Written by 
See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.
Which Countries Have the Most Three-Star Michelin Restaurants?
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
For many culinary enthusiasts, dining at prestigious, Michelin-starred restaurants is often at the center of their travel plans.
The Michelin Guide was first published by the French tire company, Michelin, to help drivers find lodging, restaurants, and other services on the road, and has since become a prestigious and influential rating system in the culinary world.
Michelin inspectors, or reviewers, visit restaurants anonymously and award one, two, or three stars to high quality restaurants. Three stars is defined as “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
This map shows the top 10 countries in the world by number of three-star Michelin restaurants. The figures come from the Michelin Guide and are updated as of July 2024.
France Home to Most Three Star Restaurants
Michelin’s home country, France, holds the most three-star Michelin restaurants in the world, making up 30 of the 145 restaurants.
The country is also home to 660 Michelin-starred restaurants, the highest in the world.
| Country/Region | Number of 3-star Michelin restaurants |
|---|---|
| 🇫🇷 France | 30 |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 20 |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 15 |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 13 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 13 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 10 |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong and Macau | 9 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 9 |
| 🇨🇳 China Mainland | 5 |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 4 |
France’s dominance in the Michelin rankings is rooted in its rich culinary heritage. As the birthplace of haute cuisine, which translates to “high dining,” French gastronomy is renowned for its high-quality ingredients, meticulous preparation, and artistic presentation.
Europe has the highest concentration of three-star Michelin restaurants, including third-ranked Spain and fourth-ranked Italy.
The Basque region of Spain is particularly famous for its high density of Michelin restaurants, mostly concentrated in the cities of San Sebastian and Bilbao.
Japan, with the second-highest number of three-star Michelin restaurants, is renowned for its haute cuisine, “kaiseki”, a multi-course meal that highlights seasonal ingredients, artistic presentation, and “omotenashi”, or wholehearted hospitality.
Tokyo is home to the most Michelin star restaurants at 194, while Kyoto, with 100 Michelin restaurants, boasts the highest concentration of Michelin restaurants per capita.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To see which other cities are home the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants after Tokyo, check out this graphic that visualizes the top cities by number of 1, 2, and 3-star Michelin restaurants.