What is the maximum number of Michelin stars a restaurant can be awarded?

In 1900, there were fewer than 3,000 cars on the roads of France. To increase the demand for cars and car tires, tire manufacturers and brothers Édouard and André Michelin published a guide for French motorists in 1900. It was entitled The Michelin Guide. Nearly 35,000 copies of the first edition were distributed; it provided useful information to motorists, such as maps, tire repair and replacement instructions, car mechanics listings, hotels, and gas stations throughout France.

The guide is now best know for their 1-3 star ratings of restaurants. A single star denotes that a restaurant is, "A very good restaurant in its category". A two star rating indicates, "Excellent cooking, worth a detour". While a three star rating indicates that a restaurant boasts, "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey". Considering that few restaurants will ever receive a single star, the rating system is certainly for elite fine dining restaurants.

In November 2005, Michelin produced its first American guide, covering 500 restaurants in the five boroughs of New York City and 50 hotels in Manhattan. In 2017, only 6 restaurants in New York were given 3 stars, 10 were given a 2 star rating, and 61 were given a single star.

Some restaurateurs have asked Michelin to revoke a star, because they felt that it created undesirable customer expectations or pressure to spend more on service and décor. Each year a restaurant may be given stars, or they could lose existing stars.