The latest Michelin restaurant ratings show the Netherlands with 125 restaurants that have earned coveted stars—103 with one star, 20 with two and two with three stars. That’s up 17 from last year.
That figure puts the Netherlands at the bottom of the top ten or so countries in the world for Michelin-starred restaurants, but the figures contain a real surprise when looked at closely. The Netherlands actually ranks near the top in Michelin stars per capita.
France is the leader (no surprise!) with 632 restaurants, almost precisely five times the number in the Netherlands—but France has more than four times the Dutch population. Number 2 on the list is Japan, with 413 restaurants and a population nearly eight times as big. Among the others ahead of the Netherlands are Italy, Germany, Spain, the U.S. and China, all with populations well ahead of the Dutch. The U.S., by the way, is #6 with 168 places.
Image: a serving at Restaurant De Librije, one of Netherlands’ 3-star winners
