Dubai: From Dining Out 300 Times A Year To Staying Anonymous; Here’s How Michelin Stars Are Awarded

If you think eating out is a treat, try doing it 300 times a year, then doing it again the next year. That’s the reality for Michelin inspectors, the silent food critics shaping the global fine dining map. With the recent launch of the Michelin Guide Dubai 2025, their invisible but powerful role is under the spotlight, and it’s a wild ride of forks, facts, stars and fierce judgment.

The Secret Life Of Michelin Inspectors

 

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Gwendal Poullennec, the international director of the Michelin Guide, spoke about facts at the press conference. “A Michelin star is never permanent,” he said plainly. Restaurants are reassessed every year, from scratch. There’s no rollover, no safety net. That little red star beside your restaurant’s name could vanish next year, poof! 

This year, three previously starred restaurants lost their shine. The reasons? Some closed, others changed course, and a few simply didn’t meet the mark. While that may sting, Poullennec was quick to note that the process is fair and rooted in consistent global criteria. Whether you’re running a food truck or a palace of haute cuisine, everyone’s graded by the same five-star rulebook.

Dining With Discipline & Awarding Stars

Michelin inspectors are professionals through and through. They’re not just fans of fine food, they live it, breathe it, and most importantly, taste it. Every. Single. Day.

A single inspector might enjoy lunch at a Bib Gourmand restaurant, sample dinner at a potential two-star spot, then chase down a hidden gem the next morning. It’s not always glamorous. Some meals disappoint, but each bite builds their palate and their perspective. The job requires serious stamina and sharper tastebuds than your average gourmet. And here’s the kicker: they do it all in secret.

Also Read: Michelin Guide 2025: 119 Dubai Restaurants Make It To The Prestigious List; Details Inside

Cloaked By Mystery, Fueled By Integrity

Many inspectors don’t even tell their families what they do. They dine like regular guests, never announce themselves, and always foot the bill. Before they earn the title of inspector, they spend one to three years in rigorous training, spanning cuisines and cultures. It’s less of a job and more of a culinary boot camp.

When they finally sit down to judge, they rate using five core standards: ingredient quality, cooking mastery, flavour harmony, chef personality, and menu consistency. It’s a delicate blend of science and art, repeated across the world, yet never coloured by bias or hype.

Why It All Matters

Dubai’s 2025 Guide features 119 eateries across 35 cuisines, with 14 one-star restaurants, three with two stars, and for the first time, two elite three-star listings. That doesn’t just mean more stars, it means more eyes on Dubai’s growing dining scene.

So the next time you’re wowed by a star-worthy dish, just remember, it got there because someone, somewhere, quietly judged every bite with unmatched care.

Cover Image Courtesy: Michelin Guide/Website