Who are the inspectors, how do they work, which restaurants give stars and more keys to the Michelin Guide?

Since 2018,

has been the international director of the Michelin Guides, the gastronomic

that was born more than 120 years ago to recommend the best restaurants in the world.

The French manager visited our country this week, specifically Toledo, to present

, in which the coveted stars were distributed.

Taking advantage of this rain of awards in Spain, we review the mechanics of this guide, how the inspectors work and which countries are the most interesting from the hand of Poullennec, who spoke with METRÓPOLI recently on the occasion of the presentation of the first Dubai Michelin Guide (which includes 69 restaurants, including 11 with stars) last summer.

What is the process for a restaurant to enter the Michelin Guide? The guide follows

applied by our team of international and anonymous inspectors every time they try a dish in a restaurant.

These criteria are: the quality of the products, the proper use of culinary techniques, the harmony of flavors, how the chef's personality is reflected in the creations, and the consistency of the experience over time and on the menu.

What does a restaurant have to do to appear in the Guide? Nothing special;

our inspectors are always on the lookout to discover new culinary gems and try all kinds of restaurants throughout the year.

How many inspectors work for the Guide? We cannot reveal that, nor can we say how many restaurants are visited per year.

It's secret. Is there a specific number of stars to award each year? Not at all.

We have no limits or quotas when it comes to selecting the winners.

Our main mission is to reflect the culinary scene with all its dimensions and realities.

Each destination is very different and the selection is very diverse when it comes to awarding stars.

What makes an inspector visit one restaurant or another? All the restaurants our inspectors visit have discovered them themselves.

They tend to be very curious and open-minded former professionals in the world of catering and hospitality, which is why they are not guided only by the fashions of the gastronomic scene, but also take tradition and culture into account.

They try to make a selection as diverse as possible, always based on the quality of the culinary offer.

Our main mission is to reflect the culinary scene with all its dimensions and realities.

Each destination is very different and the selection is very diverse when it comes to awarding stars.

What makes an inspector visit one restaurant or another? All the restaurants our inspectors visit have discovered them themselves.

They tend to be very curious and open-minded former professionals in the world of catering and hospitality, which is why they are not guided only by the fashions of the gastronomic scene, but also take tradition and culture into account.

They try to make a selection as diverse as possible, always based on the quality of the culinary offer.

Our main mission is to reflect the culinary scene with all its dimensions and realities.

Each destination is very different and the selection is very diverse when it comes to awarding stars.

What makes an inspector visit one restaurant or another? All the restaurants our inspectors visit have discovered them themselves.

They tend to be very curious and open-minded former professionals in the world of catering and hospitality, which is why they are not guided only by the fashions of the gastronomic scene, but also take tradition and culture into account.

They try to make a selection as diverse as possible, always based on the quality of the culinary offer.

What makes an inspector visit one restaurant or another? All the restaurants our inspectors visit have discovered them themselves.

They tend to be very curious and open-minded former professionals in the world of catering and hospitality, which is why they are not guided only by the fashions of the gastronomic scene, but also take tradition and culture into account.

They try to make a selection as diverse as possible, always based on the quality of the culinary offer.

What makes an inspector visit one restaurant or another? All the restaurants our inspectors visit have discovered them themselves.

They tend to be very curious and open-minded former professionals in the world of catering and hospitality, which is why they are not guided only by the fashions of the gastronomic scene, but also take tradition and culture into account.

They try to make a selection as diverse as possible, always based on the quality of the culinary offer.

Gwendal Poullennec during the 2023 Spain Portugal Michelin Guide Awards Gala.

How is the first meeting of an inspector with the restaurant? He is completely anonymous and behaves like a normal customer.

They never identify themselves as such, neither before going, nor while they are eating, nor after, when they make their assessment. How many visits are made to a restaurant before giving an assessment?

How many inspectors visit the same restaurant? How we work is confidential, but I can assure you that all decisions regarding the selection of premises are carried out collectively by the inspectors, that is, as a team.

Each restaurant is visited several times by different inspectors, which ensures a higher quality recommendation.

What factors are taken into account for a restaurant to receive one, two or three stars? Michelin stars are awarded, from one to three, to establishments that,

somehow, they surprise and amaze the inspectors following the five universal criteria mentioned above.Which countries are most interesting when choosing restaurants?All of our destinations demonstrate a great diversity of culture and culinary traditions.

All this is what makes the Guide particularly interesting and full of surprises. Is there a 'black list' of restaurants that never manage to improve their rating no matter how many changes and improvements they make (eg Mugaritz)? The main value of the Guide is create a positive dynamic, which is why we never give restaurants negative ratings or blacklist them.Are there many restaurants that give up stars?

Why?

Is that seen as a grievance? Establishments can choose whether or not to enter the Guide.

Our mission is to reflect the reality of the culinary scene and offer our clients the most relevant information.

However, they are free to communicate or not the mentions and distinctions that we give them. In which country do you think the best restaurants are located according to quality/price with a star? It must be taken into account that an experience with a star is usually always expensive , but the current offer of restaurants

around the world has a wide range of budgets.

Some of the award-winning chefs at the 2023 Michelin Guide Spain and Portugal gala together with Gwendal Poullennec.

What do you consider to be the restaurant of the moment in Spain? It would be unfair to choose one, since Spain offers a great diversity of gastronomic experiences.

The country stands out especially in the selection of the Guide, with more than 1,200 recommended restaurants, representing more than 40 styles, from rice restaurants to pintxo bars, more contemporary establishments and international cuisine. How is Spain perceived internationally from the point of view of Gastronomic view? As I mentioned before, the culinary diversity in Spain is very interesting.

And what makes the country a top gastronomy destination is the "avant-garde": year after year, our inspectors are impressed by how Spanish chefs demonstrate their innovative spirit.

Of course,

, but even today we find revolutionary techniques or the discovery of new flavors that show the creative spirit that drives the whole experience, as in the restaurants

by Dabiz Muñoz,

by the Roca brothers or the renowned

de Ángel León.

In all these places, even the service follows this dynamic, with futuristic presentations or invitations to diners to participate in the experience.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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