What is a Michelin Star Restaurant?
A Michelin star restaurant is a restaurant that has been awarded one or more stars by the Michelin Guide. The guide, which was first published in 1900, is one of the world’s most influential restaurant guides and awards stars to restaurants based on the quality of their cuisine.
The Michelin Guide is published annually by the French tire manufacturer, Michelin. Restaurants can be awarded from one to three stars depending on the quality of their cuisine and service. One star signifies that a restaurant offers ‘very good cooking’, two stars are for ‘excellent cooking worth a detour’ and three stars are for ‘exceptional cuisine worth a special journey’.
The selection process to award stars is very secretive and involves anonymous visits from expert inspectors who assess each restaurant on five criteria including quality of ingredients, mastery of technique, creativity, personality of the chef in his cuisine, value for money and consistency between visits. The Michelin Guide also awards alternative accolades such as Bib Gourmand which rewards restaurants offering excellent food at an affordable price point.
Achieving a Michelin star is highly prestigious amongst chefs and restaurateurs as it signifies excellence in all aspects of the dining experience – from ambience and service to taste and presentation. It is an honour that many strive for but only few achieve.
Why Is It Called a Michelin Star Restaurant?
The name ‘Michelin Star Restaurant’ comes from the French tire company who created the guide in 1900 – The Michelin Group. The company was founded by brothers Edouard and Andre Michelin who started producing tires in 1889 in France. In order to promote sales, they created an illustrated guidebook called ‘Guide des Voyageurs Pratique’ which gave tips about auto repair shops along with maps and other useful information for motorists travelling through Europe.
In 1926, Andre introduced ratings for restaurants in his guidebook with an original rating system of 0-3 spoons (cuiller). This evolved over time into the current rating system of one to three stars which has become synonymous with fine dining around the world. Today, chefs view earning one or more stars as proof they have achieved culinary excellence while diners view it as a guarantee they will have an exceptional dining experience worthy of their time and money.
Conclusion:
Michelin star restaurants receive their name from the French tire manufacturer who first created the rating system – The Michelin Group – back in 1926 as part of a promotional campaign for their tires. Earning one or more stars signifies excellence in all aspects of service from ambiance to taste which has become an internationally recognised accolade amongst chefs and diners alike signifying that they will have a truly exceptional dining experience worthy of their time and money.