The Country That Has The Most Michelin Star Restaurants

Known to some as a tire company with a terrifying mascot and others as an elite squad of secretive restaurant inspectors with the shadowy power to send a venue skyrocketing to success, Michelin is one of the most famously incongruous crossover businesses in the world. Unless you dig in a little. What first began as a clever scheme to popularize road travel, if you can even believe it, the guide side of the operation got its start as a French traveler's handbook in 1900. It didn't even introduce its coveted stars until 1926 and it didn't reach the United States until 2005. 

So, with its origin and its longest running coverage back in the motherland, it tracks that France would still have the most Michelin stars of any area the august institution covers. Today, there are 632 Michelin-starred restaurants in France, although this number is prone to fluctuation. Because restaurants' Michelin star ratings can range from awards of one, two, or three renowned sparklers, that actually approaches 800 total stars illuminating the nation.

The United States trails not only behind France, but also Japan, Italy, Germany, and Spain to come in at No. 6 among countries with Michelin stars, with regional representation ebbing and flowing around annual updates. Unsurprisingly, New York City, the nation's largest city, has the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the country, with 67 across all five boroughs. Among them is Le Bernardin, where French chef Eric Ripert has garnered a highly coveted three-Michelin star rating — a feat very few restaurants have achieved in the U.S. New York was also the first Michelin destination in North America. Chicago, Washington, D.C., California, three Florida cities, Toronto, Vancouver, Colorado, Atlanta, and Mexico have since followed.

Although there are more than 200 Michelin star restaurants in the U.S., they exist in a relative few locales. Otherwise highly renowned food towns like Philadelphia and the entire state of Texas are left out entirely. The latter, however, is poised to be remedied, as the Lone Star State is scheduled for inclusion later this year. On November 11, Houston will host the 2024 Michelin Guide ceremony to commemorate the occasion. Québec is expected to follow with its own star honors in 2025.