The gain or loss of a Michelin Star can easily be the make or break of a restaurant. So where did the Michelin Star come from and how does a restaurant get one?

Most people have heard of the coveted Michelin Star. Some people even refuse to eat in a restaurant without one. However not many people know of the creation and history of the Michelin Star.

How The Michelin Star Was Invented

For anyone who has ever wondered, the Michelin Star was indeed invented by the inventor of Michelin tyres. In 1900 Andre Michelin looked at how his tyre company could provide an interesting freebie for motorists and created the Michelin Guide. The first guides were blue and free. They listed petrol stations, garages, toilets, accommodation and where to eat for weekend and holiday motorists travelling across France.

By 1920 the dining section was so popular that Andre Michelin turned his attention in this direction. He set up a team of anonymous inspectors and a 3 category rating system for the restaurant listings.

In 1931 the blue cover was changed to a red one and the guide was no longer free. It remains to this day The Michelin Red Guide.

The Red Guides do still have the same useful information for motorists but are largely now filled with restaurant listings.

Michelin Green Guides and Maps

Michelin also produce Green Guides which are country and city travel guides. They also produce maps, atlases, a guide to eating out at pubs in Britain and Ireland, a guide to the wine regions of France, guides to charming places in France and Italy and a map of the Battle of Normandy.

How Restaurants Are Assessed

Michelin employ full-time professional inspectors who anonymously visit restaurants and hotels, and evaluate them on a range of criteria. Their aim is to identify consistently high-quality establishments to suit a range of budgets and across a range of styles and cuisines.

Restaurants are assessed in five categories:

• The quality of the products
• The mastery of flavour and cooking
• The "personality" of the cuisine
• The value for the money
• The consistency between visits

The Star Ratings

The star ratings are encouraging of travel, and of course wearing tyres down and needing to buy new ones! Restaurants which receive a star receive either:

3 stars "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey"

2 stars "Excellent cooking, worth a detour"

1 star "A very good restaurant in its category"

In addition a fourth category of “Bib Gourmand” is for restaurants with "Good meals at moderate prices”. This is named after the Michelin Man whose name is Bibendum.

Michelin Guide Symbols

The guides make use of symbols to advise additional information about restaurants such as whether they:

• Have disabled access
• Only accept cash
• Have comfortable surroundings
• Have a particularly good wine list
• Jacket required
• Have terrace dining
• Offer brunch

They also advise as to the average price and list via symbol as either:

• Under $25
• $25 - $60
• $50 - $75
• Above $75

Further Reference:

For an alternative view of Michelin Stars then a good book is L'inspecteur se met à table by ex Michelin restaurant inpector Rémy Pascal (published 2004 by Equateur)