As for the Michelin stars, they give them using criteria most of us don't care much about. Most here would go to a hole in the wall if it was sanitary and good (and Michelin has given stars to food trucks and street foodies). One of the one star places here I've been to twice is quite good, and quite pricey.
I think the only real way to assess a place is to dine there a few times, unless once is enough. We've dined at one place near us five times, four times it was great, one time it was awful (service issues).
