Argentina eyeing local guide

Argentina is not dropping Michelin in 2026 after all. On March 6, Buenos Aires and Mendoza said they would keep funding the guide this year, after earlier reporting had pointed to a possible shift toward a homegrown national project. (prensa.mendoza.gob.ar) The latest official announcement came from Mendoza Governor Alfredo Cornejo and Buenos Aires Mayor Jorge Macri during Vendimia events in Mendoza. Their governments said Michelin will continue in both jurisdictions, which are the only Argentine destinations currently covered by the guide. (prensa.mendoza.gob.ar) Argentine media had reported a more uncertain picture weeks earlier. Clarín said the original deal was for three years, with the 2026 edition set as the third and final contracted year, while officials were also pushing a broader Argentina guide for 2027 with more destinations. (clarin.com) That distinction matters because Michelin in Argentina has never been a nationwide guide. Michelin’s first Argentine selection, published in November 2023, covered only Buenos Aires and Mendoza, with 71 recommended restaurants: 52 in Buenos Aires and 19 in Mendoza. (michelin.com) In that first edition, Aramburu in Buenos Aires received two stars, six restaurants received one star, seven earned Bib Gourmand distinctions, and seven won Green Stars for sustainability. Argentina’s tourism agency said those restaurants would appear in the guide in 2024 and 2025. (michelin.com) (argentina.gob.ar) The funding model helps explain the recurring uncertainty. Clarín reported that destinations pay a fee so Michelin inspectors will evaluate restaurants, and that Buenos Aires and Mendoza agreed to cover the 2026 cost themselves after national officials balked at using federal money. (clarin.com) Clarín reported the 2026 fee at $400,000, split evenly between Buenos Aires and Mendoza at $200,000 each. Mendoza’s government framed that spending as a tourism investment tied to hotels, restaurants and international visibility. (clarin.com) (prensa.mendoza.gob.ar) So the near-term story is narrower than the original rumor: Michelin stays in Argentina in 2026, but only through Buenos Aires and Mendoza, while the bigger question is whether the country eventually builds a broader national system alongside or beyond the French brand. (prensa.mendoza.gob.ar) (clarin.com)