant and region have unique conditions. However, the inspectors are likely to consider several factors including whether a restaurant uses local and seasonal ingredients, food waste levels and waste management, environmental footprint and supplier credentials.

See the full US Michelin guide here.

[See also: The Chefs with the Most Michelin Starred Restaurants]