Toronto becomes the first MICHELIN Guide destination in Canada

TORONTO, May 10, 2022 /CNW/ – Michelin and Destination Toronto today revealed an expansion of The MICHELIN Guide, with the announcement of the MICHELIN Guide Toronto, making it the first Canadian destination for the selection.

A new chapter begins in Toronto, which features global eats and charming cafes as well as high-end dining experiences. It’s a city where top chefs want to establish a presence and where emerging chefs nurture their culinary talent – both drawing on locally produced ingredients unique to Ontario.

The inaugural edition of the MICHELIN Guide Toronto will be announced in fall 2022, with a selection of restaurants receiving honours. Inspectors award MICHELIN Stars – One, Two or Three – to unparalleled cuisine. They also bestow Bib Gourmand ratings on restaurants that offer great quality food at good prices, and they award the MICHELIN Green Star to restaurants involved in sustainable gastronomy.

“For the first time in its history, the MICHELIN Guide lands in Canada, and our inspectors are excited to experience the impressive culinary landscape of Toronto,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the MICHELIN Guides. “This first selection for Canada’s largest city, and our first in the country, will represent the local flavours, international inspiration, and distinct creativity that makes Toronto’s dining scene world-class.”

The first step in the MICHELIN Guide coming to Toronto was taken before the pandemic, when MICHELIN completed a full destination assessment of Toronto’s culinary scene. MICHELIN retains complete autonomy regarding the restaurants assessed and the outcome of those assessments; the destination does not have input.

MICHELIN inspectors will now be discovering Toronto’s culinary cuisine over the coming months.

The City says the Toronto MICHELIN Guide is another opportunity to energize recovery for a sector that has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic caused restaurants to grapple with higher debts, labour shortages, supply chain interruptions and closures. As the global health situation improves and restrictions continue to lift, the announcement of the Guide signifies a celebration and a return to dining and travel.

In order to present a full and independent selection in the fall, Michelin inspectors already have begun visiting restaurants in Toronto. They will continue during the next few months. Michelin inspectors are meticulous in maintaining their anonymity. They make dining reservations anonymously and pay for all their meals to ensure they are treated the same as any other customer.

“This is an exciting moment for our city as Toronto will become the first MICHELIN Guide destination in Canada,” said Mayor John Tory. “This further bolsters our reputation as a world destination for food and cuisine. Our diverse city, along with the many renowned chefs who call Toronto home, have helped us get to this point and to be able to showcase all of the wonderful restaurants. A big thank you to everyone who has made this possible: MICHELIN, Destination Toronto, Destination Ontario and Destination Canada. While we await the guide, I encourage Toronto residents to continue supporting and celebrating the revival of Toronto restaurants by dining in locally to sample the diverse culinary offerings our restaurants have to offer.”

“Toronto’s culinary scene is as diverse as the city itself, and the MICHELIN Guide Toronto is the perfect way to celebrate our culinary community,” said Scott Beck, President & CEO of Destination Toronto. “It will be a powerful way to share our culinary capabilities with new audiences from around the world. We’re so proud to partner with Michelin and our destination partners Destination Ontario and Destination Canada, to bring the MICHELIN Guide to Canada for the first time.”

The MICHELIN Guide is constantly observing the evolution of culinary destinations around the world, and the discovery process began in Toronto four years ago. Michelin works with Destination Marketing Organizations, or tourism boards, to promote the travel industry in the respective locations; however, the MICHELIN Guide selections process remains completely independent. While selections remain fully independently determined by Michelin inspectors, Michelin is working with Destination Toronto on marketing and promotion activities only.

The upcoming MICHELIN Guide Toronto selection will follow Michelin’s historical methodology, based on five universal criteria, to ensure each destination’s selection equity: 1) quality products; 2) the mastery of flavours; 3) the mastery of cooking techniques; 4) the personality of the chef in the cuisine; 5) consistency between each visit (each restaurant is inspected several times a year).

The new restaurant selections will join Michelin’s selection of extraordinary hotels in Toronto, curated by Tablet Hotels, the hotel experts at the MICHELIN Guide.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Toronto says it has been focused on delivering programs to help drive business to local restaurants, protecting jobs and contributing to the growth and sustainability of the restaurant industry workforce and the entire food value chain. With the continuation of CaféTO, the return of Summerlicious and the expansion of Amplified Music on Outdoor Patios programs, the City and its residents can support the recovery and revival of Toronto’s restaurant scene, while enjoying the diverse food that the City has to offer.

More information about CaféTO is available here

More information about Summerlicious is available on the City’s Summerlicious webpage 

More information about Amplified Live Music on Patios is also available on toronto.ca 

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