Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
Never before has Germany been home to so many esteemed eating establishments: the latest iteration of the Michelin Guide Germany has awarded Michelin Stars to a record number of German restaurants.
German gastronomy has raised the culinary bar over the past year, despite the industry taking a beating during the coronavirus crisis. In 2022, a record number of eateries were awarded Michelin Stars, bringing the total to 326, including one new three-star restaurant, eight new two-star restaurants and 31 new restaurants obtaining their first of the coveted stars.
“The restaurant selection for 2022 confirms the diverse offer and unaltered high quality of German gastronomy, despite the harsher conditions,” Michelin said in a press release. Michelin’s Germany director, Ralf Flinkenflügel, told dpa that the lockdowns, while devastating for the industry, gave chefs time to experiment and refine their food and “do many things better.”
Among the rising stars in 2022 include the schanz.restaurant in Piesport, in the wine-growing region of Rhineland-Palatinate, which gained a third star to reach the Michelin's guide highest and most prestigious rating. “The inspectors were of one opinion: that the cuisine here is absolutely world class,” the Guide states.
New entries onto the two-start list include ES:SENZ in Grassau, etz in Nuremberg and three restaurants in Munich: Tohru in der Schreiberei, Atelier and Tantris. 100/200 Kitchen in Hamburg, LOUIS Restaurant in Saarlouis and the Speisemeisterei in Stuttgart, which had all already been awarded one star, increased their ranking to two stars.
The Michelin Guide has been published by the French tyre company every year since 1904 and is nowadays considered the preeminent guide to fine dining around the world. For the reviews, international inspectors visit the restaurants anonymously, and focus purely on the food, rather than the restaurant’s ambience.
In total, Germany now has nine three-star restaurants - the guide’s highest grade - 46 two-star restaurants, 272 one-star restaurants, and 297 “Bib Gourmand” restaurants - an award for the best price-quality ratio.