What is a Michelin Star, and How Does a Restaurant Win the Award?

Dining at a Michelin Star restaurant is a special experience, and we’re going to explain exactly why!

©Disney

Getting three Michelin Stars is considered the highest honor in the restaurant industry. The best of the best restaurants — like Disney World’s Capa at the Four Seasons Orlando and Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa — are recognized by the Michelin Guide each year for their excellence, and we’re going to walk you through what these honors mean and how restaurants can achieve them!

For those who don’t know, the Michelin Guides are a series of guidebooks published by Michelin since 1900 that not only inform but also provide recommendations.

Place Setting at Victoria & Albert’s

Per the OFFICIAL Michelin Guide website, “A Michelin Star is awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking.” ANY RESTAURANT CAN QUALIFY. Any restaurant currently in the Michelin Guide already qualifies to be judged for a Star, but any restaurant can request consideration, and the Guide may also evaluate restaurants recommended by readers.

There is NO LIMIT to how many restaurants can win Michelin Stars in a year. Great cooking is great cooking.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

The Guide takes into account five universal criteria:

Quality of ingredients
Harmony of flavors
Mastery of techniques
Personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine
Menu consistency and consistency over time

Anyone Can Cook!

The award system includes one, two, and three Stars that are given out annually. Their differences are as follows:

One Michelin Star: Awarded to restaurants using top quality ingredients — “where dishes with distinct flavours are prepared to a consistently high standard.”
Two Michelin Stars: Awarded when “the personality and talent of the chef are evident in their expertly crafted dishes; their food is refined and inspired.”
Three Michelin Stars: The highest honor awarded for “the superlative cooking of chefs at the peak of their profession; their cooking is elevated to an art form and some of their dishes are destined to become classics.”

Seafood Paella

Restaurants are reassessed on an annual basis — meaning they can lose or gain Stars each year, including losing all of their stars altogether if they don’t maintain a high standard of cooking. Decor, style, and service ARE NOT factored into the judging. Wine lists are considered, but the Michelin Guide believes that restaurants that are serious about their food usually have interesting wine lists.

Capa

Speaking of judging, Michelin Inspectors are anonymous and are all full-time employees with former restaurant and hospitality experience. Per the website, “Once several inspectors have eaten at a restaurant, they then discuss their experiences as a team in order to make a final decision.”

Inspectors will visit a restaurant several times to get a clear picture of its consistency — even visiting during different seasons, weekends, AND weekdays, and different meal services. They try “as many dishes as possible over the course of the year” as they search for that high level of consistency. Sometimes they eat alone, in pairs, and in groups — but the final decision is made collectively.

Victoria and Albert’s

Stars rely heavily on head chefs, but if they leave a restaurant with Michelin Stars, those Stars are not automatically pulled. “Sometimes the restaurant will promote the sous chef who is of equal talent to his or her predecessor; others might hire a talented chef from another restaurant. We will simply return to the restaurant and see how well we eat.” When a head chef is away, the kitchen staff usually remains the same, so consistency is still expected. If it’s not, the restaurant is in danger of losing Stars or consideration altogether.

The Michelin Guide wants it known: “There is no secret, mathematical formula – we’re just looking for really great cooking. Some Michelin Stars are innovative, some traditional; some offer set menus, others à la carte; some are casual places, others formal.”

They recognize that not everyone will agree on each Starred restaurant, and that’s a good thing. At the end of the day, these are simply (well-regarded) recommendations.

Cerdo

The Michelin Guide also has the Bib Gourmand — an award for great value that highlights simple, yet skilful cooking at an affordable price — as well as the newer Green Star, which is awarded to restaurants that pioneer in sustainable gastronomy.