Can You Get 4 Michelin Stars?

Perhaps disappointingly, the answer is no – three is still the maximum number of Michelin stars that can be awarded to any one restaurant. And as their rating system hasn’t changed since the second and third star tiers were added almost a hundred years ago, it doesn’t look like a fourth star will be appearing any time soon.

With a more varied set of eating establishments receiving stars, it’s clear that the most important criteria is the food, and not the traditional fine dining accoutrements of the last century. The Michelin guide is generally assembled according to cities, countries or states in the case of the US.

Restaurants can be awarded a ‘Fork and Spoon’ rating, according to the relative luxury of the surroundings, and unlike the stars, this rating system goes up to five. So while it isn’t possible for a restaurant to have four Michelin stars, it could have four forks and spoons.

A Michelin Star is awarded for the food on the plate – nothing else. The style of a restaurant and its degree of formality or informality have no bearing whatsoever on the award. Who are the judges? Who makes the decisions?

How many Michelin stars can a restaurant have?

So while it isn’t possible for a restaurant to have four Michelin stars, it could have four forks and spoons. Finally, if you really want an establishment with more than three Michelin stars, you can always try putting several world-class restaurants in the same building. In 2017, the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, …

Because Michelin’s standards are so high, they introduced a different award, known as the ‘espoir’ or ‘Rising Star’, to indicate restaurants who missed out on an award by the narrowest of margins, and could be one to watch in next year’s guide . Introduced in 2005, the Rising Star award was initially awarded to one or two star restaurants who were almost good enough for another star. Later, this was expanded to include restaurants with zero stars, who looked set to achieve their first in the next few years.

The Michelin Plate award is much-prized, as making it into the guide at all is a considerable achievement. Like the Rising Star, it is a sign of promise, and many Michelin Plate winners go on to be awarded stars in the future.

By 1926, these reviews were in such demand that Michelin began publishing two distinct guides: The Green Guide was a typical motorists guide, and the Red Guide was reserved solely for Hotel and Restaurant reviews . Perhaps inspired by hotel ratings, which are typically between one and five stars, The Red Guide introduced a star rating system …

The glamour of a modern day three star restaurant is a far cry from the somewhat unlikely origins of the Michelin Guide. It all began in 1900 , when French tyre manufacturers André and Édouard Michelin began distributing free motorists’ guides to try and create interest in that new-fangled invention known as the automobile.

Tokyo is the most Michelin starred city, with a total of 226 Michelin starred restaurants, while France has the most Michelin stars of any country, with 628 Michelin starred restaurants (figures taken from the 2020 guides)

There are several other ways a restaurant can get into the Michelin guide, sometimes without being awarded a single star. For those of us who enjoy good food, but can’t afford to eat at luxury restaurants every night, the Bib Gourmand is an award for quality cuisine at an affordable price.