Why India Has No Michelin Star Restaurants, Why It Will Probably Be That Way For Now

NDTV

28-05-2025

What do Trésind Studio in Dubai, Le Pré Catelan in Paris, Taian in Osaka, and The Pottinger Hotel in Hong Kong have in common?
Well, if you're a true foodie, you might already know the answer. If not, let us tell you - all these fine-dining restaurants share a common distinction: three Michelin stars each.
Michelin stars are widely regarded as a benchmark of excellence in the food and hospitality industry. If your restaurant has a star, it speaks volumes to your customers without you having to say a word.
Michelin stars are essentially a rating system used in the Michelin Guide to assess restaurants based on their culinary quality. But did you know that India does not have a single restaurant that holds even one Michelin star (even though restaurants with Indians at the helm do)?
This might come as a shock - or heck, even enrage you a little - considering how Indian cuisine is often synonymous with flavour, colour, and a vast, diverse array of regional dishes. So, why no Michelin star?
To understand that, we need to explore how the system works.
What Is The Michelin Guide Anyway?
Created in 1900 by the Michelin French tyre company (yes, the one with the chubby white mascot), the guide was originally intended to encourage more road travel - meaning more tyres sold. Over a century later, the Michelin Guide has become the gold standard in global fine dining. Its coveted stars can turn chefs into icons and restaurants into international destinations.
How Do Michelin Stars Work And How Are They Awarded?
Restaurants can receive one, two, or three stars purely based on the quality of their food. The stars signify:
* (1 Star) "A very good restaurant in its category"
* (2 Stars) "Excellent cooking, worth a detour"
* (3 Stars) "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey"
These are not handed out casually. Inspectors visit multiple times to assess consistency, technique, ingredients, and whether a dish is truly memorable. Ambience and decor don't count - it's all about what's on your plate.
Michelin inspectors are like culinary James Bonds - trained, secretive, and completely obsessed with food. Most are chefs or hospitality professionals and go through intense training. Their identities are highly confidential, and even restaurant owners usually don't know they've been visited. They dine alone, pay for their meals, and submit detailed reports. These are then reviewed as a team to ensure stars are awarded with complete objectivity.
For many chefs and restaurants, even one Michelin star can be transformative - bringing prestige, more bookings, and sometimes a career-defining shift.
But Why Does India Not Have A Michelin Star?
On May 24, 2025, Dubai-based Indian restaurant Trésind Studio, led by Chef Himanshu Saini, made history as the first Indian restaurant in the world to be awarded three Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide Dubai 2025.
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While every Indian is proud of this landmark achievement, it also raises a question - why doesn't India have a single Michelin-starred restaurant?
We took the question to Indian chefs.
Sahil Arora, Executive Chef at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel Delhi, explains, "India's culinary landscape is incredibly rich - shaped by centuries of tradition, regional diversity, and constant innovation. The absence of Michelin stars in the country is not a reflection of our food quality but simply because the Michelin Guide hasn't officially launched in India. Its expansion depends more on logistics and strategic interests like tourism partnerships and market readiness, rather than just the cuisine's quality."
Chef Manoj from The Piano Man agrees. He adds that to understand this, we need to look at the origins of the Michelin Guide.
"It began as a French tyre company's guide to suggest good places to stop for food during road trips. It eventually became famous, but for the guide to apply to a location, there needs to be a dedicated city edition. That hasn't happened yet for any Indian city," says Chef Manoj.
'There's A Subconscious Bias'
Celebrity Chef and Restaurateur Harpal Singh Sokhi tells NDTV that India has often been overlooked by the West.
"Earlier, India was still developing, and the economy wasn't open. But as we began welcoming the world, people started experiencing real Indian food. Indian cuisine is so vast that I, as a chef, find it impossible to master every part of it. If I can't fully learn it in a lifetime, how can the West ever truly experience it? Not even in ten lifetimes," he says.
Ishijyot Surri, Executive Chef and Founder of Mulk, Miniyaturk and SJI Gourmet, agrees. He believes there is a subconscious bias, with the Michelin model still leaning towards Western perceptions of fine dining.
"Indian food is respected - but only when plated according to European dining styles. The way food is eaten in India is still largely ignored. The idea that Indian food must be 'refined' to be Michelin-worthy is problematic. Our gravies, spice blends, and techniques are nuanced, but because they don't follow European norms like wine pairings or formal course structures, they're wrongly seen as rustic. That's a blind spot in global recognition," he adds.
Bhavesh Tambe, Chef at Kamats Legacy, offers another view. He points out that Indian food culture is deeply rooted in regional and street food traditions, which may not always align with the fine-dining image Michelin looks for.
Chef Sahil reiterates that the issue isn't complicated - it's simply about where the Michelin Guide chooses to operate. Traditionally, it has focused on Europe and select parts of Asia, where it already has partnerships and the necessary infrastructure.
'It's Their Loss'
Despite all this, chefs believe Indian cuisine is more than capable of earning Michelin stars.
Chef Harpal says the real loss is Michelin's; not India's; for excluding the country from the guide.
Chef Sahil adds that even without Michelin recognition, India's top restaurants continue to receive global acclaim, many featuring in respected rankings like the World's 50 Best Restaurants.
"These accolades prove that Indian chefs are crafting world-class dining experiences that hold their own on the global stage - with or without the Michelin spotlight," he concludes.