- The Michelin Guide is officially coming to Australia for the first time, but it will only cover restaurants in South Australia.
- The arrival Down Under is thanks to a recently brokered deal between the French company and the South Australian government, which Tourism Australia declined twice.
- The official Michelin Guide South Australia 2027 will be released in October at a launch event in Adelaide.
If you asked most people where the food capital of Australia was, chances are they’d say Melbourne. And yet, despite the Victorian capital’s proud culinary claims to fame, when inspectors for the Michelin Guide finally land on Australian soil, they won’t be heading to Attica or Gimlet at Cavendish House.
That’s right, thanks to a deal negotiated by the South Australian government, the debut Michelin Guide to be compiled Down Under will exclusively focus on South Australian restaurants. It’s a landmark moment for a state that has quietly built one of the country’s most compelling food and wine cultures, as it’s the first time the world’s most prestigious culinary benchmark has ever operated on Australian soil.
The South Australian Government is investing approximately $6.3 million over the life of the partnership to bring the guide here, a small price to pay for what will no doubt be a flood of international and domestic gastro-tourism in the next few years.
Tourism Australia has been approached multiple times over the last decade, with the most recent talks in mid-2025 seeing Michelin request a $40 million investment over five years, a number that strangely proved a bridge too far for a government that loves to spend.
On the move to South Australia – Michelin’s International Director, Gwendal Poullennec, cited the region’s multicultural heritage, exceptional local produce, and the freedom chefs enjoy in defining their own voice as being important drawcards, with inspectors struck by the authenticity and personality of the region’s dining culture.
The full selection will be unveiled at a special event in Adelaide in October 2026, which will be made available exclusively in digital format across Michelin’s website, mobile apps, and social platforms.
For Adelaide’s chefs, the pressure is on until October arrives.
