Michelin Guide – powered by HERE platform

We’re well on our way into the Christmas season here in the UK, and that often means one thing. Christmas dinners aplenty! Christmas dinner with work colleagues, an overseas traveling friend and more importantly, our closest family members. Michelin Guide helps you find the very best restaurants across Europe. Plus, it’s powered by HEREplatform, so you know it’s reliable.

I’ll point out from the start that this app is on special offer. It’s currently priced at £2.99 instead of £10.49 (€3.99 instead of €12.49), and the offer ends on the last day of the year – 31/12/2012. So grab it now!

By making use of Nokia’s HERE platform, Michelin Guide will work when your phone is offline as well as online, by using the maps stored on your phone. That means that you can still look for the perfect restaurant or bar when you’re on the metro system of a European city, or when you’re just in a network black spot. Also, because you’re not connecting to the Internet for venue details, the app shows you the information quickly.

 

At launch, Michelin Guide will show you a favourites page, which will be empty – it’s waiting for you to populate it. Slide the screen to the left, however, and this is where the fine-dining searching happens.

As with any location app, there’s the handy option to type in the name of a restaurant, if you know it. This saves time sifting through other venues and gets you to your dinner table quicker.

If you’re feeling adventurous and are open to trying something new to where you are, the near by option will use the sensors on your phone to find out where you are and list some venues in order of closest to furthest away. This can be changed to Michelin guide distinctions or user ratings if you’d prefer, though.

If you’d like to filter the results, to show only wheelchair accessible or venues with parking, for example, the refine icon at the bottom of the page will allow you to make those changes. This is also the place to go if you want to see venues that have a certain number of stars, or eateries with Bib Gourmand status – restaurants offering menu items priced below a maximum price, determined by local economic standards.

 

If you prefer a more visual browsing experience, the augmented reality button at the bottom enables you to see the eating locations right from the camera viewfinder. Just hold it up to your surroundings and you’ll see where the establishments are, relative to the real world.

Once you’ve decided on a place to eat, select it to be taken to see more details. The description page details how much a meal is likely to cost, the type of cuisine provided and the opening hours, along with types of facilities available, what credit cards they accept and the nearest train station – if applicable.

The info page displays a mini map so you know roughly where the establishment is, along with the full address underneath. There’s also a handy call button if you want to book ahead and reserve a table.

 

Press the itinerary icon to open up Maps and be directed to your destination. And, while you’re on your way, check out the reviews section to make sure you’ve made the right choice. A community of food lovers provides the reviews, and you can add your own review too from the app once you’ve finished your meal.

When it comes to sharing the experience with others, you can post an update to Windows Live, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Or, just send the details in an email if you prefer to make it not so public.

For those of you with a Nokia Lumia 920 or Lumia 820 – Windows Phone 8 – there are some extra features. These include:

• Nokia Drive and Nokia Maps are used when navigating to the establishment.
• Live tiles display the nearest restaurant.
• A Michelin branded lockscreen.
• Share restaurant details by connecting two phones, via NFC.
• Get direct access to a restaurant data sheet by swiping the Michelin sticker on the front of any Michelin selected restaurant, via NFC.

Michelin Guide is available to download now for the Nokia Lumia 610,Nokia Lumia 710, Nokia Lumia 800, Nokia Lumia 900, Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820 – grab it while it’s still on offer.