Michelin expands to Florida statewide

Michelin expanded its Florida restaurant guide statewide on May 28, ending the city-by-city rollout it began in 2022 and bringing new markets across North Florida and the Gulf Coast into the annual selection. Michelin said the 2026 Florida selection now covers the entire state after first launching with Greater Miami, Orlando and Tampa, then adding Greater Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater in 2025. The 2026 selection includes 26 starred restaurants statewide, Michelin said, with two new starred additions this year and newly covered destinations including Bonita Springs, Jacksonville, Key West, Sarasota, St. Augustine and Tallahassee. Michelin’s Florida ceremony was streamed live on May 28 at 2 p.m. Eastern, according to the guide. ### How did Florida get to a statewide Michelin guide? (guide.michelin.com) Michelin announced on Feb. 4, 2025, that Florida would become a statewide selection beginning in 2026. At the time, the company said it was expanding first in 2025 to Greater Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater before moving to full statewide coverage a year later. Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, said in that 2025 announcement that Florida continued to raise the bar with “emerging culinary talent, international influences, and the palpable passion” of its restaurant communities. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin also said its inspectors were already in the field in the newly added territories and that the guide’s selections remained independent even when tourism boards help market destinations. (guide.michelin.com) ### What changed for Orlando in the 2026 selection? Orlando had more than 60 restaurants recognized in the 2026 Florida guide, according to Recommend. The outlet said Sorekara kept its two-star rating, while five Orlando-area restaurants held one star, 14 earned Bib Gourmand recognition and 41 were listed in the recommended category. Recommend said the one-star Orlando restaurants were Camille, Kadence, Ômo by Jônt, Soseki Modern Omakase and Victoria & Albert’s. (guide.michelin.com) The guide also gave the Sommelier Award to Juan Valencia of Ômo by Jônt, and Visit Orlando CEO Casandra Matej said in a media announcement that the city’s continued Michelin presence reflected the “depth, creativity and diversity” of its dining scene. ### Which Northeast Florida restaurants were newly pulled into the guide? (recommend.com) Eight Northeast Florida restaurants were included after the statewide expansion, according to Action News Jax and WOKV. The list included Salt on Amelia Island; Eggboy in Atlantic Beach; Rue Saint-Marc and The Bearded Pig in Jacksonville; and Bar Citra, Sunday, Lotus Noodle Bar and Asado Life in St. Augustine. (recommend.com) Two of those St. Augustine restaurants — Bar Citra and Sunday — received Bib Gourmand recognition for value, Action News Jax reported. Michelin’s own city page for Jacksonville lists Rue Saint-Marc and The Bearded Pig as the city’s current guide entries. ### Did Jacksonville get any Michelin stars? No Northeast Florida restaurant received a Michelin star in the 2026 selection, according to Jacksonville Today and WOKV. (actionnewsjax.com) Jacksonville Today reported that all 26 starred restaurants in Florida remain in Central or South Florida, even as Michelin added eight places from Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach, Amelia Island and St. Augustine to the broader recommendation list. Nick Presti of Eggboy told Jacksonville Today, “Mayport is on the map!” Chef Raymond Johnston said the recognition was “huge,” while Rue Saint-Marc owner and chef Scott Alters said the guide’s arrival was important not just for his restaurant but for Jacksonville as a city. (actionnewsjax.com) ### Where can readers check the full Florida list now? Michelin’s official Florida guide pages now carry the statewide selection, including the full Florida restaurant list and city pages for Orlando, Jacksonville and St. (jaxtoday.org) Augustine. The company said the 2026 Florida selection was revealed on May 28 and can be browsed by stars, Bib Gourmand and recommended entries. The next public benchmark will be Michelin’s 2027 Florida selection, with restaurants already on inspectors’ radar for possible promotion to Bib Gourmand or stars in a future year, according to Michelin language cited by Action News Jax. (jaxtoday.org) (actionnewsjax.com) (guide.michelin.com)