Yesterday evening, January 21, 2025, the celebratory MICHELIN Guide Ceremony took place in Hangar-7, at which the culinary guide’s renowned restaurant selection was presented to the whole of Austria for the first time since 2009. Eight restaurants from Carinthia received a total of 10 awards (two restaurants were awarded in two categories).
The return of the MICHELIN Guide and the ceremony were initiated and co-organized by Austria Advertising and the state tourism organizations. Guide MICHELIN’s presence in Austria was also made possible thanks to the commitment of the industry representative of the Chamber of Commerce. In addition to numerous chefs accepting their awards, the event also attracted national and international media representatives to Salzburg to celebrate the excellence of the local gastronomy.
A great moment for Carinthian cuisine
State Tourism Council Sebastian Schuschnig: “The long-awaited return of the MICHELIN Guide gives Carinthia an enormous opportunity to raise top gastronomic achievements on an international stage and strengthen the competitiveness of the location. Culinary flagships can thus be presented even better and become visible far beyond national borders. Carinthia has a lot to offer its guests, from authentic pub culture to fine cuisine and the success story of slow food. My thanks go to all food producers and the committed tourism businesses who, out of conviction and passion, ensure top quality in gastronomy and sustainable value creation in the regions.”
Carinthia Advertising Managing Director Klaus Ehrenbrandtner: “For many people, good food and vacation go together. The wide range of Carinthian Alpine-Adriatic cuisine is an important experience factor for Carinthian guests and contributes to the booking decision. The awards given to Carinthian restaurants now make Carinthia visible on the global map of top gastronomy. Five restaurants were awarded in the “Green MICHELIN Star for Sustainability” category. This also clearly shows that the path that Carinthia has taken with Slow Food is receiving high recognition at an international level. I am happy for all the Carinthian chefs who have been honored by the MICHELIN Guide and would like to congratulate them on this shower of stars for their outstanding achievements.
The evaluation criteria
The MICHELIN Guide evaluates restaurants according to five globally consistent criteria: the quality of the products, the craftsmanship of the chefs, the originality of the dishes and the consistency of performance – both long-term and across the entire menu. The assessments are carried out by full-time, anonymous inspectors who carry out their tests according to clearly defined and objective standards. In the future, assessments will be carried out once a year in Austria.
A total of 10 awards (2 restaurants received 2 awards) went to Carinthia from Guide MICHELIN:
The categories:
One Michelin star: 4 Restaurants:
- Hubert Wallner, Gourmet restaurant Hubert Wallner, Maria Wörth
- Hannes Müller, Gourmet hotel Die Forelle, Weissensee
- Roman Pichler, Restaurant Moritz, Grafenstein
- Stefan Glantschnig, Red Black, Weissensee
MICHELIN Green Star for sustainability: 5 Restaurants
- Hannes Müller, Gourmet hotel Die Forelle, Weissensee
- Roman Pichler, The Moritz, Grafenstein
- Michael Sure, Fish restaurant Sure, Tainach
- Manuel Ressi, Restaurant Bärenwirt, Hermagor
- Martin Nuart, Restaurant Bär & Schaf Wirtschaft, Völkermarkt
Bib Gourmands (for particularly good value for money): 1 restaurant
- Ralph Kollnitzer, Reiterhof Stückler, Wolfsberg
Stefan Sternadgastronomy spokesman for the Carinthian Chamber of Commerce: “The numerous awards our gastronomy establishments have received in the MICHELIN Guide closes a long-standing international culinary gap. Our Alpine-Adriatic cuisine as well as the daily work and idealism of our colleagues receive the necessary recognition. The appeal of the companies extends far beyond Carinthia and therefore has a positive impact on the entire Alpine-Adriatic region. These stars and awards bring new guests that we desperately need. Our chefs are the lighthouses for the entire catering industry!”
Great joy from the award-winning top chefs – here are some quotes:
Hannes Müller, Already named “Chef of the Year 2025” by Gault&Millau, chef and host at the Genießerhotel Die Forelle am Weissensee: “We are happy for our team and our farmers, whose products are the basis for everything. For me, the award in the MICHELIN Guide is a confirmation of the path we have chosen and the philosophy that we have lived for years and that we have found the right taste.”
Hubert Wallnergourmet restaurant Hubert Wallner, Maria Wörth: “We are very pleased about the award in the MICHELIN Guide. In addition to the two renowned guides Gault&Millau and Falstaff, this award from Michelin is of great international importance, as our country and in particular the tourism region of Carinthia is more internationally recognized and hopefully more gourmet tourists come to Carinthia and not just in the summer months.
Roman Pichlerchef and host at the Moritz restaurant in Grafenstein: “It is a huge opportunity for Austria to demonstrate our culinary skills internationally across the entire country. For me personally, it is an incredible recognition and motivation to be awarded by Michelin. It is a sign that hard work and discipline are of great importance in order to be able to enter the big stage of the internationally most important guide.”
Stefan Glantschnig, Restaurant Rouge Noir, Weissensee: “I can’t believe what happened today. Two MICHELIN stars for Weissensee is great! Of course, this also applies to all other Carinthian hosts who have received awards.”
Martin Nuart, Restaurant Bär & Schaf Wirtschaft, Völkermarkt: “We are incredibly happy about the “Green MICHELIN Star”, that is exactly what reflects us! We try to source everything from the region, we work with over 30 farmers. It is valuable for the gastronomy industry that Guide MICHELIN has found its way back into Austria and therefore also into Carinthia.”
Ralph Kollnitzer, Reiterhof Stückler, Wolfsberg: “We are delighted with the tremendous success immediately after the start in March and I would like to thank the team, kitchen and service and the Stückler family for their trust in us!”
International reach and target group approach: the MICHELIN Guide: With over 16 million monthly page views and 2.8 million Instagram followers, the Michelin Guide reaches an affluent, pleasure-oriented target group that fits Austria’s tourism positioning perfectly.
You can find the full restaurant selection via the Guide MICHELIN app and the Guide MICHELIN website news.michelin.de. It complements the global offering of over 16,000 restaurants and 6,000 hotels and makes Austria and Carinthia’s top gastronomy visible worldwide.
To the photo gallery of the MICHELIN Guide Ceremony: to.austria.info/guidemichelin