The City With The Most Michelin Star Restaurants In The World
Michelin-starred restaurants come with instant name recognition. The prestigious Michelin star indicates the quality rating of a restaurant, and has become a universal signifier for a restaurant's acclaim. Hungry diners looking to splurge on a Michelin-worthy meal can find unique Michelin-starred restaurants across the world and the United States, from Miami to Washington, D.C. One global city in particular, however, boasts the world's highest concentration of Michelin-acclaimed restaurants. That city is Tokyo, Japan — within which you'll find nearly 200 Michelin-starred eateries.
The exact, current number of Tokyo's Michelin-starred restaurants is unclear, as more and more restaurants continue to be swapped on and off the list. As of October 2023, however, Tokyo had some 203 Michelin-starred restaurants in its lineup, though Statista notes the number sits at 194 as of February 2024. Meanwhile, the city's Michelin Guide features 507 restaurants. These restaurants range from those awarded with no stars (but still recognized) to those with one star, two stars, or three stars — the absolute highest number a restaurant can achieve. Then, there are those Japanese restaurants given the Michelin Green Star rating: a metric that honors a restaurant's sustainability efforts.
Yet beyond Tokyo, another global city boasts a large assortment of Michelin-starred eateries — and trails behind Japan's capital in number. That second-place city represents another culinary haven, best known for its bread, pastries, wine, and cheese.
Tokyo has the world's largest concentration of Michelin Star restaurants, trailed by Paris
After Tokyo, Paris, France offers the world's second-highest amount of Michelin-starred restaurants. The city's Michelin Guide features 506 restaurants of varying accolades, while, per Michelin's website, Paris sees 130 actual Michelin-starred establishments. Is that number any surprise, given the popularity of Parisian dishes like steak frites and escargot?
Beyond Paris, more Japanese cities including Kyoto and Osaka feature large concentrations of Michelin-star restaurants, with an array of awarded restaurants, according to Statista. Clearly, the entirety of Japan does food well, though it makes sense that Tokyo is the country — nevertheless world's — hub for Michelin-starred cuisine; the sheer number of Michelin-starred restaurants not only indicates Tokyo's dedication to food but also speaks to the city's size. Tokyo is often cited as the world's largest city by population, with 37.1 million people.
All that is to say, you can choose from Michelin-starred restaurants that suit your cravings. You'll have plenty of choices, as well as chances to try Japan's most famous dishes. Whether you're sharing shabu shabu or on the look out for just really good sushi, you'll likely have no trouble finding a restaurant that's up to Michelin's standards.