Cooks throughout Florida can exhale: Michelin introduced new additions to the state’s starred restaurant information throughout a stay ceremony on April 18. 9 new stars have been added to the information, for a complete of 26 starred eating places in Florida. This marks the third yr Michelin has reviewed eating places in Florida, throughout Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. On April 11, Michelin additionally introduced 4 new additions to its Bib Gourmands checklist, a collection of eating places the place diners can order a starter, essential course, and dessert for $40 or much less. This yr’s Bib Gourmands additions included Tam Tam in Miami, Streetlight Taco in Tampa, and Sushi Saint and Zaru in Orlando. Although receiving a Bib continues to be an enormous deal, the group’s coveted stars are the primary occasion.
A Michelin star is among the most sought-after recognitions within the meals world. One star signifies {that a} restaurant is “value a cease,” two means it’s “value a detour,” and three stars point out that the restaurant is “value a particular journey.”
In 2023, 19 Florida eating places acquired stars: 12 in Miami, 4 in Orlando, and three in Tampa. Notably, three eating places on final yr’s checklist—Cote, Le Jardinier, and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon—are outposts of well-known New York eating places. Of these, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is the one restaurant that holds two stars. This marks a broader development of big-name (and closely resourced) eating places opening flashy outposts in Miami.
Amongst this yr’s star recipients was Ebbe Vollmer of Ebbe in Tampa, who additionally holds two stars at his restaurant Vollmers, in Sweden. Whereas Vollmers payments itself as a four-hour Scandinavian tasting menu, Ebbe is a barely extra compact tasting menu—nonetheless with greater than 14 programs. Notably, a 3rd of this yr’s newly starred eating places—Natsu, Shingo, and Kōsen—are centered round an omakase expertise. Victoria & Albert’s, a restaurant inside Disney World, additionally took residence its first star. Kaya in Orlando and Krüs Kitchen in Miami each took residence Inexperienced Stars, a comparatively new award that acknowledges a dedication to sustainability. Two eating places, Knife and Spoon and The Den, didn’t retain their stars.
It was an enormous deal when the information landed in Florida for the primary time in 2022. Michelin’s presence in a metropolis can supercharge its restaurant scene. However the truth that stars are solely granted to eating places in a number of Florida cities additionally factors to a thorny dynamic: Michelin’s growth into new cities is commonly fueled by tourism departments that may pay hefty sums of cash to assist the information’s protection. In 2019, California’s tourism board paid $600,000 to carry the information to Los Angeles and different cities reviewed by Michelin. State and native tourism boards in Colorado additionally paid to facilitate the information coming to pick cities. Tourism boards in Tampa, Orlando, and Miami additionally shelled out money—to the tune of roughly $116,000 per yr, per metropolis—for eating places of their cities to be reviewed by Michelin.
Nonetheless, Michelin inspectors stay nameless and don’t settle for free meals whereas reviewing eating places. “I feel there may be this notion that it’s pay to play, which is inaccurate,” Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Tampa Bay’s tourism board, informed the Tampa Bay Occasions in a narrative printed April 15. You’re not assured something.”
Along with the awarding of stars, this yr’s Michelin ceremony in Florida included plenty of particular awards. Justin Levaughn of Orlando’s Otto’s Excessive Dive took residence the Distinctive Cocktails Award, whereas the Sommelier Award went to Gabriela Espina from Boia De in Miami. Israel Perez from Victoria & Albert’s in Orlando took residence Michelin’s Service Award. The Younger Chef Award went to Tam Pham of Tam Tam in Miami.
Discover the total checklist of Michelin-starred Florida eating places beneath.
Entries are organized alphabetically.
Two-Starred Eating places
- L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
One-Starred Eating places
- Ariete, Miami
- Boia De, Miami
- Camille, Orlando (new)
- Capa, Orlando
- Cote, Miami
- Ebbe, Tampa (new)
- Elcielo Miami, Miami
- Entrenos, Miami (new)
- Hiden, Miami
- Kadence, Orlando
- Koya, Tampa
- Kōsen, Tampa (new)
- Le Jardinier, Miami
- Lilac, Tampa
- Los Félix, Miami
- Natsu, Orlando (new)
- Ogawa, Miami (new)
Papa Llama, Orlando (new) - Rocca, Tampa
- Shingo, Miami (new)
- Soseki, Orlando
- Cussed Seed, Miami
- The Surf Membership Restaurant, Surfside
- Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt, Miami
- Victoria & Albert’s, Orlando (new)
