What is a Michelin Star?

Michelin Stars are awarded based on several factors including quality of ingredients, culinary technique, and consistency, not just taste.

Each year, Michelin publishes its famous Guide, showcasing the hotels and restaurants that have earned this prestigious recognition.

Creating an unforgettable dining experience goes beyond just the food—tableware plays a key role too. The right plates and presentation can elevate a meal, influencing not only guests' enjoyment but also how prestigious guides like Michelin evaluate a restaurant.

Undoubtedly, the presentation of the dishes—including the choice of tableware—forms part of the attention to detail and excellence in the diner’s experience.

Carefully selected tableware can enhance the presentation of dishes, thus contributing to the perception of quality and creativity by Michelin inspectors. Michelin Stars are awarded based on several factors including quality of ingredients, culinary technique, and consistency, not just taste.

Selection Criteria for Earning Michelin Stars

1. Ingredients:

Aspects such as quality, origin, and cleanliness of the ingredients used in the preparations are carefully analyzed.

2. Flavors:

One of the fundamental aspects is harmony between flavors. Ideally, the restaurant should stand out for its pursuit of authentic, balanced, and memorable flavors that make a difference. The ability to surprise and delight diners through flavors is a key factor in awarding stars.

3. Technique:

This criterion recognizes that the chefs involved must master the various culinary techniques used in the restaurant’s preparations to perfection.

4. Personality:

The head chef must showcase something of themselves in their cuisine, making it unique. Great chefs tell their stories through their food, whether it's through childhood memories, cultural heritage, or a unique perspective that shines through in every dish.

5. Consistency:

Finally, the duration over which the cooking style has been sustained and all it represents as a whole is evaluated. For example, the restaurant must have more than just a couple of truly outstanding dishes on the menu, which speaks to the maturity of its cuisine.

The Guide compiles a selection of the best hotels and restaurants in different countries or regions of the world, offering concise but detailed information about each place, such as location details and website, the number of stars awarded, and a brief review or critique.

Born in the early 20th century, the Michelin Star is now the most prestigious award in fine dining and hospitality. The more stars, the higher the quality of the establishment’s cuisine. The maximum number of stars a restaurant can receive is three:

• One Star: This highlights that within its category—whether Italian cuisine, Mexican cuisine, fusion restaurant, etc.—the restaurant’s gastronomic proposal is very good and deserves recognition. These are generally nationally renowned restaurants that have successfully positioned distinctive flavors and maintained their quality for a significant period.
• Two Stars:This means that the quality of the restaurant’s cuisine is not only good but also first-class, making these establishments usually famous both nationally and internationally. The cuisine showcases the skills of the chef and all the cooks.
• Three Stars:This signifies that the restaurant’s cuisine surpasses any category and is truly exceptional—absolutely out of the ordinary—to the point that it would justify a trip from anywhere in the world. At this level, the cuisine is not only original and inspiring but also considered an art form.

How often are Michelin Stars awarded?

These fine dining recognitions are awarded annually. Every year, the Michelin Guide sends its judges worldwide to find restaurants with the necessary elements to be honored with one or more Michelin Stars.

In addition to these new evaluations, every year restaurants that have previously received stars are reassessed to determine whether they maintain or even exceed their own quality standards. 

Who determines or evaluates whether a restaurant deserves a Michelin Star?

The individuals responsible for this task act as judges, embodying a figure known as the anonymous inspector. Michelin inspectors are usually hospitality and restaurant industry professionals with more than five years of experience who visit the establishments under evaluation anonymously, whether they are applying for their first star or are already featured in the Michelin Guide with one or more stars.

The idea is that multiple anonymous inspectors dine at a restaurant on different occasions to develop a solid criterion regarding the elements evaluated for the award.

After several anonymous inspectors dine at the restaurant at different times, they meet to share their experiences and discuss their assessments. Based on their evaluations, they decide whether to award a new Michelin Star, maintain an existing one, or remove previously earned stars.

This process is repeated for each restaurant, although the anonymous inspectors are not always the same.

Anonymity

Anonymity is essential to ensure that Michelin inspectors are served and treated like any other customer at the evaluated establishment. This means that, in addition to not receiving any special treatment, the judges pay their bill like regular patrons and order any dish from the menu. Moreover, during each visit, the inspector tries a different dish to get a comprehensive view of the restaurant’s cuisine. Inspectors try a different dish each visit to fully experience the restaurant's food.

While Michelin Stars focus exclusively on the quality and excellence of the food, other elements—such as service, hospitality, and unique or exclusive decor—also contribute slightly to the judges’ overall assessment. This is why it is crucial for inspectors to go completely unnoticed.

The Michelin Guide also recognizes excellent service and comfort. These include the fork and spoon distinction for restaurants and the house symbol for hotels. Both can be awarded up to five times. Some establishments may have multiple fork and spoon or house distinctions but no Michelin Stars.

Similarly, the Bib Gourmand is awarded to honor great quality-to-price ratio dining experiences, and the Green Star is given to restaurants that stand out for environmentally sustainable gastronomy.