Not easy to obtain, the stars are awarded to restaurants that Michelin considers the very best in a given city, and recipients gain immense prestige and exposure along with the honor, with many seeing an increase in business after receiving their stars (while some who lost stars have experienced the opposite).

Every entry in the Guide is visited anonymously by one of our 30 expert inspectors stationed across the country. The long-list for potential entries is drawn up from the huge volume of feedback we receive from our discerning readers throughout the year.

The scoring takes in an establishment's uniqueness, its warmth, the deliciousness of the cooking and how strongly it can be recommended.