The MICHELIN Guide has arrived in the province of Quebec, as Michelin and the Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec today launched the MICHELIN Guide Quebec. The MICHELIN Guide Quebec will be the third tourist destination in Canada, alongside Toronto and Vancouver.
Quebec is home to a rich and diverse gastronomic scene with international influences and farm-to-table dishes, thanks to the variety of ingredients grown throughout the region. The province is home to both renowned chefs and emerging talents looking to incorporate traditional and avant-garde cooking techniques into their dishes.
“We are delighted to raise our flag in Quebec as the MICHELIN Guide’s newest destination in Canada,” says Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide. “Quebec’s culinary scene highlights the province’s rich heritage and traditions and attracts travellers seeking remarkable and tasty experiences. I look forward to revealing what my famously anonymous inspectors discover for the first selection.”
The first selection of the MICHELIN Guide Québec will be announced in 2025 and will present culinary gems from across the province.
The anonymous MICHELIN guides award legendary MICHELIN stars – one, two or three – to unrivalled cuisine. The guide is also known for its Bib Gourmand selection, which highlights restaurants that offer high-quality food at good prices. The MICHELIN Green Star is awarded to restaurants that are leaders in sustainable gastronomy. Recommended restaurants and special professional awards are also highlighted by the inspectors.
The MICHELIN Guide’s anonymous inspectors are already on site, secretly making table reservations and paying for all meals to ensure they are treated the same as any other customer.
“Quebec is a rich multicultural mosaic that gives Québec cuisine an invaluable uniqueness,” says Geneviève Cantin, CEO of the Alliance. “All of our partners welcome the launch of the MICHELIN Guide throughout the province of Québec with great pride, as it will give our local artisans even greater exposure on the international stage.”
The MICHELIN Guide constantly monitors the development of culinary destinations around the world. The MICHELIN Guide’s selection process is completely independent. While the selection is made completely independently by anonymous inspectors, the MICHELIN Guide only works with the Alliance on marketing and promotional activities.
History and methodology
The upcoming selection of Quebec restaurants follows Michelin’s historic methodology and is based on five universal criteria to ensure a fair selection for each destination: 1) quality products; 2) harmony of flavours; 3) mastery of cooking techniques; 4) voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; 5) consistency between visits and across the entire menu (each restaurant is reviewed several times a year).
The MICHELIN Guide remains a reliable companion for any traveler looking for a good meal. The guide was first published in France at the beginning of the 20th century to promote tire sales by providing practical advice to French motorists. Michelin inspectors still use the same criteria and selection methods as at the beginning and apply them today to destinations all over the world.
Michelin published its first North American guide to New York in 2005. Guides have also been added for Chicago (2011); Washington, DC (2017); California (San Francisco 2007, nationwide 2019); Miami/Orlando/Tampa, Florida (2022); Toronto (2022); Vancouver (2022); Colorado (2023); Atlanta (2023); Mexico (2024), Texas (2024) and now Quebec (2024).
Mélanie Jean, Destination Québec cité
Cantons-de-l’Est © GouvQc / M. Dupuis
About Michelin North America, Inc.
Michelin is the leading mobility company and maker of life-changing composites and experiences. For more than 130 years, Michelin has been contributing to human progress and a more sustainable world. Michelin constantly innovates to produce high-quality tires and components for critical applications in demanding sectors, including mobility, construction, aviation, low-carbon energy and healthcare, and delivers the best experiences, from providing data- and AI-based connected solutions for professional fleets to recommending outstanding restaurants and hotels curated by the MICHELIN Guide. Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, Michelin North America employs approximately 23,500 people and operates 35 manufacturing facilities in the United States (michelinman.com) and Canada (michelin.ca).
About the Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec
The Québec Tourism Industry Alliance (Alliance) represents more than 12,000 companies and 50 regional and industry tourism associations and is Canada’s largest tourism association. It embodies the commitment of the private and association sectors to highlight the significant contribution of the tourism sector to the vitality of regions and to advocate for the interests of its members. All of the Alliance’s actions aim to make Québec a sustainable, responsible and prosperous world-class destination.
Montreal © GouvQc / L. Romer
Gaspésie © GouvQc / JF Frenette
Collage image: Mélanie Jean, Destination Québec cité | Cantons-de-l’Est © GouvQc / M. Dupuis | Montreal © GouvQc / L. Romer | Gaspésie © GouvQc / JF Frenette
