Michelin's rival arrives: Gault&Millau's first Czech edition crowns top restaurants

A new culinary kingmaker has landed in Czechia; how Michelin's counterpart is set to reshape the fine dining landscape.

Elizabeth Zahradnicek-Haas

Written by Elizabeth Zahradnicek-Haas Published on 29.01.2025 17:00:00 (updated on 31.01.2025) Reading time: 3 minutes

Tuesday marked the official launch of the first Czech edition of the Gault&Millau guide. A total of 165 restaurants were awarded the renowned guide’s toque symbol, with only one receiving four toques—just one shy of the highest distinction.

Established in the 1960s, the renowned French guide uses a 1-20 point scale and awards up to five “toques” (chef’s hats) to exceptional restaurants, similar to Michelin stars. What sets Gault&Millau apart from Michelin is its broader evaluation, taking into account factors such as service and value.

Last year, the inspectors visited hundreds of restaurants across the country, to select those featured in the guide, which is being published in Czechia for the first time. The results are also available online.

How does Gault&Millau differ from Michelin?

The Gault&Millau guide, created by food-loving French journalists Henry Gault and Christian Millau from the Paris-Presse editorial office, quickly became a trusted companion for diners when it was first published in 1969.

Initially written by the founders, today reviews are conducted by anonymous inspectors trained under strict French standards. Like the guide's creators, inspectors dine anonymously and always pay for their meals. Over the years, the guide has discovered culinary talents such as Alain Ducasse and Joël Robuchon.

When reviewing individual restaurants, the inspectors focus primarily on the dishes' tastes, appearance, and the chefs' imagination.  

Chef Radek David told iDnes.cz that while both guides have their specific strengths and often complement each other, Michelin determines the top in the industry, and Gault&Millau can highlight emerging trends. “It is said that Michelin uses the Gault&Millau guide to discover new restaurants,” said David.

Recently, Michelin announced that it would only include Czech-based restaurants in its guide if Czechia paid a five-year membership fee. The country has reportedly agreed to cooperate. Two restaurants in Prague currently hold one Michelin star each: La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise and Radek Kašpárek's Field.

A suburban outlier takes top toque

Of the restaurants surveyed across Czechia, the Gault&Millau criteria were best exemplified by Papilio in Vysoké Újezd ​​near Beroun, whose chef Jan Knedla received four toques. Three toques were awarded to 11 restaurants, among them Levitate, Terasa U Zlaté studně, U Matěje, La Finestra in Cucina, Mlýnec, and Dejvická 34 by Tomáš Černý.

Fifty restaurants received two toques, including Kašpárek's 420, La Veranda, Spojka, Restaurace Oblaca, and U Kalendů.

Among the restaurants awarded a single toque: Červený Jelen, Café Imperial, and Tiskárna Jindřišská. Of the restaurants visited, 128 are in the capital city, with the next highest number of included restaurants in Brno (36), followed by Ostrava (17).

The guide also recognizes individual talent, awarding “Chef of the Year” to Jan Knedla for his originality and individuality, “Chef of Tomorrow” to Otto Vašák, chef at Essen in Lednice-Valtice, and its “Talent under 35” to Barbora Šimůnková from Prague's Leaf.

In addition to rating restaurants, Gault&Millau also recognizes “trendy and accessible restaurants, bars and bistros where experience and concept occupy a central place,” via its POP category. The “POP of the Year” award went to Brno breakfast spot EGGO.

The guide and its website are sure to boost the Czech fine dining scene, which is often overlooked globally. The Czech-language guide is available for purchase, while the online version of the guide offers an English translation. Compared to Michelin’s somewhat outdated online interface, it’s a more user-friendly tool that also recognizes a broader range of restaurants.

“Czech gastronomy has improved in recent years. Many excellent restaurants are emerging here, and it’s great that information about them is reaching people through such a well-known guide as Gault&Millau,” said acclaimed Czech chef Zdeněk Pohlreich of the guide's release.

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