Occitanie 56 starred restaurants and gastronomic savoir-vivre

The new study of Preply is interested in the stars awarded by the Michelin Guide and offers a ranking of the different regions which have the most starred restaurants.

It's been official for a few days with the 2025 Michelin Guide ceremony which will take place on March 31. The ceremony has now been taking place in the provinces for three years, and after Cognac in 2022, Strasbourg in 2023 and Tours in 2024, it is in Metz that the results will be revealed this year.

Michelin stars are a world-renowned distinction that rewards gastronomic excellence. Many international customers visit these establishments.

Therefore, for chefs and teams of starred restaurants, mastering several languages ​​is often crucial. It also allows chefs and sommeliers to open up to international culinary influences, collaborate with foreign partners and make themselves known beyond borders. Speaking English, Japanese or even Chinese is common in large restaurants, and this helps to facilitate cultural exchanges around cuisine.

Michelin stars have a significant impact on the reputation of restaurants and the careers of chefs. This recognition reflects both the quality of the dishes, the technical mastery, the originality of the chefs and the overall coherence of the culinary experience offered. Each year, anonymous inspectors visit hundreds of restaurants to evaluate cuisine according to strict criteria such as flavors, texture, presentation and consistency of quality.

A star can transform a local address into an international destination, attracting food lovers from around the world. In addition, the prestige linked to the stars can strengthen the local economy, boosting culinary tourism and encouraging the discovery of local products.

Michelin stars are a valuable benchmark for travelers and tourists looking for good addresses in France. Renowned for their rigor and impartiality, they allow you to discover quality restaurants where local gastronomy is in the spotlight. These distinctions can guide visitors on their itinerary by highlighting exceptional establishments, sometimes located off the beaten track. For food enthusiasts, organizing a trip to Michelin-starred restaurants becomes a way to enjoy unique culinary experiences, while exploring different French regions.

Let us recall the “norm”. A star is the guarantee of a restaurant offering excellent quality cuisine. This represents an establishment that is worth stopping at if you are in the area. Two stars will be awarded to a restaurant that “worths a detour” for the exceptional quality of its cuisine. The dishes are more sophisticated, the technical mastery is more advanced and the originality is often more marked. The flavors and textures provide a memorable experience that may warrant a longer detour.

Finally, the three stars, the most prestigious distinction, are awarded to establishments offering “remarkable cuisine that is worth the trip”. Here, we're talking about gastronomic perfection, with exceptional creativity, top-flight techniques and attention to detail in every dish. These restaurants are often destinations in their own right for foodies from around the world. Michelin stars, by offering a guarantee of quality, can simplify the planning of a gourmet stay and enrich the tourist experience. With this study, Preply wanted to focus on the regions with the most starred restaurants in France.

The number of Michelin-starred restaurants is a strong indicator of the gastronomic dynamism of a region. Occitanie only comes in fifth position among the most “gastronomic” regions of France, logically after Île-de-France (137 starred restaurants), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (110 starred restaurants), Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (81 starred restaurants) and Nouvelle-Aquitaine (59 starred restaurants). Occitanie has 56 starred restaurants.

According to this same study, “ Occitanie offers cuisine influenced by the Mediterranean and the Pyrenean region. Chefs like Michel Sarran (one star), in Toulouse, bring a contemporary touch to local dishes rich in flavors. Cassoulet, black truffles and wines from the region, particularly Languedoc, play a key role in this booming culinary scene. »

The Region has only one three-star establishment (Auberge du Vieux Puits in Fontjoncouse), but eight two-star establishments (including two in Nîmes with Alexandre and le Duende).