It was the most ingenious marketing campaign ever, at least in this author’s opinion.
A tyre company pitches a road trip guide centred around food. Amazing restaurants and experiences that you could drive to (in a car with MICHELIN tyres, of course).
However, nowadays, many might not even realise the prestigious food guide has rubber-based roots.
After ten years of pitching an Australian MICHELIN Guide to Tourism Australia, the guide will finally head Down Under in a multimillion-dollar deal with the South Australian government.
“‘Today’s announcement is a fantastic recognition of what we already know: our state sits atop the nation’s foodie must-visit list,” said South Australia’s Minister for Tourism Emily Bourke. “With its mix of culture, food, wine, and natural beauty, South Australia offers a vibrant calendar of food festivals and wine events, celebrating culinary excellence, from city dining experiences to regional gourmet celebrations.”
The French tyre company made the announcement on their website with a gorgeous video featuring the diverse landscapes of South Australia. And that’s where the next guide will be focused on. You can expect the lush Barossa Valley, the City of Restaurants, I mean Churches, Adelaide, the sweeping vistas of the Fleurieu Peninsula and McLaren Vale, and perhaps even the Flinders Ranges (MICHELINGuide includes the Outback in their promotional video).
“South Australia offers an impressive diversity of culinary expressions within a single destination,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. “The strength of its identity lies in the freedom chefs enjoy defining their own voice, guided by outstanding produce, a strong relationship to the land and a confident openness to global influences.”
South Australia is also home to some of Australia’s finest cooks, including the incomparable Maggie Beer. Here’s hoping her farm shop and Eatery end up in the Guide!
What is the MICHELIN Guide?
For those not in the know, the MICHELIN Guide was first established back in 1900 by the French tyre company to promote the growing car industry. Its ethos is to guide international travellers and local food-lovers to the area’s best restaurants. It’s a mix of a travel guide and a food guide.
The five universal criteria which the MICHELIN Guide’s Inspectors use are:
- Quality of ingredients
- Mastery of cooking techniques
- Harmony of flavours
- Personality of the cuisine
- Consistency over time and across the menu
How does the MICHELIN Guide rating system work?
The most famous distinction in the MICHELIN Guide is a MICHELIN star. One star is awarded to restaurants that are worth a stop, two stars are for those that are “worth a detour”, and three stars are awarded to restaurants with “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.”
Besides the star rating system, there’s also the Bib Gourmand distinction, which is for more budget-friendly restaurants that serve up good quality food and experiences.
The MICHELIN Guide is pretty much the global standard for high-quality restaurants. Seeing as we don’t have the rating system here in Australia, restaurants have relied on the Australian Good Food Guide’s Chef Hat system. Similar to the MICHELIN Guide, restaurants can earn one, two, or three hats based on food quality, service, and experience.
Which restaurants are included in the MICHELIN Guide South Australia 2027?
MICHELIN will reveal all the restaurants included in the new guide in October 2026.
The full guide will be available online for free on its digital platforms. Find out more here.
