MICHELIN selects 12 New Mexico restaurants

The MICHELIN Guide on September 1 recognized 12 New Mexico restaurants in its inaugural 2026 Southwest selection, according to the New Mexico Tourism Department. The awards were announced at a ceremony at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, where Michelin also said New Mexico culinary professionals won two of the four MICHELIN Special Awards. The launch adds New Mexico to a new regional guide covering Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. Michelin and New Mexico Tourism both said the local tourism partnership does not influence inspectors' judgments or distinctions. The New Mexico announcement gives the state a place in Michelin's first Southwest edition, rather than as part of a city-by-city U.S. rollout. Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the MICHELIN Guide, said at the ceremony that inspectors were "continually impressed by the authenticity, creativity and sense of place" across the region. Michelin's Southwest page says the guide is intended to promote the food cultures of the four participating states. (newmexico.org) ### Where were the New Mexico restaurants concentrated? New Mexico Tourism said Albuquerque received six of the 12 selections and Santa Fe received four. That leaves two other recognized restaurants elsewhere in the state, though the state release excerpt available online does not list all 12 names in the visible text. The department said the honors were part of the inaugural Southwest restaurant selection announced in Las Vegas on September 1. (newmexico.org) The geographic split matters because Michelin's Southwest map is broader than its earlier U.S. guides focused on places such as New York, California, Chicago and Washington. New Mexico Tourism described the new edition as the first-ever Southwest guide, and Michelin's regional page defines that territory as Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. (newmexico.org) ### Did any New Mexico restaurant receive Michelin stars? The materials reviewed for this story confirm 12 New Mexico restaurants were recognized, but they do not show a New Mexico restaurant receiving one or two stars in the visible official excerpts. The clearest star result in the Southwest launch was in Las Vegas, where Restaurant de Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand received two Michelin stars, the only two-star distinction in the region, according to MGM Resorts and Michelin-linked ceremony coverage. (newmexico.org) MGM Resorts said six of its restaurants were honored in the inaugural Southwest guide and that it earned four Michelin stars across three venues. MGM said L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon and é by José Andrés each received one star alongside the two stars for Joël Robuchon. ### How does Michelin say the judging works? (investors.mgmresorts.com) The New Mexico Tourism Department said destination marketing organizations, including the state tourism agency, do not influence inspectors' judgments. Michelin's Southwest information page says inspectors conduct field work themselves and that the partnership does not affect methods or values. The same page says inspectors are anonymous former hospitality professionals with at least 10 years of experience. (investors.mgmresorts.com) Michelin also defines its distinctions publicly. On the Southwest page, one star means "high quality cooking, worth a stop," two stars mean "excellent cooking, worth a detour," and three stars mean "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey." A separate Michelin explainer says restaurants included without a star or Bib Gourmand are still considered above average by inspectors. ### What happens next for diners and restaurants? (newmexico.org) The 2026 Southwest selection is now published through Michelin's ceremony coverage and New Mexico Tourism's industry announcement. Michelin's official restaurants database also carries the broader U.S. selection and distinctions by location and category. For New Mexico restaurants, the next milestone will be the next annual Southwest guide update, when Michelin inspectors revisit the region under the same methodology described on the guide's Southwest page. (newmexico.org) (guide.michelin.com)