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Tokyo is the city with the most Michelin starred restaurants in the world: a title it earns for housing an incredible 226 starred restaurants, as listed in the 2020 Michelin Guide to Tokyo, and a crown which it has held for over a decade.
Tokyo has the Most Michelin Starred Restaurants in the World
Now in its 13th edition, the Michelin Guide Tokyo boasts an impressive number of additions year on year, and currently boasts;
- 11 Restaurants with three stars
- 47 Restaurants with two stars
- 165 Restaurants with one star
The Japanese capital offers an eclectic mix of cuisines executed at the highest level, from Chinese to French, and continues to lead the world as a destination city for its concentration of fine dining, putting it ahead of other dining hotspots like Paris and New York.
Take a look inside Kadowaki (Minato-ku, Japanese cuisine) awarded a new three-star rating in the 2020 guide.
The second city with the most Michelin-starred restaurants is Paris, a founding pillar of gastronomy, yet it has less than half the number of starred establishments belonging to Tokyo. In third place is Kyoto, fourth place, Osaka and fifth, New York. The only US city to feature, ahead of west coast rival San Francisco, and home to famous dining spots like Eleven Madison Park.
What cities have the most Michelin stars? Find out the Top 5
- 1. Tokyo (Japan) - 226 starred restaurants
- 2. Paris (France) - Total of 119 starred establishments
- 3. Kyoto (Japan) - Total of 108 Starred Establishments (including ryokans)
- 4. Osaka (Japan) - Total of 98 Starred Establishments
- 5. New York (USA) - Total of 76 Starred Establishments
See the Michelin star classifications for each country below:
1. Tokyo (Japan) - Total of 226 starred establishments
- 11 Restaurants with three stars
- 47 Restaurants with two stars
- 165 Restaurants with one star
2. Paris (France) - Total of 119 starred establishments
- 10 Restaurants with three stars
- 17 Restaurants with two stars
- 92 Restaurants with one star
Michelin Guide to France 2020: See the new three-star restaurants
3. Kyoto (Japan) - Total of 108 Starred Establishments (including ryokans)
- 8 Restaurants with three stars
- 21 Restaurants and 1 ryokan with two stars
- 77 Restaurants and 1 ryokan with one star
4. Osaka (Japan) - Total of 98 Starred Establishments
- 3 Restaurants with three stars
- 16 Restaurants with two stars
- 79 Restaurants with one star
5. New York (USA) - Total of 76 Starred Establishments
- 5 restaurants with three stars
- 14 restaurants with two stars
- 57 restaurants with one star
New York Michelin Guide 2020: See the full list
Michelin Starred Restaurants in Tokyo
Tokyo has eleven restaurants with three Michelin stars (the most of any city in the world), plus dozens of other top-notch eateries to choose from.
The Michelin Guide Tokyo 2020 also features more restaurants led by women than in previous years, with 25 restaurants across both categories having female chefs, three of which hold star status.
Tokyo is known as a culinary hub of some of the most dynamic and innovative dining experiences on offer, from refined French dining at Joël Robuchon ,to high-end Japanese dining at the legendary Ryugin run by chef Seiji Yamamoto.
Of the eleven three-star restaurants, there are a trio of French restaurants, L'Osier, Quintessence and Joël Robuchon, one sushi restaurant, Sushi Yoshitake, and the majority are Japanese in style: Kagurazaka, Ishikawa, Kadowaki, Kanda, Kohaku, Makimura, Azabu Yukimura and Ryugin.
In big news in this year's Tokyo Michelin Guide was also the omission of Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten, of Jiro Dreams of Sushi fame. The restaurant, where the chef's selection starts at 40,000 yen ($360), closed to public reservations so is therefore not eligible for inclusion.
See the total number of three, two and one-star restaurants in the top five cities in the world below.
What are Michelin stars?
For many chefs and restaurateurs, obtaining Michelin stars are both personal and professional aim and ambition and a stamp of their entry into an elite world of cooking as well as a powerful marketing tool driving diners from around the world to their address.
What is the Michelin star classification system?
Michelin inspectors visit each assess each address on five criteria; quality of the ingredients used, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in his cuisine, value for money and consistency between visits.
Restaurants can be ranked from zero to three stars, classified as follows;
One star: A good place to stop on your journey, indicating a very good restaurant in its category, offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard.
Two stars: A restaurant worth a detour, indicating excellent cuisine and skillfully and carefully crafted dishes of outstanding quality.
Three stars: A restaurant worth a special journey, indicating exceptional cuisine where diners eat extremely well, often superbly. Distinctive dishes are precisely executed, using superlative ingredients.
In addition to the Michelin star ranking system, other restaurants offering good value for money can be listed as “Bib Gourmands”.
