Guide Michelin: Are stars only awarded to gourmet restaurants?

Every year, it's the same thing: the Michelin guide holds its high mass in February or March, awarding its famous stars with great pomp and ceremony. An honorary distinction hoped for by the vast majority of chefs, the Michelin star sometimes takes years for restaurants to earn.

But does the Michelin guide only award stars to gourmet restaurants? Before answering this question, let's take a look at the definition of a gastronomic restaurant, and the conditions that must be met for a restaurant to be considered gastronomic.

What is a 'gourmet restaurant'? What are the criteria?

A gastronomic restaurant is an establishment that offers refined cuisine, prepared with high-quality products, meticulous presentation of dishes and attentive service in elegant surroundings. It's an establishment that emphasizes the chef's creativity, mastery of culinary techniques and overall dining experience.

For a restaurant to qualify as gastronomic, several criteria are generally taken into account, even if they do not fall underany official standard:

The quality and sophistication of the cuisine, with the use of top-of-the-range, rare or noble products(truffles, foie gras, shellfish), mastered culinary techniques (precise cooking, elaborate sauces, meticulous dressing), not to mention the creativity and signature of the chef, with a quest for balanced flavors and coherent menus.

The overall dining experience, with precise, discreet and professional room service, a hushed atmosphere in elegant, even luxurious surroundings, and tasting menus and wine pairings.

The presence of a well-known chef can reinforce the gastronomic image of the place, but it's not a requirement. Some restaurants qualify as gastronomic without a star, simply because of the level of cuisine and refinement of the experience.

Price positioning, with prices generally higher than in a traditional restaurant, due to the quality of products, qualified staff and attention to detail.

Are there any exceptions in France, starred restaurants that aren't gastronomic?

A restaurant is considered " gastronomic" when it offers a top-of-the-range culinary experience, where excellence of product, technique and service combine to deliver an exceptional meal. However, Michelin stars are not exclusively reserved for "gastronomic" restaurants in the traditional sense of the term.

Indeed, the famous red guide rewards above all the quality of the cuisine (products, mastery of cooking, harmony of flavors, personality of the chef, consistency), whatever the style of catering: this can therefore also include simple, regional or minimalist cuisine, as long as it is executed with excellence.

In fact, rural inns, bistros and even street food restaurants are perfectly capable of earning a star, provided they meet the guide's quality criteria. In fact, some establishments prefer to emphasize their terroir,friendly atmosphere and quality cuisine, without necessarily aiming for sophisticated gastronomic refinement. And some have attracted the attention of Michelin inspectors for their authenticity, taste and accuracy.

In Paris, and in France more generally, there's really no exception to the rule, as the vast majority (if not all) of Michelin-starred restaurants fit into the 'classic' gastronomic restaurant mold.

And in the rest of the world?

In the rest of the world, on the other hand, several establishments have been awarded one or more stars without fitting into the mould of the gourmet restaurant. In Bangkok, for example, chef Jay Fai was awarded 1 Michelin star for her wok street food in an unpretentious stall.

A trend that we hope will soon arrive in France, allowing as many people as possible to discover Michelin-starred cuisine!

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