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How hard is it to get a Michelin star?


Getting a Michelin star is one of the highest honors a restaurant can achieve. Michelin stars are awarded by the French tire company Michelin based on their anonymous inspections. Restaurants can receive between one and three stars, with three stars being the highest and most difficult to obtain. Only around 100 restaurants worldwide have the coveted three Michelin star rating. So just how hard is it to get one of these coveted stars? The short answer is: incredibly hard. Michelin stars are not easily earned – they are reserved only for the absolute best dining experiences. It takes a combination of exemplary food, service, atmosphere and consistency to even be considered. Let’s take a closer look at what it really takes to get a Michelin star.

Michelin Star Criteria

Michelin has five criteria that they use to evaluate restaurants:

Quality of Ingredients

Michelin wants to see that a restaurant is using high quality, fresh, and where possible, seasonal ingredients. Michelin inspectors look for complexity of flavor and taste in the ingredients. Using premium ingredients is essential.

Mastery of Cooking Techniques

The chef must demonstrate technical skill, creativity and mastery in the preparation and cooking of the food. Dishes should have perfect execution and flavor combinations. Unique cooking techniques and presentations are viewed favorably.

Harmony of Flavors

The flavors in each dish should combine harmoniously. There should be a perfect balance of tastes and textures in the meal. No single ingredient or flavor should overpower the others.

Personality of the Chef Through the Cuisine

The food should express the chef’s distinctive style, creativity and passion for cooking. The cuisine should have a clear identity rather than just following trends.

Consistency

The restaurant must demonstrate flawless consistency in the quality of food and service. This is over multiple meals and across the entire menu. One bad meal can ruin a restaurant’s chances at a star.

These criteria clearly show that only the very best restaurants merit a Michelin star. Simply being a good restaurant is not enough. Attention needs to be paid to every detail from procuring ingredients to plating. Let’s look at some of the challenges involved in trying to achieve these lofty standards.

Challenges of Earning a Michelin Star

Perfection is Expected

Michelin stars demand perfection, full stop. A restaurant must execute flawless service and cooking night after night without fail. Even one subpar meal can potentially cost them their star. This expectation of perfection across every dish is extremely difficult to achieve consistently. Just one slip in quality control can undo years of hard work.

Intense Competition

The competition for Michelin stars among top tier restaurants is fierce. Only around 1-5% of restaurants in Michelin guidebooks receive a star. For example, in 2021 the Michelin Guide for France covered over 3,000 restaurants but awarded only 638 stars. With the supply of stars being so limited, restaurants have to fight hard to stand out from the crowd.

Significant Costs

Running a Michelin star restaurant is an extremely expensive endeavor. Rent, food costs, extensive kitchen equipment, high quality staff and ingredients – costs are multiplied at this high level of dining. Profit margins are often low even with the increased business a star brings in. The pressure to keep up standards while remaining financially viable is intense.

Pressure and Stress

The pressure on everyone at a Michelin star restaurant is tremendous. Chefs work in a high stress environment under enormous pressure to perform perfectly night after night. There is always the risk of losing a star due to one bad night or inspector visit. Many chefs have been driven to mental health issues due to the stress of Michelin star dining.

Anonymity of Inspectors

Michelin inspectors dine anonymously and do not identify themselves to restaurants. A restaurant never knows when an inspector might visit which makes consistency even more vital. Inspectors can be extremely nitpicky in their reviews, deducting points for minor issues. Pleasantness towards unknown inspectors has to be ingrained in all staff at all times.

Time and Labor Intensive

Michelin star dining requires an enormous time commitment and intense physical labor. Countless hours are spent sourcing the best ingredients, meticulous prep work, and obsessively testing and refining recipes. Chefs and their teams put in grueling hours on their feet in hot kitchens. Maintaining the energy and stamina for this level of work is extremely draining.

These challenges make it clear why Michelin stars remain so elusive. Earning just one star is a monumental feat. Let’s look at what it takes for a restaurant to rise to the celebrated three star level.

Requirements for Three Michelin Stars

The highest Michelin honor of three stars indicates “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.” Only around 100 restaurants in the world hold this highest distinction. What does it take to reach this lofty level?

Unparalleled Creativity and Consistency

Three star cuisine must demonstrate exceptional artistry, distinctiveness, and unwavering consistency. Dishes should be unique and prepared with precision night after night. There is zero margin for error.

The Best Ingredients Money Can Buy

No expense can be spared when sourcing ingredients. The highest quality ingredients from around the world must be procured regardless of cost.

A Distinct Culinary Identity

The food should represent a unique culinary vision and reflect the personality of the chef. It should stand apart from any dining trends.

Technical Mastery

Extreme technical skills across a range of cooking techniques must be displayed. Complex, innovative methods should be executed flawlessly.

Impeccable Service

Service must be anticipated, attentive, and discretely efficient, adding to the experience rather than detracting. There can be no weak links among staff.

