By what criteria does the MICHELIN Guide judge restaurants?
The Guide is a selection of hotels and restaurants in each category of price and comfort. Restaurants are chosen above all on the quality of their cuisine, but service and comfort at the table are carefully noted too. The ‘couvert’ symbols, from 1 to 5 crossed forks and spoons, indicate the level of comfort of the establishment: the quality of the cover (crockery, cutlery and so on), the size of the room, the service (quality and size of the team) and so on. If the symbols appear in red, this denotes that the establishment is particularly pleasant, or is in an especially pleasant setting. As for the cuisine, the Bib Gourmand indicates good-quality cooking, often making interesting use of local ingredients or recipes, below a certain price (less than £27 in the UK and €38 in the Republic of Ireland). Stars for fine cuisine only reflect the cooking, the food on the plate, judged on the quality of the ingredients, their preparation, the combination of flavours, imagination and above all a
