What, Exactly, Are Michelin Stars — and Why Do Chefs Covet Them?
Restaurants around the world strive to earn the coveted Michelin star status — but what exactly are Michelin stars for chefs, and why are they so important?
While the Michelin brand is known worldwide for its tires, the Paris-based company is also famous for its annual Michelin Guide.
The prestigious red guide to the world's best restaurants dates back to 1900, when Michelin began encouraging new drivers to take road trips to local attractions. Among other things, the guide included anonymous European restaurant reviews that focused on the quality and flavor of food served, as well as mastery of culinary technique and personality of the dishes.
Fast forward roughly 100 years — to 2005 — when U.S. restaurants became eligible to earn Michelin stars for the first time.
Michelin stars are now considered a hallmark of fine dining by many of the world’s top chefs — not to mention restaurant patrons.
Difficult to obtain, the stars are awarded to restaurants that Michelin considers the best in a given city, and recipients gain immense prestige and exposure alongside the honor, with many experiencing an increase in business after receiving their stars (while those who have lost stars have experienced the opposite).
Today, Michelin publishes annual guides for 28 countries and a wealth of cities around the world.
In the U.S., Michelin Guides cover key culinary regions (two of them — New York & California — are home to ICE campuses). The others are Chicago; Atlanta; Washington, D.C.; Florida (Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and other cities); Colorado; Texas; and the American South (including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee).
Here's what it's like to launch your career at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
How Michelin Stars Are Awarded
Plain and simple, a Michelin star is a badge of honor, regardless of how many Michelin stars a restaurant receives (between one and three, with three being the highest caliber). There’s a method to the star rating system — here's the meaning of each Michelin star:
- One Star: The restaurant is “very good in its category.” It has a quality menu and prepares cuisine to a consistently high standard.
- Two Stars: The restaurant has excellent cuisine delivered in a unique way. It also has something exceptional to offer — it’s “worth a detour” to visit while traveling.
- Three Stars: The restaurant has exceptional cuisine and is “worth a special journey” to visit. Rather than being a stop on the way to a destination, this restaurant is the destination. This restaurant serves distinct dishes that are executed to perfection.
Michelin inspectors are anonymous and must share a passion for food and an eye for detail. Inspectors are prohibited from speaking to journalists and are encouraged to keep their line of work secret from everyone, including family members.
When an inspector visits a restaurant, he or she writes a comprehensive report about the dining experience, with the quality of the food served on the plate taking center stage. Other factors include presentation and plating, mastery of culinary techniques, and quality of service. All of this information leads inspectors to decide which restaurants receive star status.
See ICE alumni with Michelin Guide recognition.
ICE has had several of its graduates work in and/or own Michelin-recommended restaurants.
Among them is dual-degree graduate Karen McGrath (ICE Pastry/Management, ’02) who currently oversees pastry at one-Michelin-starred The River Café in Brooklyn; Michael Kerner (Management/Culinary, ‘20), sous chef at one-starred Kali in Los Angeles; and Besnik Vata (Culinary, ‘19), chef de partie at Jeune et Jolie in San Diego.
The prestige that comes with a Michelin star is an honor coveted by chefs around the world. To learn more about ICE's Michelin star recipients, or get information about how ICE can help you launch your own culinary career, complete the form on this page.
