Michelin adds nine NYC spots
Michelin added nine restaurants to its 2026 New York City selection — five in Brooklyn and four in Manhattan — as part of its twice‑yearly updates, with inspectors already evaluating ingredient quality, technical mastery and flavor for future Stars or Bib Gourmands ( ). Michelin framed these listings as potential stepping stones rather than immediate star or Bib awards, signaling an expanded U.S. footprint beyond traditional coastal strongholds (aol.com).
Michelin added nine New York City restaurants to its 2026 guide on April 15, putting five Brooklyn spots and four Manhattan spots into contention for future awards. (guide.michelin.com, ny.eater.com) The new Brooklyn additions are Entre Nous in Clinton Hill, Los Burritos Juárez in Fort Greene, Bong in Crown Heights, Vato in Park Slope, and I Cavallini in Williamsburg. Michelin’s Manhattan picks are Le Chêne in Greenwich Village, Hwaro in Midtown West, Le Veau d’Or on the Upper East Side, and Sunn’s on the Lower East Side. (guide.michelin.com, ny.eater.com) Michelin said these additions are not Stars or Bib Gourmands yet. The company adds restaurants to its selection twice a year, then reveals Stars and Bib Gourmands later at its annual ceremony. (guide.michelin.com, crainsnewyork.com) Michelin says its inspectors judge restaurants on five criteria: quality of ingredients, harmony of flavors, mastery of cooking techniques, the chef’s voice in the cuisine, and consistency across visits. Those standards are the filter for whether a newly listed restaurant can later move up to a Bib Gourmand or a Star. (guide.michelin.com, fox5ny.com) This update tilted toward Brooklyn, which took five of the nine new slots. The borough’s additions ranged from a Clinton Hill wine bar and a Fort Greene burrito shop to a Crown Heights Cambodian restaurant, a Park Slope tortilleria, and an Italian restaurant in Williamsburg. (guide.michelin.com, yahoo.com) The Manhattan side mixed classic and newer formats. Michelin described Le Chêne as a French “throwback,” Hwaro as Chef Sungchul Shim’s 22-seat counter inside Gui Steakhouse, and Le Veau d’Or as a revived French dining room run by Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr. (guide.michelin.com, guide.michelin.com, guide.michelin.com) Michelin has been using these midyear New York updates as a preview mechanism. In April 2025, it added 16 New York City restaurants in a similar release before later award decisions. (guide.michelin.com, patch.com) For diners, the practical effect is simple: these nine places now carry Michelin’s “New” marker on the guide’s site and app, and inspectors are already tracking whether any of them can convert early buzz into a Bib Gourmand or Star by the 2026 ceremony. (guide.michelin.com, guide.michelin.com)
