What Michelin means for South Australia
Michelin Guide is making its Australian debut in South Australia. Here’s what that means, writes Jessica Galletly.
Love them or loathe them, restaurant guides have been in the zeitgeist of food media for the longest time.
Good Food, Gourmet Traveller, delicious. – how a restaurant fares in ink can make or mar a chef’s reputation, while serving as a food lover’s compass.
Whether or not such publications are as influential today as they were pre-social media doesn’t affect the significance of Michelin Guide making its Australian debut in South Australia.
As reported by InDaily last week, the most coveted restaurant guide in the world will now operate Down Under, putting South Australia’s dining scene on the world culinary stage.
That’s big. It offers globe trotting gourmands a point of reference – in theory, a “Michelin star” restaurant in South Australia would be at the same level of excellence as a Michelin star restaurant in Japan, Spain or Italy, for example. It’s a guide for people who plan their trips according to where they want to eat and should increase tourism to the state.
Of course, it’ll be hard to judge its value given the South Australian Tourism Commission won’t disclose how much they paid for the honour. In its most recent bid to include the country, Michelin had reportedly previously asked for $17.33 million over five years from Tourism Australia.
One thing is for certain: the investment is a huge vote of confidence in South Australia’s dining scene.
Speaking with SALIFE, Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide, said South Australia’s inclusion ahead of its eastern counterparts was based on merit – not dollars alone.
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“Wait to the release and maybe you will really understand why,” he said, adding that the state had been on his radar for “quite some time”.
“Inspectors were impressed by the diversity, the level of cooking – it can be quite informal but still sophisticated and elevated.
“It’s very authentic [and] quite intuitive, with a connection and relationship with producers, but also cooking techniques like open fire. From a purely gastronomic perspective, there is a lot to say, a lot of personality, a lot of talents to be recognised, and there is no doubt that the reason we are staring in South Australia [is] that the destinations need to be put on the world culinary map.”
Poullennec is tight-lipped on how many restaurants will be included in the Michelin Guide South Australia; there are no predetermined targets. Mystery diners – or “inspectors” – are still on the ground. Such inspectors are full-time employees of Michelin, expected to eat around 300 meals out per year.
“They are not just food lovers or gourmet critics, they are full-time professionals, with a background in industry, training with Michelin, working as a team, with unified processes and criteria,” Poullennec said.
“We call them inspectors because they’re always out to scout, to discover, to make sure they leave no stone unturned.”
Michelin Guide is the world’s longest running restaurant guide. Originally, it wasn’t just restaurants – started by French tyre company Michelin in 1900, the Guide encouraged drivers to extend their road trips, including information such as maps, recommended pit stops, where to refuel – and where to eat.
South Australia currently has no formal annual restaurant guide or ranking system, since News Corp’s The Advertiser Food Guide and Awards ceased around the time of the pandemic.
New South Wales and Victoria have the Nine Publishing-owned Good Food Guide and “Hats” rating system. National food publication delicious. last orchestrated its delicious.100 list of best SA restaurants in 2022, while Gourmet Traveller included just 10 restaurants in its 2025 Top 100 Australian Restaurants list. This compared with 26 restaurants in both Victoria and New South Wales.
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South Australia’s restaurateurs, chefs, diners and food writers have been shouting from the Adelaide Hill-tops for years that the state’s dining scene deserves wider recognition.
The late Jock Zonfrillo – who was formerly the programming director for Tasting Australia, where the Michelin news was announced last Tuesday – had worked hard to draw attention to his Adelaide restaurant Orana, open from 2013-2020. That restaurant was – and still is – highly revered, but international recognition remained limited.
Today, there’s the ambitious US-born chef Justin James, who elevated Restaurant Botanic to top spot in both the delicious. and Gourmet Traveller lists in 2022. He revealed to me at the time that he had his eyes on the 50 World’s Best list – another highly regarded ranking system, though one that is more media driven.
James has now opened the doors to his first solo project, Restaurant Aptos – a roaming, multi-level dining experience, showcasing Australian native ingredients at $495 a pop. It’s Chef’s Table type stuff. And the timing is ideal.
Though, inclusion in the Guide doesn’t guarantee stars. Restaurants can be simply recommended, or receive Bib Gourmand status, meaning it offers good value. Only those deemed exceptional restaurants receive between one to three stars (Eleven Madison Park, where James previously worked, currently has three stars).
Local industry feedback has been mostly positive to Michelin’s arrival. Some question the investment, and whether such a system will encourage toxic “win at all costs” kitchen environments.
The proof will be in the pudding.
What can’t be argued is that Michelin’s news has already drawn more eyes on South Australia.
And it’s reason to celebrate all the players who make our dining scene so vibrant – not only the star chefs who regularly find the spotlight, but also those who fly under the radar; the producers, the artisans, the front of house teams and the unsung heroes out back – all of them.
The inaugural Michelin Guide South Australia 2027 will be revealed in October this year.
“The selection is still ongoing,” Poullennec said. “There are restaurants located a bit everywhere; obviously some in the wine areas.
“The Michelin Guide will contribute to a desire for people to explore.”
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