Gault&Millau

What Gault&Millau does

Gault&Millau is a privately held culinary media company that publishes editorial guides rating restaurants, hotels, and wineries. Founded in 1965 by Henri Gault in France and operated in Austria under KMH Media Consulting GesmbH, the company maintains its editorial headquarters in Vienna and is led by publishers Martina and Karl Hohenlohe. The Austrian edition is distributed via gaultmillau.at, with country-specific portals across more than 20 markets, including recent entries in China, Kazakhstan, and the Baltic states.

The core products are the Restaurant Guide (using a proprietary 0-5 hat/Hauben rating system with a 20-point scale), the Hotel Guide, and the Wine Guide (Weinguide, using a grape-icon rating system). The underlying platform is a web-based publication with searchable databases, user accounts, newsletter distribution via MailChimp with commercial partner Metro, social media distribution, and a logo/badge download system enabling rated establishments to display official recognition in their own marketing. Annual printed guides are published alongside the digital editions, and the company runs recurring events including Weinfest, Culinary Week, and guide presentation ceremonies.

Monetization combines B2B revenue from rated establishments (subscription-based listings and badge/logo usage), advertising and sponsored content (including labeled 'bezahlte Einschaltung' placements), event revenue, and partnership deals with brands such as INTERSPAR, Edenred, Explora Journeys, Wein Niederösterreich, Vinea Wachau, and Sekt Austria. Pricing for ratings and listings is not publicly disclosed. The company has no disclosed funding history, no subsidiaries, and no M&A activity; financial figures are not publicly available.

Name

Gault&Millau

Legal name

KMH Media Consulting GesmbH

Website

https://gaultmillau.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gault&Millau is a privately held Austrian culinary media company that publishes proprietary hat-based restaurant ratings, hotel ratings, and grape-based wine ratings across 20+ countries, monetizing via rated-establishment listings, advertising, events, and partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Culinary Media & Hospitality Ratings

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

akta.pro primary industry

Culinary & Wine Travel Agencies (THAKAFAH)

Keywords

• Restaurant rating guide
• Wine guide ratings
• Culinary media platform
• Hotel ratings directory
• Gastronomy editorial content

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant/Hotel/Winery Listings and Ratings: Restaurants, hotels, and winemakers can be rated and listed on the platform. The platform provides logo and badge downloads for rated establishments to use in their own marketing, suggesting a B2B model where establishments pay for or qualify for visibility.
2. Content and Event Revenue: The company publishes sponsored content (indicated by 'bezahlte Einschaltung' labels), organizes events like Weinfest and Culinary Week, and generates revenue through advertising and event partnerships.
3. Newsletter and Email Marketing: Weekly newsletter distribution with commercial partner integration (Metro, MailChimp) for direct marketing purposes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gault&Millau operates an editorial guide platform that rates and profiles restaurants, hotels, and wineries using proprietary scoring systems — chef's hats (Hauben, 0-5) with a 20-point scale for restaurants, and grape icons (Goldene Trauben) for wines. The company publishes annual printed Restaurant Guides and Wine Guides, maintains a searchable online platform with country-specific editions across 20+ countries, distributes a weekly newsletter, and hosts culinary events such as Weinfest and Culinary Week. Rated establishments receive downloadable logos and rating badges for their own marketing use.

Product overview

Gault&Millau is a culinary guide platform offering three core products: a Restaurant Guide (with hat/cap rating system up to 5 Hauben), a Hotel Guide, and a Wine Guide (Weinguide) featuring rated winemakers with grape ratings. The platform operates on a subscription-based model where registered users can leave reviews and ratings for establishments. Additional services include a news portal covering culinary events and food trends, and a badge/download system allowing rated businesses to showcase their Gault&Millau recognition. The company publishes annual guides and maintains a global presence across multiple countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gault&Millau Restaurant Guide

Quantifiable outcome

• Gault&Millau guides reach consumers in 20+ countries internationally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• MailChimp (The Rocket Science Group, LLC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing automation service used for newsletter distribution. Part of the customer data processing infrastructure for email marketing.
• MetrominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommercial partner for newsletter content related to culinary experiences, new restaurants, food trends, recipes, and events.
• INTERSPARminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRetail partnership for product testing content (e.g., Top 5 Rosé wine selections, ketchup taste tests) published on the Gault&Millau platform.
• EdenredminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for 'Best Lunch' awards and competitions, engaging ~23,000 Austrian consumers in voting.
• Wein NiederösterreichminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional wine marketing organization that co-organizes wine tasting events and initiatives with Gault&Millau (e.g., Best Pinot Noirs from Niederösterreich).
• Sekt AustriaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAustrian sparkling wine association with 10-year anniversary coverage and ongoing coverage of Austrian Schaumwein industry.
• Vinea WachauminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWine association representing ~1,300 hectares of vineyards in Wachau, featured in Gault&Millau wine ratings and sustainability certification coverage.
• Explora JourneysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLuxury cruise line partnership for sponsored content about Mediterranean dining experiences aboard EXPLORA II.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Falstaff: Austria's other major culinary and wine guide, directly comparable to Gault&Millau with overlapping coverage of restaurants, hotels, and wineries in the DACH region. Named alongside Gault&Millau as the two premier Austrian culinary authorities.
• Michelin Guide: Global restaurant rating authority using a star-based system. Direct peer in restaurant guide publishing and B2B badge licensing, with broader international reach but overlapping value proposition for fine dining audiences.
• Wine Spectator: Long-standing US wine rating publication with the Restaurant Award program. Direct peer to Gault&Millau's Weinguide in editorial wine ratings and B2B award recognition for restaurants and wineries.
• The World's 50 Best Restaurants: Annual ranked list of restaurants with associated awards and events. Comparable as a culinary authority platform generating B2B visibility value for rated establishments and premium sponsorship revenue.
• Decanter: Global wine media brand publishing ratings, events (Decanter World Wine Awards), and consumer education. Comparable to Gault&Millau's combined editorial, awards, and event monetization around wine.
• Wine Enthusiast: Wine-focused media company combining editorial ratings, retail, and events. Direct peer in monetizing wine expertise through editorial credibility, ratings, and consumer engagement.
• Robert Parker Wine Advocate: Wine rating platform built on a 100-point scoring system. Comparable to Gault&Millau's Trauben grape-based ratings as a proprietary scoring methodology that drives winery demand and consumer discovery.

Emerging players

• Vivino: Consumer wine scanning and rating app with a large crowdsourced wine database. Emerging peer to Gault&Millau's Weinguide, representing the digital-native threat to traditional wine rating publications.
• OpenTable: Restaurant reservation and discovery platform with consumer reviews and editorial content. Emerging peer intersecting Gault&Millau's restaurant rating function with transactional restaurant booking.

Broad incumbents

• Tripadvisor: Largest user-generated travel and restaurant review platform globally. Broad incumbent competitor for consumer restaurant discovery, pressuring editorial guides' value proposition while serving different price points.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gaultmillau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gault-millau-austria
• Instagraminstagram.com/gaultmillau_at

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gault&Millau