For Americans who are enamored with rating systems, the Michelin system is a mystery. When told about a particular Michelin-rated three-star restaurant, the average American will roll his or her eyes with a “so what’s the big deal” attitude. “My local newspaper has rated the beanery around the corner at three-and-a-half stars – and it ain’t so great!” Americans can open their local newspaper or listen to the television and be informed as to one critic’s or another’s opinion of this movie, that restaurant, or the current play at the local theater. The opinion is often accompanied by a set of symbols – stars, thumbs up or down, clapping characters – that provides an instant rating.

The French, too, have various rating systems. For restaurants, the most widely accepted system is the one found in Le Guide Rouge – the “red guide” – published by Michelin on the first Wednesday in March each year. (The press run is usually about 500,000 copies.) For restaurants, the Guide uses not one, but multiple systems for rating individual restaurants. First of all, with about fifty thousand restaurants in France, simply being listed in the 1500-page Guide is a plus for any restaurant. All restaurants are classified by one of five categories ranging from a low of “somewhat comfortable ” through “good comfort ,” “very comfortable ,” and “top class comfort ,” to “luxury in the traditional style ,” the highest category. The categories are represented in the Guide by a crossed fork and spoon symbol. Depending on its category, a restaurant will be represented by one to five of these symbols. If the restaurant is particularly “pleasant or restful,” the symbol will be in red ink instead of the usual black. If a restaurant provides “good food at moderate prices,” there is an additional symbol , the “Bib Gourmand,” designating this accomplishment. (The 2000 version of the Red Guide introduces a new category called “piècettes, or small coins, that indicate restaurants offering a simple menu for less than 85 FF.”)

The Guide states that “Certain establishments deserve to be brought to your attention for the particularly fine quality of their cooking. Michelin stars are awarded for the standard of meals served.” In the 1999 Guide there were 479 restaurants awarded at least one star. In all, this represents less than one percent of all the restaurants in France. Restaurants designated with a star also are rated still with the fork and spoon symbol. It is not uncommon for a restaurant with a star to only have two fork-and-spoons, or a restaurant with four or five fork-and-spoons not to have a star.

There are 402 one-star restaurants listed. The Guide describes a one-star restaurant as “A very good restaurant in its category. The star indicates a good place to stop on your journey.” There are 74 two-star restaurants: “Excellent cooking, worth a detour. Specialties and wines of first class quality. This will be reflected in the price.” Finally, there are 21 three-star restaurants: “Exceptional cuisine, worth a journey. One always eats here extremely well, sometimes superbly. Fine wines, faultless service, elegant surroundings. One will pay accordingly!” (An excellent narrative of the trials and tribulations of a restaurant chasing their third star is detailed in William Echikson’s Burgundy Stars: A Year in the Life of a Great French Restaurant published in 1995 by Little, Brown and Company.)

Determination of a restaurant’s rating by Michelin is performed by anonymous inspectors working to an unpublished set of criteria. The only time an inspector becomes known to a restaurant is when he identifies himself to the chef so that he may inspect the kitchen and the other facilities not normally visited by the diners. There is much speculation as to what the criteria are for a restaurant to obtain one or more stars, but general consensus is that the first star is based on a restaurant’s food quality. Additional stars are awarded for incremental increases in quality of service; dining room decoration; linen, cutlery and china; expense of ingredients; a more extensive selection of cheese; and the size and quality of the wine cellar.

In a sense, the stars are really awarded to the chef as much as to the restaurant. And once the chef has his or her first star, much thought is placed into whether achieving the second star is worth the risk and the stress. Having one star provides the chef with distinction and prestige. There is additional honor in making the jump from one to two stars, but there is also then the possible dishonor that comes with going from two to one star. The same is true for the chef that gains or loses a third star. Additional stars imply an increase in overhead that may not be compensated by an increase in revenue. A restaurant must make a considerable investment to obtain a second or third star. The chef must decide whether to stay in the relative safety and security of a single star or take the risk of going for the next star. Chef Frédéric Médigue of the one-star Château d’Amondans described to me how the initial euphoria of getting the first star lasted only a couple of weeks before the stress of deciding whether to go for other stars overtook it.

Some of my French friends have related to me that they prefer to stick with the one-star restaurants where food is most important and leave the two and three-star restaurants for American and Japanese tourists. Having eaten at various starred restaurants around France, I tend to agree – unless someone else is picking up the check.

Note: The Red Guide is now available in electronic form on the internet for free.