What is this Michelin business anyway?

Does this restaurant have a star? Is it noted?  Is it expensive? What even is "Bib Gourmand"?

Yes, friends, we're talking today about the Michelin Guide.

The Charlotte Observer shared this picture 
after Michelin's expansion into the southeastern United States.

I often hear people say they are eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant. And sometimes they are!

But often ... they are not. 

The internet says Planet Earth hosts something like 23,000,000 restaurants. While 40,000 of those restaurants are included the Michelin Guide, fewer than 4,000 in the entire world have been awarded stars.  That's something like 0.00017 percent of all restaurants!

Geranium's menu is presented with scissors to unlock the magic that awaits.

So what do Michelin categories really mean? And does it matter?

The Michelin Guide is a prestigious, internationally recognized restaurant rating system published by Michelin. Yes, that Michelin, the tire company. The original motive was (as you might expect) money: by encouraging car travel, Michelin -- a fledgling company when the Guide was created in 1900 -- would sell more tires.

But let's get to the ratings!

THREE STARS, the most prestigious award: "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey," says the Michelin Guide. 

In 2025, the world hosted less than 160 restaurants with three Michelin stars. To eat at one is surely a treat! Is it going to be expensive? Quite likely! Will it offer exceptional service? Pretty good chance. Will the only option be a tasting menu? Almost certainly -- three star restaurants like to showcase their culinary artistry ... and there's a fair chance that the tasting menu will feature somewhere between 5 and 20+ courses. 

Author's favorite three-star: Geranium (Copenhagen, Denmark) -- read about my experience here!

Perusing the 212-page leather-bound wine menu at Geranium.

TWO STARS: "Excellent cooking, worth a detour," says the Michelin Guide.

The most recent Guide includes 525 two-star restaurants worldwide. My favorite restaurant in the world has two stars: Stand in Budapest. The last time I went, the standard evening menu offered 6 or 8 courses. In addition, the kitchen sent out 16 "gifts of the chef," little bites of heaven before and between courses. Not feeling up to such a dining experience? Try Stand 25, the more casual but equally delicious restaurant from the same culinary team.

Author's favorite two-star: Stand (Budapest, Hungary)

The author's first visit to Stand in 2018.

ONE STAR: "High quality cooking, worth a stop!" says the Michelin Guide.

As of this writing, just over 3,000 restaurants in the entire world have this rating. with France and Italy hosting nearly 30% of those. One-star restaurants are definitely a treat, often offering set menus but more likely to also offer an a la carte menu than, say, a three-star. The least expensive options, some with prices as low as $2, often have the longest lines for service!

Author's favorite one-star: Mikla (Istanbul, Türkiye)

Gifts of the Chef, Mikla.

BIB GOURMAND: "Friendly establishments that serve good food at reasonable prices," says the Michelin Guide.

As of this writing, nearly 3,500 restaurants worldwide have the Bib Gourmand rating. Considering that NYC alone has approximately 18,000 restaurants, being one of Planet Earth's 3,500 Bib Gourmand restaurants is quite a feat! 

Author's favorite Bib Gourmand: This is hardly a fair question as it depends on the city! An easily accessible one for USA-based foodies is Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen in NYC. It's an unassuming place on Eighth Avenue with delicious food and great prices. Definitely worth a visit! (New York, New York, USA)

Pre- or Post-Broadway dining is the author's favorite!

RECOMMENDED: The other 36,000 or so restaurants recommended by the Michelin Guide are often fabulous, but they haven't yet achieved Bib Gourmand status or been awarded any stars. The best way to refer to them is "recommended by the Michelin Guide" or "noted" or simply "in the Michelin Guide." This clearly states that you know these are special dining experiences -- being in the Guide itself is quite the honor! 

Author's favorite recommended: Da Noemi (Ferrara, Italy). This was such a surprise -- first of all, I didn't know I'd be going to Ferrara, and second of all, I didn't know our impromptu tour guide would be joining us for lunch! The food was excellent, the service was stellar, and the vibe was perfect for a leisurely casual and tasty lunch.

Cheers from Da Noemi!

DOES IT MATTER HOW YOU REFER TO A RESTAURANT? Yes. Restaurants work very hard to achieve -- and keep -- their Michelin ratings, and saying that every restaurant listed in the Michelin Guide has stars is not fair or respectful to the elite of the elite, the best of the best, who have tirelessly pursued and achieved excellence. 

Claiming on social media to dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant that doesn't actually have a star puts the restaurant in an awkward position: Do they ignore your tag? Do they say "thanks, but we don't actually have a star"? Do they try to clarify that their Michelin recognition is incredible just as it is? It's awkward, to say the least. So yes, every Michelin recognition is quite an honor, and giving each restaurant the credit that it's due is the best and most respectful gift you can give your beloved Michelin Guide restaurants.

So exciting for Michelin to expand to southeastern USA!

LOUISIANA: Michelin has recently expanded its geographical footprint, and Louisiana now has 34 restaurants recognized by the Michelin Guide. Emeril's (New Orleans) was awarded two well-deserved stars. The two one-star and 11 Bib Gourmand options are all in New Orleans, as are 18 of the 20 recommended restaurants. But Baton Rouge (Elsie's Plate and Pie) and St. Francisville (the St. Francisville Inn and Restaurant) were both honored as recommended by the Guide!

WHO MAKES THESE DECISIONS? Michelin Guide Inspectors are employees of the company who make reservations and pay for their meals, just like you and me. In fact, that's one of the reasons I respect the Michelin Guide so much -- their recommendations and reviews, like my own, are not influenced by freebies, perks, or other gratuities from the establishment being reviewed. Like I'm a professional traveler because of my expertise in and passion for finding the best places and curating amazing itineraries, let's say that Michelin Guide inspectors are professional foodies, with vast industry experience and a passion for great food.

Multiple inspectors review each restaurant over time to ensure quality and consistency. So how do they decide?

What are Michelin Keys? Those are similar awards, but for hotels. Let's save that topic for another day!

***************************************************************

(No ads. No subscriptions. Just good travel info ... all Curated by Karla.)