Michelin is finally coming to Australia—just not all of it
Well, well, well. Australia will finally make its debut in the Michelin Guide, just not in the way most expected.
South Australia has seized the opportunity to become the first state covered by the Guide after Tourism Australia reportedly declined (twice) to cover the eye-watering $40 million bill to roll it out nationally.
It’s a huge win for SA, and equally a huge loss for the rest of the country. The South Australian Government has splashed out on the launch, inking a reported multimillion-dollar deal to bring Michelin to the state, with inspectors already canvassing the region.
“South Australia offers a compelling proposition for gastronomic travelers [sic] in search of authenticity, diversity and a strong sense of place,” Michelin wrote in its announcement. “With its concentration of acclaimed wine regions, proximity between producers and dining destinations, and a culinary scene driven by creativity rather than convention, the region provides an ideal context for the Michelin Guide to showcase a distinctive and evolving gastronomic culture rooted in both heritage and innovation.”
A few newsletters ago, I wrote about the survival of Australia’s fine dining landscape, specifically the closures in Sydney, and whether international recognition from Michelin could have shifted the trajectory for restaurants like Quay, Ursula’s and Oncore by Clare Smyth.
There’s no doubt Michelin will change the game for South Australian operators, though exactly how won’t be known for many months. What started as a restaurant guide has become something much bigger and more powerful, particularly when it comes to tourism.
SA’s inclusion could reshape the way international visitors experience Australia entirely, directing diners toward Adelaide and the surrounding regions over cities like Sydney and Melbourne, which have traditionally been the country’s go-to tourist destinations.
Subscribe to the Service, Please! Substack here
It may also encourage chefs and restaurateurs to expand into South Australia, knowing there’s now an opportunity to earn global recognition. Could we soon see Mr. Wong or Totti’s in Adelaide?
Michelin has historically influenced the way restaurants operate, shaping everything from service standards through to menu structure and pricing, so it will be interesting to see how Australia’s more relaxed dining culture translates.
Will restaurants start conforming to the traditional European fine dining mould in pursuit of a star, or will Michelin adapt to Australia? Some of the country’s best restaurants blur the line between premium and casual, polished and approachable, which is part of what makes Australia’s dining culture so unique.
Beyond how the launch may shape the industry long term, the immediate reaction from chefs and hospitality professionals has mostly been a mix of pride, excitement, renewed motivation and relief that their work may finally be recognised on a global scale. There is also resistance from those who don’t subscribe to the star system.
Ultimately, I think the launch of the Guide in just one state says something bigger about where the industry is currently at. South Australia has been left out of the national dining conversation in recent years, particularly after Good Food narrowed the focus of its guides to New South Wales and Victoria, removing SA venues from the hat conversation.
“South Australian restaurants were represented in the national Good Food Guide, which ran for three years, until the greater economic pressures of the pandemic period led to a consolidation of coverage,” Good Food Sydney eating out and restaurant editor Bianca Hrovat wrote in a piece about Michelin’s local arrival.
“Since 2021, the NSW and Victorian Good Food Guides have focused on expanding their coverage of regional and metropolitan restaurants, with greater diversity of price points.”
My, how quickly things can change.
While the Michelin Guide’s launch is undoubtedly exciting for South Australia, I question the message it sends internationally when only one Australian state appears in the Guide. It feels fragmented and confusing to a global audience, who may assume the rest of our restaurants aren’t operating at the same standard, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
Restaurants across the country are navigating the same pressures: rising costs, staffing challenges and shifting diner expectations. It would have been nice for operators across Australia to have access to the same opportunities for recognition.
Interestingly, New Zealand’s launch will take the opposite approach, with restaurants across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown all entering the Guide simultaneously in the coming months.
Australia’s Michelin debut could have been a unified national moment. Instead, it’s likely going to roll out state by state. For now, South Australia will serve as the test case.
Australia’s first Michelin stars—alongside the Bib Gourmand selections—will be announced in October. The question is whether this marks the beginning of something bigger, or simply the continuation of a divided dining landscape.
