Is the Michelin Guide Ditching Its Green Stars?

Since the Michelin Guide launched its first Colorado edition in 2023, it has sparked a lot of conversations — about what areas are included and why, about the mysterious ways its inspectors operate, and about its surprising snubs.

Michelin is famously secretive about how it goes about creating its dining guides, so it’s not surprising that it might very quietly make a big change — like getting rid of one of its distinctions.

On October 21, food writer Nicholas Gill posted a story on his Substack, New Worlder, with the title, “Michelin Is Quietly Dropping Its Green Stars.” In it, he reports that the Michelin Guide website no longer has the option to sort by Green Stars (true, we double-checked), and notes that there has been no Michelin announcement of any change.

But according to Michelin, Green Stars — which are awarded for sustainability practices — aren’t going away.

In a statement provided to Westword, Michelin says this: “The Michelin Guide is more committed than ever to promoting a community of dedicated chefs, aligned with the challenges of tomorrow’s gastronomy. The Green Star still exists: it is a complementary recognition to culinary distinctions (Red Stars). During the ceremony in Switzerland, we made a point of reaffirming its fundamentals and its ambition to highlight the most committed restaurants. The Green Star is neither a label nor a certification.”

At that Switzerland ceremony, which took place on October 20, the Green Stars were announced at the beginning of the ceremony, not right before the new starred restaurants were announced — the order at all three of the Colorado ceremonies so far — which was a sign that its significance has shifted.

While there were nine new Green Star restaurants announced in Switzerland, no new restaurants earned that distinction in Colorado this year, though all four that earned a Green Star in 2023 still retain it. That list includes Blackbelly Market and Bramble & Hare in Boulder and Denver restaurants Brutø and the Wolf’s Tailor. The only evidence of those honors can be found on the restaurants’ Michelin Guide profiles online, however, where a Green Star logo appears alongside a quote from the restaurant about sustainability.

Green Stars are the newest Michelin distinction — they were launched in 2020, and the first were awarded in 2021. According to a 2023 post by Michelin about Green Stars, there were 455 restaurants around the world with the distinction at that time. But without the Green Star search function, there’s now no way to see the full list.

So what does this all mean? As with all things Michelin, it’s a bit of a mystery. We’ll have to wait for next year’s guide to see if Green Stars truly do keep shining.