Until now, Michelin’s anonymous inspectors have focused on restaurants in Warsaw, Poznań, Kraków and Wrocław, along with Poland’s Pomerania region, which includes the Baltic coast.
Michelin said the expansion reflects what it called the rapid growth of Poland’s culinary scene and will allow it to highlight standout restaurants in more parts of the country.
“We are pleased to expand the Michelin Guide Poland to cover the entire country, which will allow us to recognize an even broader group of talented chefs,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the guide’s international director, in a statement.
He said new areas to be covered include cities such as Białystok, Katowice and Łódź, as well as seaside resorts and locations outside major urban centers.
Poullennec said inspectors are now traveling “across Poland,” from Szczecin in the northwest to Lublin in the east, from Gdańsk on the Baltic to Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains.
He added that inspectors have been impressed by the pace and quality of development, and by chefs drawing on local products and culinary traditions, suggesting the next selection will bring “many exceptional new discoveries” for diners and travelers.
Magdalena Krucz, head of the Polish Tourism Organisation, described the nationwide selection as a milestone in the body’s longer-term strategy to promote Poland as a destination where cuisine plays an important role.
She called the move strategically and symbolically significant, crediting chefs, restaurateurs, local food producers, and restaurant teams for building experiences that visitors remember.
Krucz said Poland has seen a rise in visitor numbers, including a growing group of tourists who choose destinations largely for food.
She argued that inclusion in the Michelin Guide strengthens Poland’s international credibility and translates into greater interest from more demanding guests.
The Polish Tourism Organisation said the highlight of the national selection process will be the Michelin Gala in Kraków, when restaurants will learn whether they have received Michelin Stars.
The event will also include Bib Gourmand distinctions, an award for restaurants that offer very good food at a moderate price, along with Michelin Green Stars, which recognize restaurants with a strong focus on sustainability, local sourcing and environmental care, as well as the guide’s general recommendations.
Michelin emphasized that its cooperation with the Polish Tourism Organisation concerns promotional activities only. The selection itself, it said, remains the responsibility of the guide’s anonymous inspectors.
Michelin said inspectors assess restaurants using criteria that include ingredient quality, harmony of flavors, mastery of cooking techniques, the chef’s personality as expressed through the cuisine, and consistency across the menu and over time.
Created by André Michelin, who, with his brother Édouard, ran a tire company, the Michelin Guide was first published in France in 1900.
By providing useful information for motorists, such as maps and listings of restaurants and hotels, the brothers effectively encouraged people to drive more, thereby boosting tire sales.
The guide has since become a most important arbiteur of gastronomic excellence. It extended into Europe in 1911, crossed the Atlantic in 2006 and currently covers some 40 countries.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP