The Michelin Guide will be coming to the Dubai, more than 100 years after its founding.
The guide was founded by the French tire company Michelin in 1904, and is widely regarded as one of the most important distinctions for fine restaurants across the globe.
The Michelin Guide works on a star system, with one star meaning “high quality cooking, worth a stop”, two stars meaning “excellent cooking, worth a detour”, and three stars meaning “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
The Michelin Guide announcement was made at the UAE’s Museum of the Future on Tuesday morning.
“We are delighted to announce that Dubai will be joining the Michelin Guide family. Our team of inspectors is already in the field, in order to prepare the first selection of restaurants, which will be revealed in June.” announced Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guides, “We will be showcasing the best of Dubai’s gastronomy, to reflect not just the sophistication that the city is famed for, but also the wide diversity of cuisines that the city’s location and history provide.”
“In order to help motorists develop their trips – thereby boosting car sales and in turn, tyre purchases – the Michelin brothers produced a small guide filled with handy information for travellers, such as maps, information on how to change a tyre, where to fill up on petrol, and wonderfully – for the traveller in search of respite from the adventures of the day – a listing of places to eat or take shelter for the night,” says Michelin Guide about the guide’s founding back in 1904.
Michelin Guide follows a number of huge international launches
This is the latest move to signal that the UAE’s food scene has come to full maturity, with the Michelin Guide other major international launches, including 50 Best announcing its first list of the 50 Best Restaurants in the MENA region back in February, as well as ITP Media Group’s launch of Gault&Millau UAE, another one of the most widely respected fine-dining food critique brands in the world.
ITP announced earlier this year that Gault&Millau UAE will curate elevated dining experiences in addition to a series of print and digital guides throughout the year, recognising and elevating the finest gastronomic talents and establishments from across the country.
Inside Gault&Millau UAE
“We are delighted to announce the launch of Gault&Millau in the Middle East – a true first for the region. Gault&Millau is one of the most respected food critique brands on the planet, and our Middle Eastern edition will distinguish itself with dedicated, qualified food inspectors, a fiercely independent review criteria and a world-class event series, culminating in our annual gala dinner,” said Ali Akawi, CEO of ITP Media Group.
“We truly believe the UAE is beginning to compete with long-established gastronomic destinations in Europe, the US and Asia, and this launch is a step on the journey to global recognition for the region. By introducing the brand locally, we look forward to playing a supporting role in the next phase of the UAE’s remarkable culinary journey.”
Vladislav Skvortsov, president of Gault&Millau, echoed those sentiments.
“The Middle East’s dining scene is very dynamic and is growing at speed. We see mounting appetite for premium and fine-dining in the region, specifically in the UAE. This, coupled with a deep appreciation of food craftsmanship, makes the UAE a natural and long-awaited move. We believe that ITP Media Group has the experience and diligence to deliver Gault&Millau UAE in a way that upholds, and builds upon, more than 50 years of gastronomic excellence,” said Skvortsov.
More about Gault&Millau
Gault&Millau was founded in Paris in 1969 when Henri Gault and Christian Millau, two journalists and food critics, issued the Gault&Millau Guide of Courses. Today, the brand is the leading authority and critique on fine dining and operates in more than 15 territories globally.
Gault&Millau’s revered rating system sees restaurants visited anonymously by professional food critics, and then ranked on a scale of 1 to 20, with points awarded based solely on the quality of the food. Any comments about service, price and a restaurant’s atmosphere, meanwhile, are considered separately. Based on a restaurant’s overall rating, restaurants are able to display one to five toques (or chef hats), reflecting their standing in Gault&Millau’s guides. All visits by Gault&Millau critics are fully paid for.
Today the Gault&Millau trademark encompasses an annual French guide, eight regional guides, 15 licences worldwide, the GaultMillau Academy (established by chefs who have been promoting French gastronomy for over 25 years) and the 109, the guide highlighting 109 young chefs, embodying the revival of French gastronomy in Paris, and PoP by Gault&Millau, offering a selection of atmospheric spots of the moment.