Image: Adelaide Convention Centre
South Australia is just six weeks away from finding out which of its restaurants have earned a place in the history books, with the date now set for the state’s inaugural MICHELIN Guide reveal.
The first restaurants included in the MICHELIN Guide South Australia 2027 will be announced at a ceremony at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Wednesday, October 14.
The event will bring chefs, restaurateurs and hospitality industry leaders together as South Australia officially becomes the first Australian destination to feature in the world-famous restaurant guide.
Anonymous MICHELIN inspectors have been visiting restaurants across Adelaide and regional South Australia over recent months, assessing venues according to the same five criteria used around the world.
Those criteria cover the quality of ingredients, mastery of cooking techniques, harmony of flavours, the personality reflected through the cuisine and consistency across visits.
Exactly which restaurants have been selected remains tightly under wraps.
When the results are unveiled, South Australian venues could receive distinctions including MICHELIN Stars, Bib Gourmand recognition and MICHELIN Selected status, while individual hospitality professionals may also be recognised through awards including the Young Chef, Service and Sommelier awards.
Restaurants included in the guide will receive the internationally recognised MICHELIN Guide plaque, while chefs at venues awarded MICHELIN Stars will also receive a special Michelin chef jacket.
Tourism Minister Emily Bourke said the announcement would put the state’s dining scene in front of a significant international audience.
“The date has been set for the eyes of the culinary world to be on us as the inaugural MICHELIN Guide South Australia is revealed,” Minister Bourke said.
“I look forward to seeing a variety of places in South Australia, from destination dining to local favourites, officially listed amongst the world’s best.”
While MICHELIN is commonly associated with high-end degustation restaurants, inspectors assess the food rather than a venue’s formality or level of comfort, meaning recognition can span everything from casual eateries to destination restaurants.
MICHELIN Guide International Director Gwendal Poullennec said inspectors had been particularly struck by the connection between South Australian restaurants and the places and produce surrounding them.
“What has particularly impressed our inspectors is the strong sense of place that runs through South Australia’s dining scene,” he said.
Restaurants across regions including the Barossa, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale and Kangaroo Island have previously been flagged as part of the wider South Australian dining landscape being considered and promoted through the guide.
The October announcement follows confirmation in May that South Australia would become the first Australian destination represented in MICHELIN’s global restaurant guide. At the time, Michelin said its inspectors had found a dining scene defined by exceptional produce, major wine regions, multicultural influences and a strong regional identity.
Following the October 14 ceremony, the selected restaurants will be published through the MICHELIN Guide’s international platforms.
For South Australian diners, it means there are now just six weeks left to speculate about which familiar names, and potentially a few unexpected favourites, will make the historic first list.
