The History of the Michelin Guide and How It Changed the World of Food

Restaurants that receive one, two, or three stars are the best in their categories.

Photo by Rene Asmussen from Pexels

The Michelin Guide is a restaurant guide published by the French company Michelin. The guide awards stars to restaurants based on the quality of their food, and in some editions, on the quality of their wine lists.

When it was first published in 1900, it contained no maps or illustrations. The first edition covered France and included only ten restaurants and hotels. By 1926, there were 18 editions with coverage of 20 countries.

In 1926, the first Michelin Guide to Italy was published; this edition included maps for each region and a list of hotels and restaurants. It awarded no stars to establishments with fewer than ten rooms or served less than 50 covers per day.

What is the Michelin Guide?

The Michelin Guide is a ranking system that awards Michelin stars to restaurants. The guide is published annually and includes three editions: selecting the world’s best restaurants, France’s “Bib Gourmand” eateries, and the Bibendum or “Red Guide,” which covers gas…