List of Michelin-starred restaurants in Toronto
As of the 2024 Michelin Guide, there are 16 restaurants in the Greater Toronto Area with a Michelin-star rating.[1] The Michelin Guides have been published by the French tire company Michelin since 1900. They were designed as a guide to tell drivers about eateries they recommended to visit and to subtly sponsor their tires, by encouraging drivers to use their cars more and therefore need to replace the tires as they wore out. Over time, the stars that were given out became more valuable.[2]
Multiple anonymous Michelin inspectors visit the restaurants several times. They rate the restaurants on five criteria: "quality of products", "mastery of flavor and cooking techniques", "the personality of the chef represented in the dining experience", "value for money", and "consistency between inspectors' visits".[3][4] Inspectors have at least ten years of expertise and create a list of popular restaurants supported by media reports, reviews, and diner popularity. If they reach a consensus, Michelin awards restaurants from one to three stars based on its evaluation methodology: one star means "high-quality cooking, worth a stop", two stars signify "excellent cooking, worth a detour", and three stars denote "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey".[5] The stars are not permanent and restaurants are constantly re-evaluated. If the criteria are not met, the restaurant will lose its stars.[3] The Toronto Michelin Guide was originally planned to launch in 2020, but it was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] The guide launched in September 2022.[7] The guide was initiated through a marketing partnership between Destination Toronto and Michelin, similar to other cities the guide has entered in recent years.[6] In 2024, the geographic coverage was expanded to include the communities and regions that surround Toronto, with the guide officially being renamed by Michelin to "Toronto and Region".[8] The GTA also has 23 restaurants with Bib Gourmands.[9]
Lists
[edit]| Name | Cuisine | Location | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aburi Hana | Japanese | Toronto – Yorkville |  |
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| Alo | French | Toronto – Downtown | |
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| Alobar Yorkville | French | Toronto – Yorkville | |
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| DaNico | Italian | Toronto – Downtown | —
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| Don Alfonso 1890 | Italian | Toronto – Downtown | |
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| Edulis | Mediterranean | Toronto – West End | |
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| Enigma Yorkville | Contemporary | Toronto – Downtown | |
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| Frilu | Nordic | Markham | |
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Closed[10] |
| Hexagon | French | Oakville | —
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| Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto | Japanese | Toronto – North York | |
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| Kappo Sato | Japanese | Toronto – Midtown | —
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| Osteria Giulia | Italian | Toronto – Yorkville | |
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| Quetzal | Mexican | Toronto – Downtown | |
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| Restaurant 20 Victoria | Contemporary | Toronto – Downtown | —
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| Restaurant Pearl Morissette | Contemporary | Lincoln | —
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| Shoushin | Japanese | Toronto – North York | |
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| Sushi Masaki Saito | Japanese | Toronto – Yorkville |  |
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| The Pine | Chinese | Clearview | —
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| Yukashi | Japanese | Toronto – Midtown | |
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| Reference | [11] | [12] | [13][14] | ||
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Indicates a restaurant with one Michelin star |
|---|---|
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Indicates a restaurant with two Michelin stars |
Criticism
[edit]The launch of the guide has attracted critique from various outlets including BBC News, suggesting that the guide is not representative of the diversity of Toronto's food scene,[6] or that the city doesn't need outside recognition.[6] The Toronto Star argued that the inaugural 2022 guide failed to capture the full diversity of Toronto restaurants, being overly represented by Japanese cuisine and downtown restaurants.[15] The Star also publishes its own alternative restaurant guide that it argues better captures Toronto's food scene, released around the same time as the annual Michelin Guide update.[16][17] This all happened after Michelin faced criticism for not emphasizing diversity and neglecting broader demographics.[18]
Others criticized the Michelin Guide for overlooking suburban Toronto, particularly Scarborough, which is often regarded as having the city's most diverse food scene.[19] In both 2022 and 2023, only one Scarborough restaurant received recognition, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation.[19] In 2024, Michelin expanded its geographic coverage beyond the core city, including restaurants in suburban areas and extending as far as the Niagara Region, Simcoe County, and the Grey Highlands,[20] areas typically not considered to be a part of the Greater Toronto Area.[21]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Edwards, Samantha (18 September 2024). "All the new Michelin-approved restaurants in Toronto for 2024". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ Buchwald, Elisabeth (February 10, 2024). "Michelin Guide history: How did a tire company become an elite restaurant rating guide?". CNN. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ a b Buchwald, Elisabeth (February 10, 2024). "Michelin Guide history: How did a tire company become an elite restaurant rating guide?". CNN. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ "How Restaurants Get Michelin Stars: A Brief History of the Michelin Guide". Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. February 9, 2024. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ Dixon, Rachel (June 24, 2008). "Q&A: Michelin stars". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Yousif, Nadine (13 September 2022). "Canada has its first Michelin guide. Does it matter?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ Szklarski, Cassandra (13 September 2022). "Japanese, contemporary cuisine figure prominently in 1st Toronto Michelin Guide". CBC Toronto. Toronto ON: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 13 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ Casaletto, Lucas (18 September 2024). "Michelin to award new stars in Toronto area". CityNews Toronto. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
- ^ Brehaut, Laura (18 September 2024). "Michelin goes beyond Toronto for 2024 restaurant guide. Here's who gained — and lost — a star". National Post. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ "Michelin-starred GTA restaurant closing after six years | Dished". Daily Hive. Retrieved 2024-08-04.
- ^ "2022 Toronto MICHELIN Stars". Michelin Guide. Michelin North America. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "2023 MICHELIN Guide Toronto increases in Star power". Michelin North America, Inc. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "All The Stars From The MICHELIN Guide Toronto 2024". Michelin Guide. Michelin North America. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ "Michelin awards four new stars as inspectors venture outside Toronto city limits". The Canadian Press. CP24. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ Liu, Karon (13 September 2022). "A handful of Michelin-star restaurants do not solely define Toronto's food scene". The Toronto Star. TorStar. TorStar. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ Liu, Karon. "The Star's alt Michelin Guide". The Toronto Star. TorStar. TorStar. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ Liu, Karon (20 September 2024). "The Star's annual guide to the best places to eat". Toronto Star. TorStar. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "Toronto's food scene is getting a place on the coveted Michelin map — in a Canadian first". CBC. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ a b Carlberg, Amy (14 September 2022). "Scarborough almost completely left out of Michelin Guide for Toronto". BlogTO. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "MICHELIN Guide Toronto & Region expands in year three with four new Stars". Michelin Guide. Michelin North America. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
- ^ Thompson, Nicole (18 September 2024). "Michelin awards 4 new stars in and around Toronto". CBC. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
