Michelin Guide inspectors have begun visiting Toronto restaurants and will continue doing so over the coming months ahead of the launch of the first Canadian guide.
The iconic guide awards ratings to some of the best restaurants in the world and the inaugural Toronto edition will be announced in the fall.
“This is an exciting moment for our city as Toronto will become the first Michelin Guide destination in Canada,” Toronto Mayor John Tory said in a news release Tuesday.
“This further bolsters our reputation as a world destination for food and cuisine. Our diverse city, along with the many renowned chefs who call Toronto home, have helped us get to this point and to be able to showcase all of the wonderful restaurants.”
Michelin said their inspectors are “meticulous in maintaining their confidentiality,” make reservations anonymously and pay for all of their meals to make sure they are treated like any other customer.
They have already started visiting restaurants, the company said.
Inspectors can then award one, two, or three stars to a restaurant. They can also give Bib Gourmand ratings for restaurants that offer quality food at good prices.
The Michelin Green Star is awarded to restaurants that are “deeply committed to sustainable gastronomy.”
Michelin works with local tourism agencies — in this case Destination Toronto, Destination Ontario and Destination Canada — but its selection process is independent, the company said.
Michelin first began looking at Toronto as a possible destination for one of its guides prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it completed an assessment of the city’s culinary scene, the City of Toronto said.
“This first selection for Canada’s largest city, and our first in the country, will represent the local flavors, international inspiration, and distinct creativity that makes Toronto’s dining scene world-class,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the international director of the Michelin Guides.
According to its website, the Michelin Guide first started more than 100 years ago in France by the Michelin tire company. It was initially intended to “simply to encourage more motorists to take to the road” by including “handy information for travellers” including how to change a tire, where to get gas, and where to eat or stay for the night.
It gained influence over the years and the Michelin brothers got a team of mystery diners to visit and review restaurants anonymously.
In 1926, it began to award stars for fine dining — initially with just one star. In 1931, it began to award rankings of stars and has since become a best-seller, the website says.
It rates more than 30,000 establishments across three continents.
Other Michelin Guide destinations in North America are New York, Washington, Chicago and California.