Michelin-Star Restaurants That Are Overrated

The elusive and coveted Michelin star is a culinary achievement that few chefs have had the chance to experience. Given to a select few restaurants (and declined by some chefs), this award has developed a substantial amount of controversy. From the high standards that chefs stress over to the dreaded fear of losing status, the Michelin star is perhaps more a source of aggravation and woe than motivation and success. 

Moreover, these stars are almost always correlated with a drastic increase in price and egotism. Michelin-starred restaurants draw foodies and upscale guests from across the globe who hope to experience a one-of-a-kind restaurant experience. Whether this comes through gastronomy-based meals, tiny and pretentious portion sizes, or ridiculously rare ingredients, Michelin-starred restaurants have a steady following. However, earning a star is a questionable process and leads chefs (in some cases) to hang their very life on the line to hold on to it.

It seems also that many of the awarded restaurants are not quite worth their salt. According to diners and guests at many of these fine dining establishments, some of these Michelin star-holding businesses are significantly overrated.

Bros' in Leece, Italy recently found itself the source of immense criticism for its weird service and bizarre dishes. Previously, Bros' was known for a high-quality service experience that took diners through 27 courses of unique culinary creations. Its chef, Isabella Poti, is one of the youngest chefs to receive a Michelin star while working with lead chef Floriano Pellegrino. Such accolades led writer and foodie Geraldine DeRuiter to visit and experience the multiple courses for herself. Unfortunately, her review was not as positive as the chefs would have liked.

DeRuiter colorfully shared that the experience was comparable to an ill-bred nightmare that put her and her guests through a comical four hours of service. Even after the arduous journey, she and her party remained hungry when all was said and done, likely due to the tiny portion sizes of items like briny green olive ice cream, consumable paper, and ricotta that was intentionally served rancid. Perhaps the most bizarre dish came in a plaster cast of the chef's mouth, out of which diners were expected to slurp rabies-reminiscent foam. Add to that the stifling heat of the place and diners' fear of being reprimanded for leaving the table at any time, and DeRuiter's review solidified the newly negative reputation of Bros'.

Le Cinq is associated with its three Michelin stars and an opulent design that leaves nothing to subtlety. The Paris restaurant is filled with fresh flowers, ornate moldings, and old-fashioned carpets that may hold the secrets, discarded crumbs, and smells of meals long past. According to The Guardian's restaurant critic Jay Rayner, he and a guest visited Le Cinq and were progressively disturbed as their meal unfolded. They started with a menu that lacked prices. After asking for a different copy, they learned why the restaurant would choose to hide this detail. Meals reportedly averaged an astronomical and unappealing 70-140 euros for a single plate of food.

According to Rayner, nearly every dish contained odd, trauma-inducing spheres that he suggests might prompt some to seek out a therapist. His companion compared the array to a certain rubbery form of birth control that was left sitting out to collect dust. Appetizing, no? 

It seemed that every dish at Le Cinq centered around a variety of spheres, all of which popped, burst, or deflated in an equally unappetizing manner. While this type of feature works well in treats like bubble tea, it's odd for multiple dinner courses at a three-star restaurant. Other diners have reviewed Le Cinq to point out other sources of disappointment, including poor service and lackluster food. It seems that Rayner is not the only one who hopes to put the experience behind him and out of memory.

In a slight deviation from the normally expensive venues, we have Liao Fong Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle — known more concisely as Liao Fan Hawker Chan — in Singapore. From a mouthful of a name comes a mouthful of allegedly average street food, according to several guests. While it is a humble restaurant, to begin with, it was granted one Michelin star in 2016 and has held on tight since then. It's currently the cheapest Michelin-star restaurant in the world, with dishes going for as little as $1.42.

Chef Chan Hong Meng occasionally stops by and dives in to help his staff appease the lengthy queues of people, who are mainly tourists. However, it seems that the journey to the stall is not quite worthwhile. Reviews mention meals that disappoint previously eager travelers. Others reported shock at the Michelin star, claiming that the time spent waiting for mediocre food was a serious let-down. In fact, a visit to Liao Fan led some to completely lose faith in Michelin and its system. It sounds like many patrons found a taste of disdain and disappointment during their visit to this Singapore stand. 

