Latin America’s first 3‑stars
Two Brazilian restaurants, Evvai and Tuju, have become the first in Latin America to receive three Michelin stars, a milestone announced during the 2026 guide presentation in Rio de Janeiro (elespanol.com). The local guide update also notes eight Rio de Janeiro restaurants made the 2026 Michelin Guide, with tasting menus running roughly R$440 to R$1,380 (diariodorio.com).
Brazil now has Latin America’s first three-Michelin-star restaurants: Evvai and Tuju, both in São Paulo, joined the guide’s top tier in the 2026 selection announced on April 13 in Rio de Janeiro. (michelin.com) Michelin said the awards were unveiled during a ceremony at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, where the 2026 Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo guide added 12 new entries overall. Michelin also said Madame Olympe in Rio won its first star, bringing the region’s total to 19 one-star restaurants. (michelin.com) The two new three-star restaurants are not in Rio but in São Paulo. Evvai is led by chef Luiz Filipe Souza and blends Brazilian and Italian influences, while Tuju is led by chef Ivan Ralston and builds seasonal tasting menus around Brazilian produce and research-driven cooking. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2) Michelin’s star system is a restaurant ranking, not a hotel rating: one star signals “high-quality cooking,” two stars indicate cooking worth a detour, and three stars are the guide’s highest distinction. In Brazil, the guide currently covers only Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. (diariodorio.com) (guide.michelin.com) That makes this a milestone for a region long absent from Michelin’s top category, even as Latin American chefs have gained global attention through other rankings and awards. Michelin’s own 2026 release called Evvai and Tuju the first restaurants in all of Latin America to receive three stars. (michelin.com) The timing also reflects Michelin’s recent return to Brazil. The guide relaunched its Rio and São Paulo selection in May 2024 after a four-year hiatus, with no three-star restaurants in that comeback edition. (guide.michelin.com) (uol.com.br) Rio’s side of the 2026 guide shows what the Michelin label costs on the ground. Diário do Rio reported eight Rio restaurants made the 2026 guide, with tasting menus ranging from R$440 at Madame Olympe to R$1,380 at Lasai, before drinks and pairings. (diariodorio.com) The same pricing report said Rio’s starred list spans neighborhoods including Leblon, Ipanema, Botafogo and Jardim Botânico. Pairings can add hundreds of reais more, with examples including R$280 to R$420 at Madame Olympe and R$890 for sake pairing at Mee in the Copacabana Palace. (diariodorio.com) For now, Michelin’s highest award in Latin America belongs to two São Paulo dining rooms announced at a Rio ceremony, in a guide that still covers just two Brazilian cities. (michelin.com) (guide.michelin.com)
