A team of full-time professional restaurant and hotel inspectors anonymously evaluate establishments. All evaluations involve anonymous test meals or overnight stays at each establishment to assess the quality and the reliability of the experience. The evaluation process has been honed over time to identify consistently high-quality establishments to suit a range of budgets and across a range of styles and cuisines.
If the inspectors are impressed by a restaurant or hotel, they visit the establishment again and again. It is this sort of obsessive research that makes the Michelin Guide such a reliable source of recommendations.
The Michelin Guide uses a system of symbols to identify the best hotels and restaurants within each comfort and price category. Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants offering the finest cooking, regardless of cuisine style. Stars represent only what is on the plate. They do not take into consideration interior decoration, service quality or table settings. For restaurants, Michelin stars are based on five criteria. These are the quality of products, the mastering of flavors, the mastering of cooking, the “personality” of the cuisine, the value for the money and the consistency of what the restaurant offers to its customers both throughout the menu and the year.
One star indicates a very good restaurant in its category, a good place to stop on your journey.
Two stars denote excellent cuisine, worth a detour, with specialties and wines of first-class quality.
Three stars reward exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey, where diners eat extremely well, often superbly. The wine list features generally outstanding vintages and the surroundings and service are part of this unique experience, which is priced accordingly.
In addition to the awarding of stars, the Michelin Guide provides a written description of each locale and a variety of other symbols to give readers further insight into an establishment's ambiance, type of cuisine and specialties, and wine list, among other factors. In addition, the guide provides a comfort rating represented by the use of one to five forks and spoons for restaurants and one to five pavilions for hotels. These symbols take into consideration the decor, service, cleanliness and upkeep of the surroundings.
