How Wolfgang Puck Feels Restaurants With 2 And 3 Michelin Stars Differ - Tasting Table (2024)

ByAutumn Swiers

As of January 2023, only 142 restaurants in the world boast a three-star rating from Michelin Guide.And whether you love or hate it(Anthony Bourdain wasn't a fan: "The only people who really care about Michelin stars in New York are French guys," he told Vanity Fairin 2015),the honor carries a lot of clout — andeach Michelin star means something different.

Receiving Michelin recognition raises establishments to elevated echelons, donning businesses overnight with the highly sought-after, elusive status of "cool." Reservations start flooding in; Prices can be raised and foodies will pay without blinking.At large, Michelin status is reserved for the fine dining world — a realm Wolfgang Puck knows like the back of his hand.

Puck holds three Michelin stars(two for his restaurant Spago Beverly Hills and one for CUT, which earned its star just one year after opening), so he has first-hand knowledge when it comes to how two and three-starred restaurants differ.

It's about the vibe

How Wolfgang Puck Feels Restaurants With 2 And 3 Michelin Stars Differ - Tasting Table (2)

Roman Chazov/Shutterstock

Fittingly to the fine dining world, according to Puck, the difference between two and three Michelin stars has a lot to do with fanciness."A lot of two-star restaurants are really inventive and have really great food," the chef explains toWIRED. "Now a three-star restaurant, everything has to be perfect — the food, the service, the wine cellar, the glassware, the plates ... If you go to a three-star restaurant, it has a certain look, a certain style. With two-star, you don't have to be as fancy."

If you ask Michelin Guide itself, the food alone is judged based on five specific criteria: quality of ingredients, mastery of flavor and techniques, how well the chef's personality comes through their dish, value for money, and consistency between visits. But, the exact way these criteria manifest differs subjectively from one judge to the next. As Michelin Guide's International Director Gwendal Poullennec explains to USA Today, anonymous judges scour potential restaurants and give them "as many stars as a destination deserves to have."

While the judging may exist on a somewhat nuanced scale, any restaurant that garners a visit from a Michelin representative in the first place is probably doing more than a few things right.

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How Wolfgang Puck Feels Restaurants With 2 And 3 Michelin Stars Differ - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

How Wolfgang Puck Feels Restaurants With 2 And 3 Michelin Stars Differ - Tasting Table? ›

"A lot of two-star restaurants are really inventive and have really great food," the chef explains to WIRED. "Now a three-star restaurant, everything has to be perfect — the food, the service, the wine cellar, the glassware, the plates ... If you go to a three-star restaurant, it has a certain look, a certain style.

What is the difference between 2 star and 3 star Michelin restaurants? ›

Two Stars: The restaurant has excellent cuisine delivered in a unique way, and has something exceptional to offer — it's “worth a detour” to visit while traveling. Three Stars: The restaurant has exceptional cuisine and thus “worth a special journey” just to visit.

What is the difference between Michelin star restaurants? ›

In theory, a one-star rating means, “a very good restaurant,” two stars signify “excellent cooking that is worth a detour,” and a three-star restaurant is one that offers “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.”

What makes a 2 Michelin star restaurant? ›

According to the guide, one Michelin star represents a “very good restaurant in its category,” while two stars denotes a restaurant boasting “excellent cooking” that is “worth a detour.” Three stars, however, is the ultimate accolade, afforded only to those restaurants that offer “exceptional cuisine” that is “worth a ...

What restaurant has 2 Michelin stars? ›

La Dame de Pic, City of London

Although this restaurant has two sisters of the same name in France, it is the only one to have achieved a second Michelin star. Anne-Sophie Pic, who was trained in her family's restaurant Masion Pic in Valence, founded La Dame de Pic London in the Four Seasons Hotel at Ten.

How many 2 Michelin star restaurants exist? ›

That may sound like a large number. But in a world of 195 countries and a population of nearly eight billion people, the reality is that Michelin Star restaurants are rare. Of that total, There are 2,290 restaurants with a single Michelin star, 414 restaurants with two stars, and 113 restaurants with three stars.

How hard is 3 Michelin stars? ›

To earn one star, a restaurant must be considered "a very good restaurant in its category." For two stars, the criteria is "excellent cooking, worth a detour." To qualify for the elusive three stars, a restaurant must serve up "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey."

How many 3 star Michelin restaurants are there in the US? ›

March 6, 2024. Get more recipes, food news, and stories by signing up for our Deep Dish newsletter. Only thirteen restaurants in the United States currently have the coveted distinction of three Michelin stars.

Can you get 5 Michelin stars? ›

A restaurant can receive up to three Michelin Stars. The rankings are as follows: One star: High-quality cooking, worth a stop.

Why are there only 3 Michelin stars? ›

Being awarded three Michelin stars is the highest accolade a restaurant can receive. The Michelin Guide is famously secretive about how it decides which restaurants deserve stars and how many. Essentially, it comes down to whether the food is good enough to warrant going out of your way to pay the restaurant a visit.

Why did Gordon Ramsay lose 2 Michelin? ›

Michelin guide director Michael Ellis told Bloomberg, "We've had issues with consistency, and consistency is a huge thing for us ... we've had some very erratic meals [there]." He explained that the major two-star downgrade was a difficult decision to make but the Michelin team felt it was the right thing to do.

How hard is it to get 2 Michelin stars? ›

Michelin stars are given out on a scale of one to three stars, with only the top establishments in the world qualifying. To earn one Michelin star, a restaurant needs to be “a very good restaurant in this category”. For two stars, it needs to be “excellent cooking, worth a detour”.

What do you wear to a 2 Michelin star restaurant? ›

Men can wear a tailored suit or dress pants and a collared shirt. They can pair their wear with dress shoes. Women can opt for a co*cktail dress, elegant skirt or pantsuit, or a formal blouse with tailored trousers or a skirt.

What is the difference between 2 and 3 Michelin stars? ›

MICHELIN GUIDE STAR RATING DESCRIPTIONS

One star: A very good restaurant in its category. Two stars: Excellent cooking, worth a detour. Three stars: Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.

How many 2 star Michelin restaurants are there in Italy? ›

Italy : 1-20 of 40 restaurants.

Which country has the most Michelin 2 star restaurants? ›

The country that has the most restaurants that have earned a Michelin star is France. France has a total of 632 restaurants that have Michelin stars. 74 of these restaurants have earned at least two Michelin stars, while 29 restaurants have earned a total of three stars.

Does Gordon Ramsay have a 3 Michelin star restaurant? ›

Gordon Ramsay opened Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in 1998, as his first solo restaurant. The location previously housed the Michelin-starred restaurant La Tante Claire. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay gained its third Michelin star in 2001, making Ramsay the first Scottish chef to have done so.

What is the highest Michelin star? ›

Three MICHELIN Stars is our highest award, given for the superlative cooking of chefs at the peak of their profession; their cooking is elevated to an art form and some of their dishes are destined to become classics.

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