All about the Michelin Guide

All about the Michelin Guide

The Michelin Guide to Fine Dining is regarded by the culinary masters of the world to be THE GUIDE when it comes to restaurant reviews. Receiving a Michelin star is the highest honor for any chef, and a mention in this guide can make or break a restaurant’s success.

But just how did this little red book become the ultimate authority in the food world? What is a Michelin star exactly? And why does the Michelin Guide matter?

Read on to discover the answers to these questions and even more. In this article, I’ll tell you all about the Michelin guide!

History of the Michelin Guide

The Michelin Brothers

The French tire company, Michelin, created the Michelin guide back in 1900. Originally, it was part of a marketing campaign for their tires! The two Michelin brothers started their tire company in a time when automobiles were relatively new to the roads. So, they knew they had to secure a strong market share.

They came up with the genius idea to publish a travel guide featuring the best restaurants around France, to encourage people to take more road trips. And of course, in turn to buy more tires.

The first Michelin guide featuring actual restaurant reviews was published in 1920, and the results were fantastic. Consumers countrywide purchased the guide and were now traveling more than ever. Restaurants were starting to take stock of their reviews in the Michelin guide, as they realized a mention could mean a ton of potential business.

Over the last century, this little red book has built quite the reputation worldwide, and all thanks to a simple marketing idea. So I guess we could even say that the Michelin brothers were the original influencers!

How did the Michelin Guide become so important?

I’ve mentioned that the Michelin guide is pretty important in the food world. And it’s definitely THE guide that is most revered and recognized internationally! But how did it grow from a simple restaurant guide into the world’s most prestigious hospitality rating system?

When Michelin just started out, they were the only guide of this kind in France, and for the most part in Europe. They quickly gained notoriety and popularity, but it has been their dedication to quality and unwavering principles that have made Michelin guide the revered name it is today.

The people behind Michelin guide have spent years developing an inspection process and review formula that delivers consistent quality results. Year after year, decade after decade. If it’s listed in the Michelin guide, you can already be assured you’re going to enjoy some good food. Readers know they can trust this little red book and its recommendations, and they keep coming back!

Michelin Guide: How does it work?

Courtesy of Europe1

By now you’re probably wondering how the Michelin Guide selects and critiques the establishments it features. Well, the first thing you should know is that all Michelin inspectors work 100% undercover. The restaurant staff, and especially the chef will not be able to recognize the inspector or give special treatment. This guarantees an authentic dining experience.

You may think being an inspector for the Michelin guide sounds like the dream job. Traveling all the time and eating some of the best food in the world while you’re at it? Not bad at all!

Well, it’s a little more complicated than that. The inspectors are trained professionals, who actually have grueling schedules. They usually spend over 300 days a year on the road! And they must undergo intensive training before they’re taken on. For potential new inspectors, a serious background in hospitality or cuisine is required. Not to mention, a pretty serious knowledge of food.

If your CV is accepted and you pass the first round of interviews, the next step is to go out to a 2-star restaurant with a senior inspector. You must order the same dish, and critique it according to the Michelin rubrique. You’ll only pass if your review is satisfactory and on-par with the Michelin criteria. Talk about intimidating!

After making that first cut, a new trainee then spends 18+ months with a senior inspector, learning all about the Michelin criteria firsthand. Only then are they ready to start hunting down the best restaurants in the world!

Michelin Guide Criteria

The Michelin guide centers around 5 core criteria, which the inspectors use to rate an establishment. These 5 criteria were developed when Michelin guide first launched, and haven’t changed in over a century!

So here are the five criteria that are used in the Michelin guide:

1. The quality of the ingredients – Michelin inspectors want to see freshness, exceptional taste and outstanding quality in the ingredients used.

2. The flair/style with which the food is prepared – this refers to the spin the chef puts on a particular dish, as well as the plating and presentation.

3. The combination of flavors – Inspectors take note of the different flavors in a dish, how they compliment each other, and whether the final result is harmonious.

4. How the Chef’s personality is reflected in the dish – Basically, inspectors want to see what sets this chef, and this dish apart. Cooking is an art form, and the inspectors want to see a reflection of the artist in the final work.

