Where can I find Michelin Red Guide in English?
 

I went to the bookstore yesterday to purchase the Michelin Red Guide, and found that although there is a foreward written in a number of languages - English included - the text descriptions of hotels/restaurants is entirely in French!<BR><BR>I use their web site, and the descriptions are in English on it. Do they make an English text version? I checked the catalog on their web site and could not find one.<BR><BR>If they don't, can anyone recommend a suitable, reliable, replacement, especially for restaurants?

Zagat's.

They certainly do an English language version - I have one which was bought in England. Have you tried Amazon? Amazon UK are taking orders for the 2002 version.

I thought the English language version was for the UK, though, not France? I've never seen the Red Guide in English for France; I was just looking at it in a bookstore last week, coincidentally (in Wash DC) and musing about how it was only available in French here (a big chain bookstore), wondering why they don't translate it, seems like they'd have a big market. I know if you look on Amazon, some commenters mention that "The Red Guide", which sounds like it's in English, is only in French. They do translate the Green Guides, though, guess they think it's too much trouble for the restaurants. Maybe I'm wrong, but I haven't seen it in English here (I also thought the website was only French, what do you know).

Unless they have changed the content of the Red Guide in the last 5 years or so, I don't see how translating it into English would be necessary or very helpful to English speakers. Most of the information is communicated through numbers (addresses, phone and fax numbers, prices) or through symbols, which are explained in English in the front of the guide. About the only thing written in French are closing times (only requires you to know days of the week and months in French) and menu specialties, which are interesting, but certainly not essential. Their English web site -http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/dyn/controller/HomePage - does give a few additional comments in English.

The red guide descriptions are presented in the language of the particular country, with the key presented in several languages at the front of the book. So there is no english version per se.

The Red Guide is always published in the language of the country of that edition. That said, it makes no difference due to the use of symbols. So if you're going to France, the guide is going to be in French. <BR>All told, it remains the best guide in the world, particularly as concerns restaurants due to being the only guide in which the ratings are arrived at without advance notice of the restaurant. <BR>While somewhat macabre, it is the only guide I know of that has caused at least 2 French chefs to commit suicide upon the loss of a star.<BR>People whine about the Red Guide, but once you learn the symbols it becomes invaluable.<BR>Note also that if you present the guide at the time you register and it is the current guide, then the establishment (hotel) MUST give you the rate published in the guide.<BR>P.S. I work for Michelin.

JD, can you please clarify? The poster above says that they have a France Red Guide that has English text descriptions.<BR><BR>Yes, the symbols tell everything, but I, for one, like the descriptive text. I find it helpful in addition to the symbols. The Michelin web site has the descriptions in English as well.<BR><BR>Could you please verify if I bought a UK version if the text descriptions would be in English.

There is only one published red guide for France, or for any other country.

If you buy a UK guide, the text will be in English. If you buy a German guide, the text will be in German. If you buy a France guide, the text will be in French. Etc., etc., etc. However, the "Contents" section in the front will have an English translation section, which will give you the definitions for the symbols, an explanation of prices, how to use the maps, etc. I love the guides for the hotel recommendations as well as the restaurant recommendations and have never had a bad experience using the red guides. If you can't "get" the very small descriptions of menu items and scenery found in the listings, you might want to take a quick language course before you travel to the country, as they're really pretty basic. Cheers...