Pictured: First Table founder Mat Weir (left) and CEO Alex Cappy (right) at kingi Restaurant in Auckland’s Hotel Britomart
South Australia’s first Michelin selection will finally be revealed this month, and new figures from across the Tasman suggest Adelaide restaurants could be in for an immediate surge in attention.
The MICHELIN Guide South Australia 2027 selection will be unveiled at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Wednesday, October 14th, revealing which restaurants have secured Stars, Bib Gourmands and places in the broader Michelin selection.
Now, restaurant booking platform First Table is urging local venues to prepare for what could happen once those names are announced.
The company says page views for Michelin-recognised restaurants on its New Zealand platform jumped 146 per cent on June 30, the day the country’s inaugural Michelin selection was announced.
Traffic remained around 70 per cent higher than previous levels during the following week, while one newly starred Christchurch restaurant reportedly attracted more than 11 times its usual traffic.
“The night the guide came out, our site lit up,” shared Alex Cappy, CEO of First Table.
“People weren’t just looking up the starred restaurants. They were hunting for anything with a Michelin name attached, and they were booking within minutes.
“If you’re a South Australian restaurant that gets recognised on October 14th, be ready for it. Make sure your site is rock-solid, have extra people on hand to answer the phone, get ready to open more hours and hire more staff, and get ready for the influx.”
New Zealand became Michelin’s first destination in Oceania earlier this year, with 110 restaurants recognised across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. Of those, one received Two Michelin Stars, 14 received One Star, 35 were awarded Bib Gourmands and another 60 made the wider selection.
First Table says the impact in New Zealand has continued beyond the initial rush, with some recognised venues adding staff, extending trading hours and taking international reservations months in advance.
But Alex believes the benefit could extend well beyond restaurants that receive a Star or Bib Gourmand.
As recognised venues become harder to book, he expects some of that demand to flow through to other restaurants as diners look for alternatives.
“When the recognised restaurants book out, and they do book out, those diners don’t stay home. We’ve watched starred venues pull their off-peak tables because they simply don’t need them any more, and that demand has to land somewhere,” said Alex.
“So if you’re a good restaurant in Adelaide that doesn’t get a star or Bib Gourmand on the night, this will still be positive for you.”
Adelaide is already one of First Table’s fastest-growing Australian markets. The company says the number of local restaurants using the platform rose 27 per cent between March and August, while monthly confirmed bookings increased 88 per cent.
Michelin’s inspectors have been anonymously assessing restaurants across South Australia ahead of the selection, using the same five criteria applied globally, including ingredient quality, cooking technique, harmony of flavours, the personality expressed through the cuisine and consistency.
The inaugural MICHELIN Guide South Australia 2027 selection will be revealed on Wednesday, October 14th at the Adelaide Convention Centre, with the ceremony also set to be livestreamed globally.
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