The Michelin guide to European cities

The Michelin guide Main Cities of Europe 2009 will go on sale on Wednesday 18 March, priced at £14.99 (€19.99 in Ireland). The 28th edition covers 43 cities in 20 countries, of which two are included for the first time (Florence and Turin).

Written in English, the Michelin guide Main Cities of Europe 2009 targets business travellers and tourists visiting major European cities who want to be able to easily find the right place to dine or spend the night, perhaps a hotel near the convention centre, or a quiet restaurant where they can invite a customer to lunch.

The guide includes a wealth of useful information, including city maps showing the location of hotels and restaurants, key words which define the style of each establishment, practical information about each city (sites to visit, tips for getting around town, etc.), a presentation of the city’s culinary specialities and general tourist information.

The 2009 edition of the Michelin guide Main Cities of Europe features a selection of 3,180 establishments, in all comfort and price categories, of which 1,607 are hotels and 1,573 are restaurants.

The capitals of four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) all have at least one two-star restaurant: Noma in Copenhagen, Chez Dominique in Helsinki, Bagatelle in Oslo, and two restaurants (Edsbacka Krog and Mathias Dahlgren - Matsalen) for the first time in Stockholm.

The Michelin guide Main Cities of Europe 2009 features 324 ‘starred’ restaurants: 14 have three stars, 59 have two stars and 251 have one star. It also includes a selection of 195 Bib Gourmand restaurants serving three-course meals that offer excellent value for money.

From its beginning as a small, 400-page red guide distributed free of charge to motorists and containing a wealth of useful information on such topics as tyre changes and vehicle maintenance, the Michelin guide has developed over the years to become the benchmark in gourmet dining. It is now a guide of more than 2,000 pages covering 23 countries and offering a selection of more than 45,000 establishments (hotels and restaurants), to help travellers. The mission of the Michelin guide, which has always been the same as that of the Michelin Group, is summed up in its corporate signature – ‘A better way forward’.

For more information, log on to Michelin.co.uk.