The Michelin Guide is the world’s most prestigious restaurant rating system. Having a great authority in the world, the Michelin Guide added Istanbul to its list as the 38th destination and evaluated many restaurants that want to receive a Michelin star.
The 2023 restaurants of the Michelin Guide Istanbul, announced for the first time in Turkey, were announced with a special award ceremony at Zorlu Performing Arts Center.
As a result of the evaluation, 53 restaurants from Istanbul were entitled to be included in the Michelin Guide list. One of these restaurants is Deraliye Restaurant, located on the historical peninsula of Istanbul.
Michelin inspectors, who examine the restaurants, evaluate them according to 5 criteria. These criteria consist of the quality of the products and raw materials, the mastery of cooking techniques, the harmony of tastes, the reflection of the chef’s personality on the dining experience, and the consistency between all visits by the inspectors.
It was announced that both the historical and cultural ties of some of the restaurants examined were effective in their inclusion in the list. Deraliye is one of the first restaurants that come to mind, which makes its guests feel the historical and cultural structure of Istanbul in the restaurant and in its rich menu.
What is the Michelin Guide?
The Michelin Guide was first published in France in 1900. This guide, prepared by the brothers Andre Michelin and Edouard Michelin, was published to increase the number of cars, which are only 2200 in France, and to announce to more people that the car is a means of transportation that makes life easier. The first guide published was 399 pages.
The first published guide, it contained all the information needed for a drive through the French towns and cities of that era. The guide had 33 pages of information about tires. The rest had restaurants attached to hotels, information about towns, and maps.
As the Michelin brand grew, the guide grew and gained authority. As the guide became very popular, the Michelin brothers began to employ food inspectors who secretly visited restaurants and decided to switch to a rating system.
In 1926, the single-star system was switched to the current three-star system in 1931. Three stars were first awarded in the 1933 edition.
One star for “high-quality food, worth a visit ”,
two stars for “An excellent meal worth changing course”,
and three stars means “extraordinary cuisine worth a special journey”.
The popularity of the guide grew so much that restaurants suddenly found themselves competing with each other.
How to Enter the Directory?
Restaurants that qualify for the Michelin Guide are selected by anonymous inspectors. Inspectors visit restaurants unannounced. Even Michelin’s top executives are unaware of the identity of these inspectors.
Inspectors independently rate the city’s best restaurants based on 5 criteria. These are listed as the quality of the products, the mastery of cooking techniques, the harmony of flavors, the character of the chef in the kitchen, and the consistency between the menu and the visits of the inspectors.
