How many Michelin star restaurants are there in the world?
About 3,700 in total across all tiers — but if you actually came here for the three-star count, the honest answer is 153 in May 2025, 157 by August 2025, and almost certainly a different number by the time you read this. Michelin publishes regional guides on different cycles, so the world total ticks up and down several times a year.
Quick answer
≈ 3,700 starred restaurants worldwide (around 3,053 one-star, 503 two-star, and 153–157 three-star, per the Michelin guides current in mid-2025).
The all-tier figure is a moving target — Michelin doesn't publish a single live world total; this is the sum of regional guides as of mid-2025.
Slice the Michelin map
mid-2025 figuresThe three-star tier is roughly 5% of one-stars. Untick the lower tiers to see how slim the top really is.
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Why the count keeps moving
The MICHELIN Guide isn't one document. It's around three dozen regional guides (France, Italy, Tokyo, New York/Washington/Chicago, Nordic Countries, and so on) that each get reissued on their own calendar. The France guide tends to drop in March, the Italy guide in November, the Japan guides in late autumn. Every drop reshuffles the world total.
That's why you'll see "146" (a 2024 figure), "153" (May 2025), and "157" (August 2025) all cited in different places — and all of them are correct for their date. The number is supposed to move.
From tyre booklet to dining bible
Édouard and André Michelin published the first guide in 1900, when France had fewer than 3,000 cars. It was free, and it bundled road maps, petrol stations, mechanics and places to eat or sleep — anything that might encourage motorists to wear out more tyres. Stars for fine dining arrived in 1926 as a single-tier mark, and the one/two/three hierarchy that survives today was formalised in 1931. The Bib Gourmand — affordable good food, no star — was added much later, in 1997.
What each tier actually requires
Michelin's published criteria look at five things: product quality, mastery of technique, harmony of flavours, the chef's personality on the plate, and consistency across visits. Inspectors dine anonymously and pay their own bills. For a candidate at the top tier, the guide says inspectors may visit through multiple cycles before a promotion is signed off.
- One star — "a very good restaurant"
- Two stars — "excellent cooking, worth a detour"
- Three stars — "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey"
Where the stars cluster
| Country | Starred total | 3★ |
|---|---|---|
| France | 654 | 31 |
| Japan | 411 | 20 |
| Italy | 395 | 14 |
| Germany | 334 | 12 |
| Spain | 261 | 16 |
| United States | 229 | 14 |
| United Kingdom | 186 | 8 |
| Switzerland | 131 | 5 |
Country totals from the 2025 cycle of each regional guide (sources below). Japan's three-star count is reported between 12 and 20 depending on which 2024/2025 cycle is referenced — Tokyo alone holds 12.
The chefs who walked away
Stars aren't always wanted. In December 1999, Marco Pierre White — at 38, then the youngest chef ever to hold three stars — closed the doors at his London restaurant and publicly handed the stars back, saying he didn't want to keep cooking for inspectors. In September 2017, Sébastien Bras asked Michelin to remove his three-star Le Suquet in Laguiole from the guide entirely, citing the strain of permanent inspection. Michelin agreed, then quietly re-listed the restaurant in 2019 without consultation.
At the other end: the late Joël Robuchon held an aggregated career total of 31 stars across his restaurants — a record nobody has approached.
The 2025 headline
The most-noted new three-star of 2025 was Sézanne at the Four Seasons Marunouchi in Tokyo, run by British chef Daniel Calvert — promoted from two stars in the Tokyo 2025 guide announced in October 2024. That single promotion is what kept Tokyo's three-star tally at 12 and pushed the world total upward heading into 2025.
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Frequently asked
How many 3-star Michelin restaurants are there in 2025?
Around 153 in May 2025, rising to 157 by August 2025 as later regional guides were published. The figure shifts several times a year.
Which country leads on three-star restaurants?
France, with 31 in the 2025 guide. Japan is second; Spain and the United States are close behind in the mid-teens.
Can stars be taken away?
Yes. Re-inspection happens every cycle and stars can be downgraded or removed. Restaurants can also ask to be delisted, as Sébastien Bras did in 2017.
Do chefs or restaurants get the stars?
Restaurants. If a starred chef leaves, the stars stay with the venue until the next inspection — which is usually fairly soon after the change.
What's a Bib Gourmand?
A separate Michelin mark, introduced in 1997, for restaurants serving good food at moderate prices. Not counted in the starred totals on this page.
Sources
- OysterLink — Michelin Stars Statistics 2026 (Aug 2025 update): 157 three-star restaurants worldwide.
- Escoffier (June 2025) — May 2025 snapshot: 3,053 one-star, 503 two-star, 153 three-star; France totals 654 (542/81/31).
- Metrobi blog (2024 figures): 146 three-star restaurants, regional split Europe 86 / Asia 50 / USA 10.
- Tasting Table, May 2025 — country breakdowns (Italy 14×3★, Spain 16×3★, USA 14×3★).
- Time Out Tokyo, Oct 2024 — Sézanne promotion to three stars, Daniel Calvert; Tokyo 132/26/12.
- BBC News, Sept 2017 — Sébastien Bras requesting removal of Le Suquet from the guide.
- The Guardian / Independent archives, Dec 1999 — Marco Pierre White returning his three stars.
- MICHELIN Guide website (guide.michelin.com) — current regional listings.
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Related questions
Ask Michelin how many three-star restaurants there are and they won't give you one number — they'll ask which guide, on which date, before which next inspection.