100 years on—the story behind the Michelin stars
A century after the first Michelin star was bestowed, the award continues to shape the world of dining, recognising everything from elegant French restaurants to Singaporean street-food stalls — and an array of establishments in between.
This year marks a century since the first Michelin stars were awarded. And while the Guide now celebrates a host of cooking styles in dozens of countries across the globe, it wasn’t always thus.
The first iterations of the Guide appeared in the early 20th century, when French brothers and tyre company-owners Andre and Edouard Michelin began producing a printed publication for motorists. Originally featuring maps and car-related tips, such as how to change a tyre, the little red book was relaunched in 1920, listing restaurant recommendations across France. The brothers’ thinking was clear: by encouraging motor tourism the company would sell more tyres.
Over the next few years, the Michelin organisation began using anonymous inspectors to review restaurants, with the first stars awarded to 46 French fine-dining establishments in 1926. The idea took off and, in 1931, a single-tier star system was replaced by a three-star system. The criteria for rankings, published five years later, noted that one star meant ‘a very good restaurant in its category’; two stars ‘excellent cooking, worth a detour’; and three ‘exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey’ — criteria definitions that remain almost exactly the same today.
Since then, Michelin has introduced additional designations, including the Bib Gourmand in 1997, awarded to restaurants serving ‘high-quality food at great value’, and the Michelin Plate (later renamed ‘Selected Restaurants’), for establishments that ‘simply serve good food’ but haven’t received a star or Bib. In 2020 Michelin Green stars were unveiled, first in France, swiftly followed by the Nordics, recognising restaurants committed to sustainable gastronomy.
While Michelin now rates thousands of establishments in more than 40 countries, some chefs have taken umbrage at the system, suggesting the judging is flawed or arguing it puts too much pressure on chefs to maintain their star status. Marco Pierre White is thought to have been the first chef to ‘give back’ his stars, which he did in 1999 before retiring from his Oak Room restaurant — and several others have followed suit since.
Despite the controversies, many still consider a Michelin star — or three — to be the pinnacle of a chef’s career, whether they’re working in a fine-dining restaurant or a humble hole-in-the-wall. These are some of the standout starry venues.
Longest-standing Michelin-starred restaurant
Georges Blanc restaurant, in the small town of Vonnas in eastern France, has continuously held at least one Michelin star for almost as long as the award has existed. Founded as La Mère Blanc, this half-timbered establishment gained its first in 1929, followed by a second in the early 1930s, both under chef Élisa Blanc — grandmother of the current owner, Georges. He took the helm in 1968, when he was 25 and went on to earn a third star, which the restaurant retained until 2025. Dinner and lunch sittings last just one hour and 15 minutes, during which diners can enjoy seasonal dishes such as scallop with Roscoff onion in a herb and chardonnay marinade, or salt-crust Bresse chicken with black truffles.
Cheapest Michelin-starred establishment
While Singaporean hawker stall Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle has been described by some as the cheapest Michelin-starred place to eat, Mexico City taqueria El Califa de León may well be the place to bag the best bargain. Its tacos, filled with prickly pear or thinly sliced steak, cost just 58 MXN (£2.45) a piece, and are made using fresh corn tortillas and homemade salsas. With no seating, and space for just a few diners to stand at the counter, this compact space has gained a cult following since opening in 1968 and has held a Michelin star since 2024.
Longest-held three Michelin stars
Paul Bocuse, France’s ‘Pope of gastronomy’ was, perhaps auspiciously, born the year Michelin awarded its first stars. Bocuse took over the family restaurant in the 1950s and eventually became one of France’s best-known chefs and helped define nouvelle cuisine. His restaurant Paul Bocuse, which is just outside Lyon, retained three stars for a record 55 consecutive years — from 1965 until 2020. Today, eight years after his death, the two-star establishment serves updated versions of his classic dishes. In the formal dining room, with its chandelier and white tablecloths, Bresse guinea fowl is carved and flambéed tableside, while intricate sweets arrive on a dessert trolley.
Shortest-lived Michelin-star
It would be hard to beat the record of Shanghai spot Taian Table, which closed a day after receiving its first star in September 2016, due to licensing issues. However, its German chef Stefan Stiller fulfilled his promise to reopen, moving to a new location and welcoming guests back in December 2016. The restaurant has since gone on to earn three stars (as well as a Green star) in its new iteration — an intimate space with seating around an island kitchen that turns out fusion European-Asian dishes such as chawanmushi (savoury Japanese custard) with snail, bone marrow and parsley, or fermented mandarin sorbet with jasmine flower.
First vegan restaurant to be awarded a star
Having originally earned a star with a menu that included meat and fish, Seven Swans in Frankfurt went vegetarian in 2019, when chef Ricky Saward took over the kitchen. Towards the end of that year he cut out animal products entirely and, in 2020, it became the first vegan restaurant to receive a Michelin star. Housed across seven floors of a narrow building with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the River Main, the restaurant uses only vegetables grown on its own permaculture farm, complemented by plenty of pickles and ferments. Dishes might include tomato with orange jam and marigold, or potato with thistle and mushroom.
Quickest-awarded Michelin star
Some establishments spend years working towards a Michelin star, but fish-forward London restaurant Behind had been open for just 20 days when it achieved the honour in 2021, having operated for two short periods between national lockdowns. Located in a modern space in fashionable London Fields, Behind has 18 seats arranged around a horseshoe-shaped counter, where diners can watch chef Andy Beynon and his team creating a tasting menu that might feature the likes of roast hake with cockles and sherry, or peas with smoked pike and trout roe.
