Vail Valley restaurateurs express gratitude, tout teamwork in recognition from Michelin Guide

Four Vail Valley restaurants received the news that they maintained their ranking on the coveted Michelin Guide Colorado recommended list for 2025. The announcement came out last week at a ceremony held at Mile High Station in Denver. Sweet Basil and Osaki’s in Vail and Mirabelle and Splendido at the Chateau in Beaver Creek were among the 31 restaurants on the state’s recommended list.

All four restaurants made the inaugural Colorado list in 2023 and retained their status in 2024. Recognized globally for excellence and quality, the Michelin Guide offers a selection of world-class restaurants. When asked how they felt when they heard the news, the restaurateurs responded with a variety of feelings and thoughts.

“The first emotion I felt when I heard this was relief,” said Paul Anders, with a chuckle. Anders is the executive chef and partner of Sweet Basil Restaurant and Mountain Standard Restaurant. “It is such a prestigious honor, one that we are so appreciative of, but there is always a period of nervousness where you wonder if we did a good enough job to earn it this year? The second emotion is definitely happiness. Mostly for our team. They work so hard and put literal blood, sweat and tears into their work.”

“It’s a huge honor. It means a lot to the team from everyone from the dishwasher up to the chef, to the valet, to the bus boy. The sacrifices almost everybody’s made here — like missing birthdays, missing weddings, missing different things — to put in all the hard work just to have that consistency and strive every day, it’s just great to be recognized,” said Brian Ackerman, chef and owner of Splendido at the Chateau in Beaver Creek.

Due to travel back to Japan, Osaki’s owners were unable to provide comments on their recent recognition.

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Meeting Michelin criteria

All restaurants in the guide are recommended by Michelin’s anonymous inspectors, who are trained to apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin inspectors for many decades throughout the world. This ensures a uniform, international standard of excellence. As a further guarantee of complete objectivity, Michelin inspectors pay all their bills in full, and only the quality of the cuisine is evaluated.

To fully assess the quality of a restaurant, the inspectors apply five criteria defined by Michelin: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. These criteria guarantee a consistent and fair selection so a starred restaurant has the same value regardless of whether it is in Paris, New York or anywhere else in the world.

“There’s definitely a thrill in the idea that any guest could be an inspector, but we try not to dwell on it. What’s more important is knowing that Michelin values the same things we do: consistency, craft and care. That’s what we aim to deliver, every single service, no matter who walks through the door and no matter who’s at what table,” said Jessenia Sanabria, director of operations and partner at Sweet Basil and Mountain Standard.

“Michelin’s anonymous inspection process, based on established and consistent criteria, ensures fairness and objectivity,” said Daniel Joly, chef and owner of Mirabelle. “While we don’t speculate on whether an inspector is present on any given evening, we maintain our high standards every night. We focus on providing the best possible experience for every guest, regardless of their identity. The consistency in the inspection process reflects the dedication to quality across all Michelin-rated establishments.”

The honor also gives these high-country restaurants a great responsibility to uphold — representing Colorado as a world-class culinary destination.

“I do think that it is by far the most respected organization giving out these types of awards and as a result of that, it increases the expectation of our guests. The bar is set pretty high when you throw ‘Michelin-recommended’ in front of the restaurant’s name. For our international clientele, I think it gives them a universal bar that they can measure us against,” Anders said. 

“I think the Michelin Guide is great, especially when helping you find some amazing restaurants that you would never really hear about,” Ackerman said. “On Monday night after the ceremony, we went to a restaurant in Denver that was in the Michelin Guide.”

After being on the Michelin Guide Colorado recommended list since the Michelin Guide started including Colorado restaurants in 2023, how do you stay there?

“When you get an award like this, it makes you want to do even better. It drives you to work harder and be even more,” Ackerman said. “We have a self-driven staff, and I think it starts with each individual and what they bring to the table just strengthens the team. We do the research, source the best ingredients, we want to challenge ourselves and that helps us be the best we can be for our clientele.”

“Beyond the Michelin recognition, we’re most proud of fostering a strong sense of community,” Joly said. “We value the relationships we’ve built with our local clientele and work hard to ensure every guest feels welcome and appreciated at Mirabelle.”

“From the moment someone walks through the door to the last bite, it’s about creating something memorable,” Sanabria said. “We don’t chase stars or awards, we chase excellence, service and connection. That’s what brings people back. And that’s probably what keeps us on lists like Michelin’s.”