Vancouver Island doesn’t have any Michelin star restaurants. Here’s why

The collective trophy shelf of Vancouver Island restaurants is stuffed, but there’s one accolade that eludes them all: a Michelin star.

It’s a coveted award that recognizes outstanding restaurants and serves as a beacon for culinary explorers.

“Everything a guest experiences when they come into that restaurant is what Michelin grades you on,” said Clayton Thornber, operations manager for Victoria restaurants Rudi and Wind Cries Mary.

“If you think that you’re excellent, then that is kind of the gold standard.”

While Thornber said it’s likely the service style at Rudi and Wind Cries Mary is too casual to earn a star, he thinks several other Island restaurants are worthy.

His list of contenders includes Pluvio in Ucluelet, Wolf in the Fog in Tofino, Pilgrimme on Galiano Island, and Marilena, Rabbit Rabbit, and Ugly Duckling in Victoria.

“It’s a bit strange that there isn’t that recognition here,” he said.

When CTV News started searching for the reason behind the lack of recognition, it became clear there’s an information gap. Destination Greater Victoria didn’t know the answer and neither did the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association.

“It was quite surprising when (a CTV reporter) brought that to my attention. I never really thought about it and it needs to happen,” BCRFA president Ian Tostenon said.

“Vancouver Island is a Mecca of great restaurants.”

‘Not a well-known concept’

There’s a simple explanation for the Island’s star-free culinary scene: Michelin’s international restaurant guidebook has yet to expand to the region.

“(The guide) is very well established in Europe and very well established in the United States,” said Tourism Vancouver Island president Brian Cant.

“The information gap that exists is because it’s not a well-known concept within our country.”

Michelin’s famously anonymous inspectors have covered three Canadian destinations, starting with Vancouver and Toronto in 2022, followed by Quebec this year.

“Michelin tends to historically go to big areas,” Tostenson said.

That doesn’t mean its inspectors are opposed to going off the beaten path.

“The Michelin Guide is not yet present in certain cities and regions where the quality of the gastronomic offer has exploded in recent years,” Michelin spokesperson Carly Grieff said in an email to CTV News.

“To bring these new destinations and their culinary specialties to light, Michelin has initiated a partnership approach with local tourism development agencies.”

Tourism groups can kick in some cash to cover marketing costs, though Grieff didn’t disclose how much they have to pay.

It’s not something DGV or 4TVI said they’re interested in pursuing — at least in the immediate term.

“The fact that we don’t have any Michelin star restaurants is absolutely fine,” Cant said. “We stand really, really strong in our culinary experiences across the entire region.”

The little red guidebook

The longer the Michelin Guide is present in a certain country, the more prevalent it becomes in smaller communities, Cant said.

“If you think of Europe, it’s not just the major urban centres where Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants. They’re in multiple small communities and places that are out of the way,” he said.

“Really, that’s where the guide started.”

It dates back to the early days of the Michelin tire company, which was founded by French brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin in 1889. The goal was to boost tire sales by getting motorists to rack up mileage while travelling to destinations highlighted in the little red guidebook.

Featuring smaller Canadian communities would align with the spirit of the original guide, Thornber said.

“(With) Vancouver and Toronto and Montreal being huge, massive markets with so much money, it makes sense that those would be the first places. Like any award, there’s a level of publicity that comes with that,” he said.

“There are so many restaurants up and down the Island and in Victoria that … could be recognized if given the chance.”

For now, Michelin said it doesn’t have news to share about future expansions in Canada.