Michelin guide clarifies status of award-winning Russian restaurants in 2023

The Michelin gastronomic guide awards that Moscow restaurants have received do not apply to the next year, however, establishments will be able to mention them with the year indicated, informed RBC Michelin guide representative.

The first Michelin red guide star ceremony in Russia was held in October 2021. According to the source of the publication, the awards for 2023 do not apply, establishments can continue to mention them only “with the year and city indicated.”

“These are the standard rules for mentioning awards that apply around the world,” said a spokesman for the Michelin guide.

As the President of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers, Igor Bukharov, clarified, a secret inspector annually evaluates restaurants that have received a Michelin star. After the guide leaves Russia, the inspectors will not come to evaluate the establishments, Bukharov said.

Michelin gastronomy guide suspended activities in Russia in early March, after the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine. “Given the severity of the current crisis, Michelin’s management has been forced to make the decision to suspend all restaurant recommendation activities in Russia,” Reuters reported citing a Michelin report.

The first Michelin Stars Awards ceremony in Russia took place in October 2021. Nine Moscow restaurants received the award. Artest-Chef’s Table and Twins Garden became the owners of two stars at once. Seven more restaurants received one star each. These are Selfie, Beluga, Grand Cru, White Rabbit, Biologie, Sakhalin and Savva. Three more restaurants have received green Michelin stars – Biologie, Twins Garden and Björn. These stars are awarded to chefs who consider seasonality in cooking, reduce food waste, and use other innovations.

The Michelin Guide was first released in 1900 and originally included a list of places that could be useful to travelers – eateries, hotels, repair shops and paid parking lots. The guide has since changed. By the 1930s, restaurants began to receive from one to three stars from Michelin, where one means that the institution is recognized as good among its type of cuisine, and three means that you can make a special trip to the indicated city for the local chef’s dishes. Previously, there was not a single restaurant with a Michelin star in Russia. In 2019, White Rabbit and Twins Garden were included in the top 20 of The Worldʼs 50 Best Restaurants annual rankings.