Having a Michelin Star is one of the highest achievements any chef could wish on their restaurant. Considered the holy grail of the culinary world, Michelin Stars have been awarded to fine dining establishments since 1926.

A criteria that includes vital elements like the quality of ingredients, the harmony of flavors, and the mastery of techniques as published on the Michelin Guide website, this sought-after rating can catapult restaurants and chefs into global limelight.

However, the rating is specifically for the restaurant, according to the Michelin Guide website. “There’s no such thing as a Michelin-starred chef,” it says. “Having worked in a Michelin-starred restaurant or even owning a string of three-starred establishments doesn’t make one a Michelin-starred chef - because the term doesn’t technically exist.”

There are three categories of Michelin star ratings: One Star is awarded to restaurants using top-quality ingredients. Two Stars are awarded when the personality and talent of the chef are evident in their expertly crafted dishes. Three Stars, the highest award, is given for the superlative cooking of chefs at the peak of their profession.

OkayAfrica takes a look at the African chefs who have earned Michelin recognition for their restaurants, making visible African culinary representation in the international dining scene.

Adejoké Bakare - One Star

Adejoké Bakare is the latest African chef whose restaurant has gotten a Michelin Star rating. The Nigerian chef became the first Black female Michelin-starred chef in the U.K., and the second Black female Michelin-starred chef in the world.

Her West African restaurant Chishuru based in Fitzrovia, London, had brought her this historic milestone. Originally opened as a pop-up restaurant in Brixton in 2020, it slowly started to get critical reviews for its flavor combinations and dazzling contemporary twists on West African staples like the breadfruit and fonio.

Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen - One Star

In 2016, South Africa’s Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen became the first African chef to be awarded a Michelin Star for his restaurant, Jan. A South African restaurant based in the south of France, Jan showcases South Africa’s tradition of hospitality, transported from a farm in rural South Africa to the glamorous French Riviera.

Till today, Westhuizen is still one of South Africa’s brightest culinary stars, author of a cookbook, helming a cooking show, and a beacon of inspiration for others in his home country.

Iré Hassan-Odunkale - Two Stars

Iré Hassan-Odunkale is a co-founder of Ikoyi, the West African-leaning restaurant based in London. Ikoyi was launched in 2017, directly taking its name from the affluent neighborhood where Hassan-Odunkale grew up.

The restaurant has a Two Star rating in the 2024 Michelin Guide. A part of the restaurant’s menu utilizes West African ingredients, introducing a contemporary take like their un-traditional smoked jollof rice with lobster custard.

Mory Sacko - One Star

Of Malian and Senegalese descent, Mory Sacko is a famous chef in France, who has been rapidly rising in the French culinary scene. His first restaurant MoSuke, opened in 2020, was awarded with a Michelin Star.

Naming his restaurant by combining his name and that of Yasuke, the first Black Samurai in Japan, Sacko’s culinary techniques are a successful blend of his Malian and Senegalese upbringing, and also Japanese influences.

The outcome is a melting pot of flavors: Oshizushi of arctic char, peppersoup, mackerel, gumbo, mussels and palm oil, Tanzanian and Madagascan chocolate pie with wasabi ice cream. In 2022, he opened MoSugo, a restaurant that serves comfort food with relatively cheaper prices.

Georgiana Viou - One Star

Hailing from Benin, Georgiana Viou is a self-taught chef who had originally arrived Paris in 1999, hoping to be a translator. She had her Michelin Star debut in 2023. Her restaurant, Rogue, located in Nimes, France, is a fusion of Mediterranean influences (South of France) and her Beninese roots. Her dja sauce, made from long-preserved tomato with aromatics, is just one of many Beninese cuisines she’s been introducing to France.

Aji Akokomi and Ayo Adeyemi - One Star

Wanting to change the perception of African food, and it bringing to the same global stage as other culinary traditions, Aji Akokomi and Executive Chef Ayo Adeyemi came up with Akoko in 2020. Since then, it’s been one of the spots central to London’s West African fine dining.

The culinary duo have driven the restaurant to deliver a unique blend of innovation and tradition, taking diners on a rich tapestry of flavors – whether it’s Senegambia’s use of acid and seafood, Ghana’s unique approach to sauce-making or Nigeria’s spics and flavor profiles.

Akoko received a star in the 2023 Michelin Guide, a testament to the steadily growing acceptance of West African cuisines in the culinary world.