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What is Michelin Star? Part 1

This blog post explains what Michelin Star is and What is the effect for world?What is Michelin Star? Who is Michelin inspector? What is the story of Michelin Guide? Should you work on Michelin Restaurants?

4/24/20258 min read

A wooden bowl filled with rocks and a banana
A wooden bowl filled with rocks and a banana

‘X restaurant has 3 michelin star..’

‘Y restaurant lost his star…’

‘You know, we have a XY restaurant 3 months later.’

‘It is a michelin star restaurant…’

What is this michelin star?

What is the story behind it? Why restaurants ranked by Michelin?

If a restaurant has 3 star, does it mean it is the best in town..in world?

As everybody can understand yes we all know it is important.. but what does really meant for restaurant and for gastronomy lovers?

Who is making decisions? Who are those people? Are they secret?

Also for restaurant who does not have any recommendations or a stars, right?

LET’S FIND OUT TOGETHER!

Here is the coolest blog post. Hello everybody, I am the owner of Tasty Tools and today I will try to find out ‘Michelin Star’ with you.

What is Michelin Star?

According to Michelin Guide ‘’A Michelin Star is awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking. ‘’ (The MICHELIN Guide UK Editorial Team, 2022). So, basically we can say that Michelin Star is an award for restaurants but why is this award so important?

To understand this we need to know the history behind it. Michelin Guide was an advertising guide. ‘’…created by André and edouard michelin, who were also the founders of the tyre factory. The Guide, which was widely circulated with the purchasing of tyres, was coloured red. 35 000 copies were printed when there were only 3 000 cars on the road. It allowed drivers to be informed about their journeys (how to repair their vehicle, stock up, change a tyre, or where to find accommodation, food or a doctor). It was thus intended to make the travellers’ lives easier.’’ (Hoa, May, 2021, p.60).

So, it was like traveller Google Map. Maybe this can be a first Tripadvisor. At the beggining, it was free. Then to make it more valuable and precious they sell this guide with money. It did not sell very well but the keypoint is to me they did not stop. They published this guide every year and today Michelin Guide is one of the most important restaurant award institute. The first publication was in 1900. Over a hundred years… That is why Michelin is so important.

a plaque on a wall that says michelin
a plaque on a wall that says michelin

So, people can understand that it becomes unstoppable cause basically it worked. According to Hoa, May (2021), the reason of international Michelin Guide impact is it was working very well. Then it sprouds to other nations like Belgium, Italy, UK, US, China, Japan etc.

Star System:

In 1926, they started to ranking.

According to Michelin Guide’s website;

one star means; High quality cooking, worth a stop

two star means; Excellent cooking, worth a detour

three star means; Exceptional cuisine worth a special journey

Over the years, the criteria is same: The culinary personality of the chef; the mastery of cooking and flavouring; value for money; and what is known as regularity, for example, the ability to offer consistent quality throughout the year irrespective of the dishes on the menu (Michelin Guide, 2018)

The first three star restaurant is Eugénie Brazier of the restaurant La Mère Brazier won the first three stars as well as the brothers André and Jacques Pic of La Maison Pic (Hoa, May, 2021, p.60)

also there are other categories like comfort and quality for restaurants and in a different cattegory for hotels or like bib gourmant, the plate, green star and more.

What is Bib Gourmand?

Michelin Guide explains Big Gourmand as not quite a star. Basically it is good food with good price (in local standards).

So, good food + not overrated price = bib gourmand. BUT Bib Gourmand has also ranking.

What is Green Star?

It is based on Sustainability. It shows that restaurants not only serve delicious food, but also adopt environmentally responsible practices.

What is Recommended?

Shortly: Good but not star or bib gourmand level good.

a store front window with a bunch of signs on it
a store front window with a bunch of signs on it

The other important point is; stars given to restaurants not just an individual chef. Cause restaurants need to maintain their standard. Head chef cannot be there every day. It does not matter who is cooking. The important thing for michelin is ‘what is coming to my table?’.

Let me show you an example case. When I was making my internship in a one star awarded restaurant, our chef broke his back and couldn't come to the restaurant for a while. Our sous chef and our Restaurant Manager was amazing. Team knew every single plate. The restaurant manager was so good that he knew his plate well enough to step in for me and cook to the same standard. They did not accept more than a number they decide but they did not break the standard.

Who is making decisions for those restaurants?

Actually, we don’t know. There are some inspectors and they are anonymous according to Michelin Guide’s own website. They are spy for restaurants and hotels. this is my dream job. So, Dear Michelin Team . If you read this I want to be Michelin Inspector.

