The Michelin Guide is under pressure: what’s going on?

‘Oh wow, fancy!’ That’s the reaction you’re guaranteed to get when you tell someone you’re going to eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant. A restaurant with a Michelin star must be good. It has status. At least, that’s how it’s been for years. It’s not for nothing that the list of Michelin-starred restaurants is proudly presented every year. But recently, the Michelin Guide has come under pressure.

Michelin is an old hand in the business. As early as 1926, the tire manufacturer began awarding Michelin stars. The Michelin Guide had already been on the market for several years by then. At the time, it was mainly a handy booklet with tips for dealing with a flat tire and a map showing gas stations. It soon became clear that the guide was a brilliant marketing tool.

From tires to plates

Starting in 1926, anonymous Michelin inspectors visited restaurants with exceptionally good cuisine, flavors and service. Those restaurants stood a chance of earning a Michelin star. In 1931, the rating system was expanded; from then on, restaurants could even receive three Michelin stars. That meant they had to be truly worth a journey, according to Michelin. In the years that followed, the Michelin star became a famous—and perhaps also infamous; more on that later—concept.

A dusty image

But around 100 years later, Michelin has acquired a dusty image. This is largely due to the rise of influencers and online reviewers. Thanks to the internet and social media, Michelin is far from the only influential guide for restaurant reviews. No, these days we also rely on the reviews of other critics. People are increasingly being influenced on Instagram and TikTok by mouthwatering videos.

Slow adjustments

Michelin is also very slow when it comes to expanding its reach. The Michelin Guide did not cross the Atlantic until 2006, when the first stars were awarded to restaurants in New York. It was not until 2016 that the first guides for Singapore, Seoul and Shanghai appeared. The Michelin Guide now comprises 28 editions in more than 25 countries, but some continents are still hopelessly overlooked. Michelin still does not pay enough attention to Africa and Australia, for example.

Because Michelin feels that it is under pressure, some initial changes do seem to be emerging. The guide is expanding again into new countries, such as India and Mexico. Less standard high-class restaurants are also being included in the ratings. A Michelin inspector might now even turn up at a small Mexican taco bar. That’s a smart move—and necessary, too. Consumers are increasingly looking for diverse, affordable culinary experiences; exactly the kind of thing you now see all over social media through influencers.

Do you even want a star?

In short, a restaurant’s popularity has long since stopped depending on whether it has a Michelin star. The question is also whether restaurant owners and chefs are even still waiting for a Michelin star. In recent years, it has increasingly emerged that Michelin-starred chefs suffer from high expectations and performance pressure. This brings with it a great deal of anxiety and depressive feelings. Some chefs are also simply opposed to the system. Take French chef Marc Veyrat, for example.

In 2019, Veyrat took the Michelin Guide to court because, in his view, he had unfairly lost a star. According to the Michelin inspector, Veyrat used cheddar cheese in his soufflé, while the chef was 100% certain that it was local cheese. Now he has a sign on the door of his newly opened restaurant saying: Michelin inspectors are not welcome. He does not want to ‘take exams and receive a ranking’ and considers the inspectors ‘incompetent’.

The future of Michelin in the Netherlands

The future of the Michelin Guide in the Netherlands also seems uncertain. In an interview with De Telegraaf, Marko Karelse, chairman of the Jeunes Restaurateurs d’Europe (JRE), says that Michelin ‘asks top establishments to pay for themselves if they want to be assessed against the star criteria’. Is Michelin not receiving enough money? Then ‘the annual star overview will have to be adjusted’.

Michelin ceremony 2025

For now, Maastricht is the saving angel; the municipality, the province and the business community are organizing the presentation of the new Michelin Guide, which will take place on Monday, October 6, at MECC Maastricht, alongside the hospitality trade fair BBB Maastricht. Michelin has already warned that there may only be a Michelin Guide for major cities. But still… Can you imagine a Michelin Guide without De Librije***?

Also read:

• The cities to visit for the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurants
• 12 super-affordable Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris
• This restaurant in the Netherlands has held a Michelin star the longest

Sources: De Telegraaf, Michelin Guide, Paracelsus Recovery, CNN, IsGeschiedenis, Daily Mail