South Australia will become the first Australian state to feature in the Michelin Guide, the French restaurant ratings publication, with the first restaurants chosen to be revealed at a ceremony on Wednesday evening. The ABC, Australia’s public broadcaster, reported that anonymous Michelin inspectors dined at venues across the state earlier this year to hand-pick the listings, and that if any restaurant is awarded a Michelin Star it will be an Australian first.
The state paid for the privilege, and has not said how much. That is the part of the story that matters most for Fiji, because the guide’s spread through the region has been financed by tourism authorities buying inspectors’ attention — with no guarantee of an award at the end.
Key facts
- The ABC report, published on 13 October, said the first South Australian entries would be announced at a ceremony on Wednesday evening.
- Michelin first approached Tourism Australia, the national tourism authority, in 2016, the ABC reported. Tourism Australia decided against it, and South Australia has now gone its own way with the state government footing the bill.
- The South Australian government said the price it paid was confidential for commercial reasons and has not revealed any ongoing costs from the deal, according to the ABC.
- New Zealand became the first place in Oceania to receive a Michelin Star in July. The ABC put the reported price at 6.3 million over three years but did not name a currency, so it is not clear from the report whether that is New Zealand or United States dollars. Fiji News has not independently verified the figure and treats it as indicative only.
Why it matters
South Australian Tourism Minister Emily Bourke told the ABC the spend was worth it, saying it would get people coming to the state and reinforce that its food and wine stand among the best in the world.
Duncan Welgemoed, who was head chef at UK restaurant the Goose when it won a star and now owns the Adelaide restaurant Africola, told the ABC a listing would be a game changer for the local industry. He said bookings increased significantly overnight in his own experience, and that gastronomic tourists — particularly from the Chinese and American markets — plan entire trips around visiting Michelin-starred restaurants.
What a deal like this would mean for Fiji — Fiji News analysis
The following is Fiji News analysis and does not come from either source report.
The ABC reported that while the guide has been a benchmark for diners in France and elsewhere in Europe for more than a century, many of the places it has since covered have paid to lure inspectors to their regions — and that even where tourism authorities pay, the inspectors themselves decide which restaurants to sample. In other words, the money buys attention, not a rating.
Fiji News notes that this is the structure any Fijian bid would have to accept: a multi-year fee, of the order New Zealand reportedly paid, for exposure that may produce no award. We also note a recent local precedent for the gap between an international badge and a local return — the Levuka council told a parliamentary committee that the town’s economy declined after its UNESCO listing.
There is also the question of who would fill the tables. On the evidence of national carrier chief executive Jaymes Patel to MPs, Fiji Airways carries about 70 per cent of visitors to the country. Fiji News observes that the trip-planning diners Welgemoed describes would arrive on those seats, which puts any food-tourism strategy and airline capacity on the same balance sheet.
No Fijian agency has publicly addressed whether Michelin-style coverage has ever been pitched to Fiji. Neither the ABC nor Time Out report mentions Fiji or any other Pacific island country, and Fiji News has found no public announcement from Tourism Fiji or the Ministry of Tourism on the question. This article will be updated if either comments.
Criticism of the pay-for-coverage system
Catheryn Khoo, professor of hospitality and tourism at Torrens University, told the ABC the guide’s expansion has drawn criticism, pointing to examples such as China. She said Michelin came from France and would send experts from that culture, who assessed how food was made against their own standards rather than more contemporary and international cultural standards.
Khoo also said that while many chefs covet a star, some have returned theirs because of how unhealthy the pressure can be for restaurant cultures and teams. Her advice to South Australian chefs waiting on the announcement was to hold their ground and keep doing what they do best rather than focusing on the guide.
The hotel Keys list is already out
Time Out, the city-guide publisher, reported on 20 September that the 2026 Michelin Key hotel awards took the Australian list to 54 properties, including six in South Australia, after 22 new entries and three promotions. The keys launched in Australia last year with 35 properties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does being listed in the Michelin Guide mean a restaurant has a star?
No. The ABC’s report distinguishes between the two: inspectors hand-pick the venues that appear in the guide, while a star is a separate award that only some listed restaurants receive.
What do Michelin inspectors actually judge when they visit a restaurant?
The ABC reports that the process is highly secretive, and that the guide assesses the food only — a restaurant’s decor, ambience and service are not factors.
What is a Michelin Key and how do hotels earn up to three?
Time Out reports that Michelin Keys are the hotel equivalent of Michelin Stars, with anonymous inspectors reviewing thousands of hotels globally against five criteria: design, quality of service, unique character, value for money and contribution to their local area. Hotels can earn up to three keys — one for “a very special stay”, two for “an exceptional stay” and three for “an extraordinary stay”.
Which Australian hotels hold the top Three Keys rating?
According to Time Out, Queensland’s Lizard Island Resort was last year the only Australian property with Three Keys, and one of just 143 hotels worldwide. In the 2026 list it was joined at the top tier by Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island and Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania.