Typically, patrons of Michelin-star restaurants expect to be wowed throughout the entirety of their experience. That is not necessarily the case with Le Pré Catelan, in Paris. Chef Frederic Anton is known for his seafood-focused menu that's well-known for its balance and harmony, not to mention the fancy wine and high-level service. Currently, the restaurant has three Michelin stars.

Dave Beaty of Accounting for Taste provided an in-depth analysis of the multiple courses that he sampled while visiting and came to the conclusion that it was fine, but didn't make him fall in love or crave another visit. While there were a few dishes that stood out, Beaty reviewed the overall theme as worn-out and not up to current style standards. Other guests shared this opinion, reviewing Le Pré Catelan with dissatisfaction and sometimes even harsh criticism for expensive price tags, mediocre food, and hype that left guests feeling let down and deflated.

Per Se, or "per sucker?" This was the hint at re-naming presented by a displeased guest of this Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City. Their distaste for the restaurant stemmed from the costly price tag of nearly $300 per person and the minuscule portion sizes of the chef's tasting menu. Upon asking for a salad, this guest received an unknown and tiny vegetable that the restaurant called a vegetable salad. Another guest wrote a lengthy review that compared the esteemed Michelin-star restaurant to the chain restaurant Applebee's. For her, one of the biggest misses was the lack of a dress code, as she reported sightings of sweatpants, crop tops, flip-flops, and sneakers, clothes that are not what one would expect in an expensive three-star venue.

The New York restaurant became a source of infamy after Pete Wells's wretched review of the spot was published in The New York Times. Wells made several harsh evaluations and criticized seemingly everything, including the servers' failure to clean up dirty dishes, and the chemical-flavored mushroom soup. Wells wrapped up the experience as underwhelming and lacking overall luster. The critical piece by Wells drew such a following that chef Thomas Keller responded with an apology and the promise to do better. Perhaps this is yet another example of the controversial pressure that a Michelin star can create for chefs, as the accolade encourages reviewers to nitpick even the smallest of details, and leaves chefs with a need to make amends.

Who hasn't wanted the experience of dining underwater with aquatic animals swimming around in calming blue waters? Ithaa Undersea Restaurant plays on that fantasy with its underwater, aquarium-esque restaurant in the Maldives. With a dining room five meters underwater, guests can enjoy fresh seafood as they watch their meal's relatives swim by in real-time.

While many patrons have enjoyed the deep sea experience and written glowing reviews, not everyone is happy. The more lackluster mentions are focused on the restaurant's food and the service, which unfortunately make up the majority of the outing. One reviewer shared their disgust with the food and mentioned that their bill seemed to more support the underwater experience than the meal. They suggested that future diners lower their expectations and standards for the food, as there isn't much to brag about there.  

Another issue centered around menu discrepancies between what was posted online and what they received in person. Others reported that served left dirty dishes laying around, while courses were so mistimed that diners felt rushed, making the $500 per person price tag seem all the more unreasonable. 

Sibling chefs Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze opened Le Bernardin, which came to New York as a seafood-focused restaurant of high caliber. They received one Michelin star in 1976 and two more in 1980. Since then, Le Bernardin has expanded to include a separate lounge area (complete with its own menu), as well as many positive reviews. However, it seems that in recent years that esteemed level of perfection has begun to slip.

One extremely well-traveled reviewer shared that Le Bernardin was a disappointment after his February 2023 visit. He complained that the food was overcooked, dry, and disappointing and that the atmosphere was snobby and unwelcoming to the point where it dampened his wife's birthday celebration. 

Other reviews agreed that the vibe of Le Bernardin was pretentious and annoying, and its food was not delicious enough to make the visit worthwhile. Many of the reviews for Le Bernardin are positive overall, but the few negative reviews do present the possibility that perhaps yet another Michelin-star restaurant is at least a smidge overrated.