5. How the dish lives up to culinary standards – This refers to consistency, authenticity and value for money. If you’re an inspector, you have to make sure you get the same excellent quality every time.

Michelin Guide 3-Star System

You’ve probably heard people referring to restaurants as having a certain number of Michelin stars. If you’ve ever wondered what they’re talking about, this refers to the famous ratings given out by the Michelin Guide!

Basically, the three star system is Michelin’s way of evaluating restaurants, based on their five core criteria, which I just explained above. Stars aren’t given out easily. In fact, quite the opposite! The star system only applies to the best restaurants which have already been selected by Michelin.

The ranking system here doesn’t work like your normal 5-star system. No, no, believe me, a one star Michelin restaurant is anything but bottom of the barrel – it’s out of this world good.

Any establishment that is being considered for a star is visited multiple times by different inspectors from around the world. All the Michelin inspectors and the Director will then discuss these potential starred restaurants at the annual “star session”. This is when all the new stars are awarded, so you can imagine that it’s no simple task.

Three stars is the absolute best rating a place can earn, which is a true culinary honor! While on the other end of the spectrum, a one Michelin star restaurant is still considered great, gastronomic food.

According to the guide, one star denotes ‘a very good restaurant in its category’, while two stars signals a restaurant to have ‘excellent cooking’ and to be ‘worth a detour’. Whereas, when we get to the three star rating, the establishment must provide ‘exceptional cuisine’ and be ‘worth a special journey’ in order to make the cut.

When asked what truly separates a two star restaurant from a three star, the director of Michelin guide replied ‘it’s the emotion’. When reviewing a 3-star meal, inspectors are looking for ‘an emotional experience, to be remembered for years to come’.

Bib Gourmand and Michelin Plate Ratings

In addition to the classic star system, Michelin has also added the Bib Gourmand and Michelin Plate designations to their guide over the past several years.

If you’re a foodie bargain hunter, you’ll want to take note of the Michelin Plate ratings. Michelin guide added this designation rather recently, and it’s been a big hit. This is the most affordable echelon of the Michelin ranking system, and is given to restaurants worthy of being ‘a symbol of good food’.

Michelin guide introduced the Bib Gourmand designation in 1997. The Bib Gourmand denotes an establishment with ‘excellent food and moderate prices’. While these restaurants are going to be a little pricier than the Michelin Plate ones, they usually still fall well within the range of affordability.

While decidedly less prestigious than starred restaurants, the establishments earning a Bib or a Plate have been reviewed using the same strict set of criteria. If you’re looking for a good yet affordable restaurant, these spots should be your go-to choices!

The Michelin Guide Today

Over the years, the guide has surely evolved and expanded, but the quality has remained the same. Every year, there is a new edition of the Michelin Guide (it usually comes out in January) to feature new restaurants as well as update their ratings.

In 2005, Michelin guide published their first non-European edition! New York City was the first destination to be covered outside Europe. And to this day, NYC is consistently home to some of the best restaurants in the world.

Michelin has proven again and again that the best food can be found in the most unexpected places. For example, the street food vendor in Singapore who was awarded one Michelin star for his incredible take on Hainan Chicken, back in 2016! He was the first street food vendor to be awarded a star, and his stall’s popularity has exploded since the rating was released.

Today, the Michelin guide is present in over 25 countries, and further expansions are to be expected. France is still the leader in terms of the country with the most starred restaurants, boasting over 530 restaurants in the 2019 guide. Though Tokyo is the city with the most stars in the world, within France, Paris is the city with the most collective stars. If you’re looking for a Paris Michelin-starred restaurant that won’t break the bank, have a look at this article.

But the gastronomic scene is exploding in places like Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and even Oslo. And early in 2020, Michelin is set to host a Nordic countries star revelation ceremony in Trondheim, Norway. This event will present the newly starred restaurants in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark.

Well, that’s just about it. Now you’ve had a chance to learn all about the Michelin guide! I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and will try some Michelin restaurants for yourself. If you want to reserve in advance, you can do so on their website. You can search by restaurant, by chef or by city to find out what’s near you!

See you soon in Paris!