Apple Maps gets a tasty Michelin star restaurant upgrade, but it still lacks one important Google Maps ingredient

• Apple Maps has added expert ratings for restaurants and hotels
• Golf reviews will be added at a later date
• The change follows a tie-in with the upcoming movie F1

Apple Maps has come a long way from its shaky launch back in 2012, and today it can go toe-to-toe with Google Maps as one of the best mapping apps out there. Now, Apple is hoping to solidify its reputation by adding a promising new feature to Apple Maps, and it could help you find your next favorite restaurant.

According to a news release from Apple, you can now search for restaurants that have been recommended through the Michelin Guide, Green Star, and Bib Gourmand schemes, with ratings from restaurant recommendation site The Infatuation and Golf Digest coming soon. That means you can quickly find highly rated eateries without having to first trawl through heaps of reports and reviews.

Apple explained that “place cards will now reflect distinctions, descriptions, and images from expert sources” in Apple Maps. The new ratings are available to Apple Maps users in the US and will be coming to other locations soon, Apple said.

As the mention of Golf Digest above hinted at, the changes won’t just affect restaurants – Apple Maps will soon add extra info for hotels and golf courses, too, with ratings from the Michelin Key hotel scheme available now. You can directly book select hotels through Apple Maps, with reservations for Michelin restaurants and Supreme Golf sessions on the way.

Expert reviews

I prefer using Apple Maps to Google Maps, as I find its maps more detailed and its vocal instructions clearer. But I concede that Google Maps has one key advantage: user reviews. Google just has far more reviews posted to restaurants, shops and attractions than Apple, even though Apple Maps can pull in ratings from TripAdvisor.

So, with Apple Maps adding support for expert reviews of restaurants, hotels and more, I’m hoping that my preferred mapping app might be able to catch up to Google in this key area. Because while I love using Apple Maps for most things, whether in the app or online, it’s a pain to have to switch over to Google Maps whenever I want to source a wider range of restaurant reviews.

The addition of Michelin reviews is just the latest update to Apple Maps, which recently added a tie-in with the upcoming Brat Pitt movie F1. If you want to get going with these expert reviews in Apple Maps, just add a search filter and start browsing. That should help you find a better place to eat or stay in a few quick taps.