1, 2 or 3? Michelin star restaurant rating system is coming to Quebec
CBC
Some Quebec restaurants are getting secretive visits from discerning diners, as the iconic Michelin star restaurant rating system has arrived in the province.
In a joint press release on Thursday with the Quebec Tourism Industry Alliance, Michelin announced the launch of Michelin Guide Quebec.
The release states that the Michelin Guide will be touring the province and "the first Michelin Guide Quebec selection will be revealed in 2025, and it will feature culinary gems throughout the province."
Quebec will be the guide's third Canadian market. Unlike Toronto and Vancouver, the guide will cover not just Montreal but the entire province of Quebec.
Inspectors review restaurants anonymously and can award a Michelin star for excellence in food, drinks and service. A restaurant can earn up to three stars, widely considered the highest honour any restaurant can achieve. Inspectors conduct multiple visits before a rating is issued.
They also issue Bib Gourmand ratings for establishments that serve good food at more affordable prices.
Michelin-starred restaurants in Canada include Sushi Masaki Saito in Toronto — the only one in the country with two stars — and Barbara in Vancouver.
The first Michelin guide was published in France at the turn of the 20th century. The first North American Guide came out in 2005 for New York City.
Allison Van Rassel, a food columnist for Radio-Canada and CBC, said the Michelin Guide is objective and impartial, but governments and tourism groups are investing in bringing inspectors to the province, paying for room and board.
For example, Destination Québec Cité has invested $100,000 in the Michelin Guide visit. And the Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions is paying the Quebec Tourism Industry Alliance $450,000 over three years to cover costs as well.
Quebec restaurants serve food with strong cultural influence that may not suit the palates of European inspectors, Van Rassel said, noting she would question criticism that targets local creativity and cuisine. Knowing inspectors are already checking restaurants can be stressful for owners at a time when the industry is struggling, she said.
She said a staff shortage is affecting the customer experience. And even if restaurants earn a star, some owners return them because of the attention and stress that come with the notoriety.
"I am very critical, but I am extremely excited to see them in the province of Quebec," said Van Rassel on CBC Montreal's Let's Go.
"It will have an immense impact on the visibility and the opportunity for growth of the tourism industry."
The Quebec Superior Court has authorized a class-action lawsuit against Ticketmaster that accuses the American company of charging abusive service fees on ticket sales.
Man charged with 1st-degree murder in fatal shooting of U of T student on Scarborough campus: police
A man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting of a student on University of Toronto's Scarborough campus (UTSC) last month, police say.
Prince Edward Island could see a mix of wintry precipitation that may lead to a messy Wednesday afternoon commute.
City officials are urging pet owners to stay updated on their animals' vaccinations as they report an uptick in canine distemper virus, a highly contagious and often fatal disease found among raccoons, skunks and coyotes which can be transmitted to unvaccinated pets.
A U.S. official says American forces have boarded a Venezuela-linked sanctioned oil tanker in the North Atlantic after pursuing it for weeks.
Betty Kingsmith remembers her husband Gordon as a man who couldn’t say no — and wouldn’t let her say it either.
A fatal weekend shooting in Cornwall, Ont., is shedding a stark spotlight on a segment of the population whose experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) has only recently been recognized for what it is, a local women's shelter says.
Newfoundland and Labrador's cruise ship industry sailed its way to a banner year in 2025 and one industry executive says bookings already in place show the future is as bright as the ocean blue.
An unusually virulent respiratory illness season in northeastern Ontario is pushing hospitals to their limits like never before, and forcing them to put patients in more unconventional spaces.
Nova Scotia Power says its proposal to raise rates over the next year by more than eight per cent for most customers is “just and reasonable,” as it heads into a public hearing that will determine whether the changes can go ahead.
Women in violent relationships reported having hidden vehicle keys, prepared supplies and signals to their children as part of plans to escape the home, according to New Brunswick researchers.
With generic versions of the weight-loss drug Ozempic expected to hit the Canadian market this year, provincial data shows the number of times the medication has been dispensed from pharmacies across Manitoba has more than quadrupled over the past four years.
The family of a Saskatoon man who was shot by police on Dec. 19 wants to know why the 25-year-old was not apprehended three weeks earlier, after a judge issued a mental health warrant.