The prestigious Michelin Star program, a system of rating eating and dining experiences that speaks just as much about a city’s culinary scene as their respective cities themselves, is coming to Detroit.
Visit Detroit, the tri-county tourism marketing agency, announces this week that the metropolitan area will be included in a forthcoming Michelin Guide that features the Great Lakes. The guide, to be published in 2027, will direct readers to yet-to-be-determined one-, two- and three-star restaurants in Detroit and beyond.
It is the first time the Detroit area will be included in a Michelin guide, which is popular in other places with travelers and locals alike. Visit Detroit and Michelin’s joint announcement notes that “inspectors” are roaming the area now checking out the area’s eats on every level.
“Being included in the newest edition of the MICHELIN Guide is a transformational moment for our destination,” said Claude Molinari, President & CEO, Visit Detroit. “It signals to the world that our culinary scene has reached a level of excellence that’s worth traveling for.
The star system awards one star to places with exceptional cooking, two stars to places “worth a detour” and three stars to places “worth a special journey.” Any type of restaurant – be it strip-mall Mexican joint in Livonia, a takeout barbecue spot in the city, a Lebanese cafeteria in Dearborn – is eligible to be ranked.
In recent years, more of Detroit’s culinary offerings have been recognized on a national scale, going beyond gimmicky photo shoots in front of the neighboring downtown coneys. The late chef and documentarian Anthony Bourdain declared that “Detroit isn’t just a national treasure. It is America,” during a 2018 visit – an era that saw “Detroit-style” pizza become a full-on brand, an expansion of Latin American cuisine beyond Southwest Detroit, and an uptick of East and South Asian styles spreading throughout Macomb and Oakland counties.
“We know from global trends that destinations included in the MICHELIN Guide see increased visitation, longer stays, and higher visitor spending—so this isn’t just about recognition, it’s about real economic momentum for our entire region,” Molinari said.
