Arguably the world’s most influential restaurant guide is finally expanding into Australia for a 2027 edition. But only one state is set to be catalogued by the guide.
After 126-years of writing about good food and hotels the world over, South Australia has been confirmed as the inaugural Australian destination to be covered by the Michelin Guide.
The Michelin Guide South Australia 2027 will be released in October 2026, following several months of anonymous inspections that are already underway in Adelaide and across the state’s regional wine and food districts.
The decision marks the first time any Australian destination has been included in what the South Australian Government has described as “the global gastronomic bible.”
The arrival of the Guide is supported by the South Australian Government and the state hopes it will drive new international tourism bucks into the state’s hospitality and wine sectors.
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide, said the selection of South Australia reflected the strength of the region’s culinary identity rather than any single style of restaurant.
“South Australia offers an impressive diversity of culinary expressions within a single destination,” Poullennec said. “The strength of its identity lies in the freedom chefs enjoy defining their own voice, guided by outstanding produce, a strong relationship to the land and a confident openness to global influences. Our Inspectors were struck by the authenticity and personality of the region’s dining culture, and we are delighted to spotlight South Australia on the MICHELIN Guide stage.”
The Guide’s evaluation process is run by anonymous inspectors who assess restaurants against five established criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the mastery of cooking techniques, the harmony of flavours, the personality of the cuisine, and the consistency both over time and across the menu. The selection is independent, and restaurants cannot pay to be included.
While the Michelin Guide is most commonly associated with fine dining, the criteria explicitly exclude considerations of style, formality or price. Stars have been awarded globally to venues ranging from street food stalls to multi-course tasting destinations.
The economic case for South Australia is substantial. The Michelin Guide currently lists more than 18,000 restaurants worldwide. Its website attracts more than 62 million visitors a year, and the organisation has 3.9 million Instagram followers and 3.8 million app users. For a state already ranked number one in Australia for “good food and wine” by the South Australian Tourism Commission, the inclusion is equivalent to getting a Michelin Star of its own.
South Australia’s Minister for Tourism, Emily Bourke, said the inclusion would support the hospitality and tourism sectors that employ thousands of South Australians and would give the state an advantage over other Australian destinations.
“This is about growing tourism and hospitality in South Australia and bringing dollars in from interstate and overseas,” Bourke said. “The guide has a proven track record as a powerful driver of gastronomic tourism and economic development in the region it covers. By highlighting some of the state’s best restaurants on a global platform, it aims to give visitors another reason to book a trip to our state, and once they’re here, they’ll go onto experience even more of what South Australia has to offer.”
The full restaurant selection will be unveiled at a launch event in October 2026 and will be available digitally on the MICHELIN Guide website, mobile app and socials.
