Michelin Guide UK 2023: Debunking myths around Michelin

With the Michelin Guide UK 2023 we delved into some of the myths and misconceptions that have become attached to Guide over it's 123 year history.

In an effort to dispel some of these high profile myths, the Michelin Guide has answered some of the most common misconceptions that chefs, restaurants and diners hold around famous tyre company, in a recent article. 

MYTH: THE MICHELIN GUIDE IS ONLY ABOUT FINE DINING AND FANCY RESTAURANTS

Incorrect, the article explains that the Michelin Guide isn’t always about white table cloths and polished crystal glasses.

For example, the article documents how stars have been awarded to a wide spectrum of restaurants, starting from the 2010 crowning of Hong Kong dim sum chain Tim Ho Wan’s hole-in-the-wall maiden outlet in Mongkok, to the Y1,100-a-bowl (HKD82) streetside ramen noodle bar Tsuta in Tokyo in 2015.

In 2016, the first one-Michelin-starred street food stall - which offers a plate of soya sauce chicken from HKD12 - was recognised in Singapore, truly proving that good food needs no minimum spend.

The article also highlights Michelin's popular Bib Gourmand category, orginally introduced in 1955, which recognises establishments who provide a stellar 3-course meal for a moderate price.

MYTH: THE MICHELIN GUIDE ONLY RATES FOOD QUALITY, AND DOES NOT EVALUATE THE SERVICE STANDARDS OR DECOR OF RESTAURANTS

Did you know there's more the Michelin Guide rankings than its coveted stars?

In the article, The Michelin Guide explains how it's team of inspectors recognise that factors such as restaurant’s ambience and the attentiveness of its wait staff, contribute as much to a comfortable dining experience as the food being served.

The Guide offers a separate category of “covers” represented by the fork and knife symbol for restaurants and the pavilion symbol for hotels - to indicate the comfort and quality of a rated establishment.

Establishments may get one cover to indicate that it is a comfortable restaurant and up to five stars for luxurious restaurants.

Symbols may be black or red, with black indicating that it is basic and red indicating luxury.

MYTH: THE MICHELIN GUIDE IS BIASED TOWARDS FRENCH COOKING

The Michelin Guide is made up of a strong dedidcated team of full-time employees, who are each responsible for rating over 40,000 hotels and restaurants in over 32 destinations across four continents.

Commenting on their background, the article explains that many of the Guide's inspectors have studied in the best hospitality schools in the world, live in different continents and have an open mind towards cuisines from every culture.

The article explains how the Guide recognises local food variance, for example in territories such as Spain, noteworthy tapas bars are recognised by an additional wine and toothpick symbol, while quality pubs in the UK/Ireland guide are marked with a beer mug symbol.

Meanwhile, restaurants with impressive notable wine, sake and cocktail lists are recognised with the grape, sake bottle and cocktail glass symbols respectively.

MYTH: THE MICHELIN GUIDE AWARDS STARS TO THE WORLD’S BEST CHEFS

In the article, the guide explains that The Michelin Guide awards stars to restaurants based on the quality of the food they serve, and not to individuals, noting that world-class meals are often the collective efforts of an entire team, and not one person alone.

It adds that restaurants can lose their stars if they close during the year of assessment, or if they do not maintain their standards to make it into next edition of the guide.

Star ratings remain unaffected even if a restaurant’s head chef decides to leave halfway through the year and a new chef comes on board.

The guide adds that chefs can’t take off with the stars, nor do the stars transfer to another restaurant owned by the same chef.

MYTH: MICHELIN GUIDE INSPECTORS AREN’T ALWAYS ANONYMOUS

Keeping the identities of the Michelin Guide’s inspectors confidential is necessary to ensure that their independence and freedom to speak their minds isn’t compromised.

However, different members of the Michelin Guide team may at times identify themselves in order to conduct “technical visits”, on which they obtain up-to-date information and press materials such as menus and photographs from restaurants and hotels.

It adds that once an inspector identifies himself to a particular establishment they will no longer be the one assessing it, leaving other members of the team to do it on separate unannounced visits.

The article makes it clear that restaurants do not - and cannot - pay to be listed in the guide.