Michelin expands to Thessaloniki and Santorini
- Michelin said on December 17, 2025 that its 2026 Greece guide will expand beyond Athens to add Thessaloniki and Santorini. - The company said there will be no new Athens selection in 2025, with the first combined Athens-Thessaloniki-Santorini selection due in 2026. - Greece is pairing food prestige with tourism growth as Jan.-Feb. travel receipts hit €1.0067 billion, up 70.7% year over year. (bankofgreece.gr)
Michelin is expanding its Greece coverage in 2026, adding Thessaloniki and Santorini to Athens after announcing the move on December 17, 2025. (guide.michelin.com) The Michelin Guide said the inaugural selection for all three destinations will be unveiled in the second half of 2026. It also said there would be no new Athens selection in 2025 while inspectors broaden the Greece edition. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin framed the three places as distinct dining markets: Athens for layered contemporary cooking, Thessaloniki for a food culture shaped by trade routes and migration, and Santorini for cuisine tied to volcanic soil and island products. (guide.michelin.com) The Greek National Tourism Organization said the expansion is part of a strategy to raise Greece’s profile as a gastronomy destination, not just a beach destination. Its December 17, 2025 statement said Thessaloniki will be evaluated for Michelin distinctions for the first time and Santorini will join the guide alongside Athens. (gnto.gov.gr) That push lands as Greece’s tourism numbers are rising sharply outside the summer peak. The Bank of Greece said travel receipts totaled €1,006.7 million in January and February 2026, up 70.7% from a year earlier, while inbound traveler flows rose 38.5%. (bankofgreece.gr) For restaurants, Michelin coverage means inspectors are now looking beyond the capital at two places with very different demand patterns. Thessaloniki is a year-round city market, while Santorini is a seasonal island market where international tourism already supports premium pricing. (guide.michelin.com) (news.gtp.gr) Michelin’s current Greece listings remain concentrated in Athens. Its Greece restaurant page shows starred, Bib Gourmand and selected restaurants in the capital, underscoring how much the 2026 expansion widens the map. (guide.michelin.com) The next step is simple: inspectors finish the broader Greece selection, and Michelin publishes the first Athens-Thessaloniki-Santorini guide in the second half of 2026. (guide.michelin.com)