In 1933, the profession of inspector was created. Their job was to criss-cross the world in pursuit of the best addresses to provide a repertoire — from typical inns to luxury palaces, from small bistros to exceptional tables — to satisfy all desires, even the most demanding “globe-trotting gourmets” who are determined to collect the world’s shining michelin stars. (Hoa, May, 2021, p.60)

What I hear is, restaurants may make some guesses who the inspector is. Sometimes they can undestand. They can suspect the ‘foodie spy’.

a close up of a plate of food on a table
a close up of a plate of food on a table

Michelin Guide explaines Inspector’s criteria with 5 rating in their website:

  • Quality of products

  • Mastery of flavour and cooking techniques

  • The personality of the chef represented in the dining experience

  • Harmony of the flavours

  • Consistency between inspectors’ visits

and last but not least, again according to the Michelin Guide’s own website, those people are not just random customers. They have a background in food and beverage sector. Those people have food knowledge and Michelin trains them for years. There is a Q/A blog writing in Michelin Guide website. The inspector explains how they give a star.

Shortly, first they are making some researches from internet and more. Then their team make their critics with every single detail they have. After the inspection they are making a meeting. At the meeting they are discussing and then decide.

Can Restaurants loose their star?

Yes they can. Michelin Guide is want to make sure the standard is continuing. So, every year when the Michelin Guide announcement is making, sometime they do not give the star to a restaurants they give a star before. There might be some reasons.

For example Guide may think the star standard they have might not be there anymore. For example if you are going to a Michelin star restaurant in 2025 you might see a star sign from 2021 in front of the restaurant’s door but there might no star sign from 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 stars. This means, they got star in 2021 but Michelin did not give them 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 stars. This is not because they are bad because keeping the star is harder than earning a star. So, yes sometimes they can loose stars.

What is the price effect of Michelin Guide? Are Michelin Starred Restaurants expensive? Are they all expensive fine dining?

This is a huge topic. In my opinion, Michelin has both a good effect and bad effect to this topic. Let’s get deeper. When I was doing my research, I find an amazing article. So, I will share some information from there.

Craign et al (2025), eplains star effect;

Their study analyzed menu prices from 1953 to 2019 for all French and British restaurants that received three Michelin stars at any point. Using a hedonic pricing model, researchers found that:

  • Earning one star increases menu prices by about 30%.

  • Going from one to two stars increases them by another 30%.

  • Receiving a third star boosts prices by an additional 25%.

In contrast, receiving more knife and fork symbols (which indicate luxury and comfort) doesn’t affect pricing power. This suggests that investing in culinary quality (chefs and ingredients) is more profitable than spending more on ambience or service once a certain luxury level is reached.

When I think about michelin star, I can create an image in my mind like very luxury place like Versay Palace and I am eating a perfect ratio food with flowers on it but there are tons of amazing starred places that you cannot believe at first look. I'm more curious about the taste of a meal from a star-studded old restaurant in a tiny corner of Taiwan than the menu from a very luxurious three-star restaurant in the heart of Paris, but at the end of the day, I'd love to experience both.

person holding white ceramic bowl with soup
green and brown vegetable salad
person holding brown bread with green vegetable
photo of pub set in room during daytime

In addition to this study there is a luxury effect. According to Hoa, May (2021), there is an effect. Also, in their article they mentioned very detailed. According to their article I took some notes;

⭐ The Impact of Michelin Stars

  • Brings prestige and allows for higher pricing.

  • Starred restaurants receive 20–30% more bookings on average.

  • High prices are often seen as indicators of high quality.

🌍 Global Reach and Accessibility

  • Japan has the most Michelin stars, surpassing France and Italy.

  • Luxury is no longer exclusive to the ultra-wealthy — the middle class increasingly participates.

  • Michelin meals can range from $3 to $1,761, depending on the location and experience.

✨ “New Luxury” and the Experience Economy

  • Dining is now about more than food — it’s about the experience.

  • Multi-sensory meals involving sound, scent, and storytelling are on the rise.

  • The value lies in memorable, unique, emotional experiences.

🥢 Street Food and Ongoing Debate

  • Michelin began awarding stars to street food establishments in Asia.

  • This has raised questions about whether such venues meet Michelin’s formal criteria.

  • While street vendors benefit from exposure, some struggle with the pressure and sudden fame.

❓ Transparency Issues and Criticism

  • The evaluation process is secretive — chefs rarely know why they gained or lost stars.

  • Some chefs have publicly criticized the Guide or even taken legal action.

  • The Michelin Guide is both revered and controversial — a powerful but opaque force in global gastronomy.

a wooden table topped with a bowl filled with food
a wooden table topped with a bowl filled with food

For more, go to Part 2

Part 2 topics:

  • Real Chef Stories.

  • How Michelin decide to come to a country?

  • Influence of Michelin Guide

  • Which restaurant is better?

  • Interview with Mr. Ahmet Hayri Kulumbur, a gastronomy graduate with star restaurants before.

References:

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