Michelin star guide

First published way back in 1904, the Michelin star guide highlights the very best restaurants in the world when it comes to fine dining. But which are the best of the best and where offers the greatest value for their price tags?

Even the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants will still set you back a considerable amount, so you may want to consider comparing credit cards to ease the cost a little.

Here’s a look at how well the three-star rated restaurants are reviewed by the public, as well as how much it would cost to eat at each.

The highest-rated three-star restaurants

1. Frantzén - Stockholm, Sweden

Total reviews: 171

% of ‘good’ reviews: 98.25%

We know that these restaurants are highly rated by critics, but the most loved by the public is Stockholm’s Frantzén.

Frantzén is known for its immersive setting, with guests first being taken on a tour of the beautiful multi-storey townhouse before enjoying their food.

98.25% of reviews left on Tripadvisor for Frantzén describe the restaurant as either ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’.

2. King's Joy - Beijing, China

Total reviews: 1,381

% of ‘good’ reviews: 96.81%

In second place is King's Joy, in Beijing, with 96.81% of its reviews being ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’.

King’s Joy offers a blend of traditional Chinese food and Western European fusion cuisine and is located in a remodelled courtyard house, just a stone’s throw from Yonghe Temple.

3. Régis et Jacques Marcon - Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, France

Total reviews: 1,103

% of ‘good’ reviews: 96.65%

France is the home of haute cuisine, with the third most popular restaurant with diners being Régis et Jacques Marcon in the commune of Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid.

The food by Régis and Jacques Marcon is inspired by mother nature and is housed in a spectacular glazed building. Dishes include locally reared meat and hand-picked mushrooms.

The lowest-rated three-star restaurants

1. Taian - Osaka, Japan

Total reviews: 48

% of ‘good’ reviews: 70.83%

All of the world’s three-star restaurants are clearly highly rated, but some don’t hit the mark quite as often with diners.

Taian, located in Osaka, Japan, is one such restaurant, with 70.83% of reviews being either ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’.

That’s still a very respectable rating but does fall short of many other Michelin-starred restaurants on Tripadvisor.

2. Le Petit Nice - Marseille, France

Total reviews: 1,080

% of ‘good’ reviews: 72.22%

Another restaurant with slightly lower acclaim on Tripadvisor is Le Petit Nice in Marseille. 

Located on the seafront, the food here is sourced from the Mediterranean, with 65 different varieties of fish over the course of the year, including the signature dish “Bouille Abaisse”.

3. La Yeon - Seoul, South Korea

Total reviews: 82

% of ‘good’ reviews: 73.17%

Completing the three lowest-rated restaurants on Tripadvisor is La Yeon, in Seoul, where just 73.17% of reviews described the experience as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’.

La Yeon, located on the 23rd floor of the Shilla Hotel with stunning views over Namsan Park, gives traditional Korean dishes a contemporary update.

The cheapest three-star restaurants

1. King's Joy - Beijing, China

Cheapest set menu price: £83 / $110 / €100

There’s no getting away from the fact that Michelin-starred dining is expensive, but the prices do vary quite considerably.

For example, at King’s Joy (which was also one of the top-rated restaurants on Tripadvisor), the menus start at RMB¥699 per person, which is equivalent to around £83.

2. Lung King Heen - Hong Kong

Cheapest set menu price: £96 / $126 / €115

Another of the more affordable three-star restaurants on offer is Lung King Heen, located in the Four Seasons Hong Kong.

Here the cost is HK$1,980 for two people, so for one person that’s HK$990, or just under £100 for one person.

3. Nakashima - Hiroshima, Japan

Cheapest set menu price: £108 / $142 / €129

Hiroshima’s only Michelin-starred restaurant is Nakashima, but it’s also one of the most affordable in the world, with the set menu costing JP¥17,320 (£108).

The restaurant serves kaiseki cuisine and is located in the city’s elegant and affluent Hakushima district.

The most expensive three-star restaurants

1. Guy Savoy - Paris, France

Cheapest set menu price: £441 / $583 / €530

If money is no obstacle, then you might want to check out Guy Savoy in Paris, where the cheapest set menu option costs €530 (£441) and contains 13 courses.

The restaurant is named after its head chef, who Gordon Ramsay has described as his mentor and specialises in nouvelle cuisine.

2. Kitcho Arashiyama - Kyoto, Japan

Cheapest set menu price: £411 / $543 / €493

The second most expensive three-star restaurant is Kyoto’s Kitcho Arashiyama, where the cheapest dinner menu comes in at JP¥66,000 including taxes, which works out at around £411.

No expense is spared at Kitcho Arashiyama, which pays homage to Japan’s tea ceremony traditions, in a classic Ryokan setting overlooking a serene garden.

3. Arpège - Paris, France

Cheapest set menu price: £408 / $539 / €490

In third place is Arpège, the restaurant of esteemed chef Alain Passard, where the menu Terre & Mer costs €490 (around £408).

The restaurant is one of the most famous in Paris and has maintained its three Michelin stars for more than two decades with a strong focus on vegetable-based dishes (although some meat-based dishes are available).

The best value three-star restaurants

So, taking both of these factors into consideration (reviews and cost), which three-starred restaurants can claim to be the best value?

1. King's Joy - Beijing, China

% of good reviews: 96.8%

Cheapest set menu price: £83 / $110 / €100

Value score: 9.96 / 10

Given that it was not only the second best-reviewed restaurant but also the most affordable, it’s no surprise that Beijing’s King’s Boy comes out on top here.

Founded over half a century ago, King’s Joy is known for its vegetarian menu, all part of its mission to promote a sustainable lifestyle to its customers.

2. Régis et Jacques Marcon - Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, France

% of good reviews: 96.6%

Cheapest set menu price: £150 / $198 / €180

Value score: 9.31 / 10

In second place is Régis et Jacques Marcon, with 96.6% of reviews being positive, and the cheapest set menu price of just £150.

As well as incredible food, the beautiful surroundings of this restaurant add a great deal to the experience, with panoramic views of the Valleys of Ardèche and Mont du Velay.

3. Nakashima - Hiroshima, Japan

% of good reviews: 94.9%

Cheapest set menu price: £108 / $142 / €129

Value score: 9.17 / 10

Nakashima takes third place, with 94.9% of its reviews being either excellent or very good, and a relatively affordable price tag of £108, given the quality of the food.

The team here draw upon Hiroshima’s culinary traditions, with special details such as specially-made ceramics that are tailored to each dish.

The chefs with the most Michelin stars

To earn even one Michelin star is a huge honour for a chef but which have the most Michelin stars to their name?

1. Alain Ducasse - 19

Currently, the chef who has been awarded the most Michelin stars is Alain Ducasse, who owns a number of eateries including Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester.

He actually held even more stars until his restaurant at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris recently shut down after a 21-year run.

2. Pierre Gagnaire - 14

In second place for the most Michelin stars is Pierre Gagnaire, with 14 stars, with the most famous of these coming from this eponymous Pierre Gagnaire restaurant in Paris.

Gagnaire is a revolutionary figure in cooking and has been at the forefront of fusion cuisine, introducing jarring juxtapositions of ingredients, flavours, tastes and textures throughout his career.

3. Martín Berasategui - 12

With 12 Michelin stars, Martín Berasategui comes in third place. His most famous restaurant is the one bearing his name in Lasarte-Oria in Spain and he specialises in Basque cuisine, having been born in San Sebastián.