Superb Wine Program

The wine program must offer rare and unique wines with expertise in food pairings. There should be a vast depth of knowledge.

Memorable Dining Experience

Everything from the food to service to ambiance must come together to create a truly unforgettable world-class dining experience worth traveling for.

As you can see, the standards at the three star level are astronomically high and come with immense pressure. Only a miniscule number of restaurants on the planet can realistically attain this honor.

Michelin Stars Over Time

Michelin stars are not awarded permanently. They must be defended each year through consistency. Stars can also be taken away if standards slip. Let’s look at how many restaurants have gained and lost stars over the past decade.

Year 3 Star 2 Star 1 Star Stars Lost
2021 137 383 698 34
2020 133 387 710 22
2019 132 385 687 31
2018 129 373 675 28
2017 128 371 665 25
2016 127 368 655 20
2015 120 362 632 11
2014 113 355 614 18
2013 104 340 577 23
2012 94 331 546 32

A few key insights:

– The number of three star restaurants has slowly increased over the past decade, but is still under 150 restaurants globally. Reaching this level remains astonishingly rare.

– There is some fluctuations in numbers year to year as new stars are awarded and some lost. But losses are generally under 3% per year.

– Most losses occur at the one star level, showing it is challenging to maintain consistency even at the initial star level.

– France continues to have the most Michelin starred restaurants by a large margin, underlining its gastronomic dominance.

Star Distribution by Country

The vast majority of Michelin stars are concentrated in Europe and Asia. Here is the breakdown of Michelin star totals by country for 2021:

Country 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star Total Stars
France 30 87 307 424
Japan 34 53 227 314
Spain 11 23 41 75
Italy 11 38 37 86
China 10 24 89 123
Germany 10 41 272 323
USA 8 7 120 135
UK 5 5 159 169

Some observations:

– France continues to have more 3 star restaurants than any other country, cementing its culinary status.

– Japan has the second highest number of starred restaurants, demonstrating its mastery of both French and Japanese techniques.

– The US lags behind Europe and Asia, with lower numbers despite its size. Michelin is slower to gain prominence there.

– Michelin is expanding into new territories like China, where starred restaurants have rapidly increased.

– High concentrations remain in culinary hubs like France, Japan, Spain, Italy and Germany.

Gaining and Losing Stars

Let’s take a closer look at some notable examples of restaurants that have earned and lost Michelin stars over the past few years:

Gaining Stars

– SingleThread (California) – Gained 3 stars in 2021 after only 5 years open.

– Lyle’s (London) – Rocketed from 0 to 2 stars in 2017.

– Sushi Masato (Bangkok) – First Michelin star for a Thai sushi restaurant in 2017.

– Sorn (California) – First Michelin star for a Thai restaurant in America in 2022.

– Atomix (New York City) – Gained 2 stars just one year after opening in 2018.

Losing Stars

– L’Astrance (France) – Lost its 3rd star in 2021 after 21 years.

– The Fat Duck (UK) – Dropped from 3 to 2 stars in 2019 after 20 years.

– Le Bernardin (New York City) – Dropped a star in 2019 after over 30 years at the top.

– Gordon Ramsay (London) – Lost 2 of its 3 stars in 2020 due to issues with consistency.

– Alain Ducasse (France) – Lost all 3 of its stars after 55 years in 2020.

These examples demonstrate just how difficult it is to earn and retain Michelin stars over time. Even long standing giants of the industry can falter and lose ground. Consistency really is everything when it comes to Michelin ratings.

Return on Investment of Michelin Stars

The enormous costs and pressures of achieving Michelin stars begs the question – is it ultimately worth it financially for restaurants? Let’s analyze the potential return on investment:

1 Star 2 Stars 3 Stars
Avg Food Cost Increase 25% 50% 75%
Avg Menu Price Increase 20% 40% 60%
Avg Covers Per Night Increase 30% 60% 90%
Revenue Increase 15-25% 30-50% 60-100%

Key takeaways on revenue:

– 1 star brings a modest but significant revenue increase of 15-25%.

– 2 stars doubles the revenue growth with an average of 30-50%.

– 3 stars offers a dramatic revenue increase, from 60% up to 100%.

Clearly Michelin stars offer significant financial rewards, especially at the 2 and 3 star levels. But higher revenues may still not fully offset the much higher costs. Profit margins at Michelin starred restaurants remain squeezed and opening one is still a high risk venture. However, stars greatly boost a chef’s prestige and brand which has downstream benefits. Overall the tremendous effort required to earn Michelin stars only pays off financially for a select few.

Conclusion

Michelin stars remain the most prestigious and difficult honor for a restaurant to achieve. The road to receiving those coveted stars is an arduous one filled with challenges. It requires sheer perfection across every aspect of the dining experience. Only a tiny fraction of restaurants succeed in earning even one star. Making it all the way to the legendary three Michelin star status is a monumental feat requiring unwavering commitment and excellence. Michelin stars continue to be the pinnacle benchmark of fine dining quality and anyone achieving them deserves profound respect.