In 1900, when not too many cars filled the streets, the young French distributors of automobile tyres, brothers Michelin, were looking for ways to increase the production and demand for their goods. They decided that the best way to do it is to get the automobile owners go on more road-trips (thus wearing out the tyres quicker), so they published a guide that listed gas stations, hotels and restaurants. As years went by, the guide crossed the French borders and became popular in other European countries as well. In 1926 the guide started awarding restaurants with stars that measured their level of excellence.

Nowadays the highest Michelin award is three stars; 3 stars are awarded to restaurants with superb kitchens – ones that deserve a special visit. 2 stars go to restaurants that serve excellent food, and are worth including in your travel plans. Restaurants that are the best in their category receive 1 star. What sets Michelin stars apart from all the other guides and awards?

Michelin guide reviewers are professionals of the industry that anonymously dine at the restaurant in question on multiple occasions, do not make notes and evaluate nothing more but the quality of the food, quality of the ingredients and the skills of the chef, disregarding the interior design, service or atmosphere. Therefore it is unofficially seen that the Michelin stars are awarded to the chef of the restaurant, not the restaurant itself. Every year around the time when the most recent Michelin guide is about to be published, the restaurant industry, media and society are all as if taken by a storm that can be likened to the Oscar ceremonies; everyone is eager with anticipation to find out which restaurants and chefs have managed to keep – or to acquire – the new Michelin stars. One of the world’s chef coryphaeus and French fine dining pioneers Paul Bocuse has even stated that the Michelin stars are the only award that still holds any value in the ever-changing and chaotic world of restaurants.

Facts:

• The very first Michelin guide was published in France in 1900; it was a complimentary issue until 1920. 35 thousand copies were issued the first
• After the Second World War the deficit of goods limited the guide to awarding restaurants no more than 2 stars.
• The first guide in USA was published only in 2005, and was mainly focused on New York City and its greater area.
• The Michelin guide is very secretive about the process of the inspection, and no one knows for sure how many times a restaurant is evaluated before it is awarded a star.
• The Michelin guide is published every year – around February in France, and around October in USA.

The only known criteria for Michelin stars are the following:

• Quality of ingredients,
• The mastery of flavours and the preparation technique,
• The chef’s personality and how it is delivered through food,
• Price and value adequacy,
• Quality consistency.
• The Great Britain edition of the Michelin guide of 2016 has listed 3 3-starred restaurants, 23 2-starred restaurants and 134 1-starred restaurants.
• The French Michelin guide of 2015 had listed 26 3-starred restaurants, 80 2-starred restaurants and 503 1-starred restaurants.