They should pretty much drop half the list then.

I don't think these places are going to become any easier to book. The whole reason to go invite/connection-only is precisely to avoid all the legions of lazy tourists who pick restaurants just based on stars.

What´s wrong with it?

Think for yourself and develop your own tastes.

You do realise that is exactly the raison d’etre of the guide for the last 120 odd years? To guide travellers on where to get a good meal whilst travelling in areas that are unfamiliar to them.:confused:

I don't think there's anything wrong with it (other than being suboptimal to the reader as the Michelin Guide is often full of #*$!) - the context was speaking from the perspective of Japanese restaurants that engage in the practice (again, not that I agree with or condone).

I don’t think these points are inconsistent. If anything the argument is that the guide should drop more restaurants if that’s the rationale they used for dropping Jiros.

My core point was aimed at the comments about lazy tourism and doing your own research, which is exactly what the Guide is there to do.

I don’t agree with every rating the guide has made, but I don’t have the time, contacts and knowledge to form my own opinion in every location I visit.

Exactly.

The same reason I look at the Michelin guide, check out OAD and, of course, search for recommendations from the excellent contributors to this very thread.

I agree that there is always the Chef's Table, Instagram or FOMO effect that can destroy the very appeal of some the smaller, off the beaten track places. But as long as these establishments are getting bums in seats and prospering, then who am I to begrudge that?

And last I checked, Jiro was the subject of a pretty widely seen documentary which kinda let the cat out of the bag, so to speak.

And it's precisely what some of these restaurants are seeking to avoid by closing public reservations. The purpose of the Michelin Guide supports this phenomenon so clearly there is no disagreement on that point, even if it (apparently) strikes a nerve.


What's interesting is that I've recently seen more and more of these traditionally "invite-only" restaurants show up on direct booking websites. I wonder if this is in response to the threat of getting Michelin stars pulled, in which case it's incredibly weaselly if these spots want to show off Michelin stars but don't want hordes of foreigners showing up either.

The other issue with Michelin Guide (and another reason it's just full of crap) is where do they draw the line on this? I mean, seriously - if a restaurant accepts one single seat per year from the public, does that qualify them for Michelin? I believe in 2017, Jiro auctioned off seats in partnership with a western-oriented booking website - does that count? Or what if they show up on a public booking website, even if they don't actually take a single public reservation?

It'll be interesting to see how they handle this in other countries, too. Sushi Amamoto in Taipei (run by the brother of the proprietor of the Higashi-Azabu restaurant), for example, doesn't even have a web presence anymore, much less accepts reservations.

I’m not sure something that is 120 years old qualifies as a phenomenon.

But I take the point that it is within the gift of the restaurant to choose how it attracts its customers, and likewise the decision of guides to reflect this in whether or not they list the restaurant. A more interesting point is the reticence and avoidance of foreign business. I can understand it on one level, they don’t need the money or the hassle of dealing with strangers. But if you tried it in other countries if could be construed as skirting close to racism.

By "phenomenon" I was referring to the restaurant practice of refusing public reservations.


Absolutely so and the level of xenophobia in such an otherwise developed country is staggering. I still remember making a reservation at Hyotei and literally the very first question they asked was what the nationality of the guests was. I told them not to bother.

Pretty excited for the next few weeks—
Chefs Table at Brooklyn Fare - First time going. Partner and I by tradition do EMP every year but since it’ll be our fifth time in NYC this year there’s no point.

Gramercy Tavern - we’ve done this quite a few times but it fell off the list after 2014 for no particular reason. Ate there back again in July and regretted not eating there 5 years in between. Going again in a few weeks.

Arpege - one of our close friends is joining us. He’s vegan and so I thought it would be a cool New Years gift.

next year I’m aiming to do Tickets again, as well El Cellar again. Will try Mirazur for the first time.

did Osteria Francescana, Bo Lan, and Gaggan over the summer. OF was excellent but not amazing enough for me to try to go again. Bo Lan sucked and I regretted wasting time on that place.

Gaggan will always confuse me, but is up there with my favorite experiences. Would go again if I didn’t have to fly all the way to BKK for it.

As an aside I’m looking for a top sushi place in NYC and am having trouble deciding, so would love recommendations.

Azabu — my old haunt back in 2009-2011. I hear it’s fallen off quite a bit.

Yasuda — reliably good but want to go somewhere new and less corporate. Every time I eat there in the summer I feel like I’m surrounded by big law summer associates.

Nakazawa —excellent the first time I ate there. Meh the second time.

any other places I should look at?

I still find myself at Yasuda at least once every time I go to NYC, it's just that consistent. Ginza Onodera and Sushi Amane are my other regular spots. Sushi Noz if you like warm rice.

EDIT: Sushi Amane was not nearly as good on my last two visits in early 2020, so I striked it out.

Credit care concierge aren’t that helpful especially for the really to tough to book restaurants