Emelina wins Palm Beach's only Michelin Star

Emelina in West Palm Beach now holds Palm Beach County’s only Michelin Star, according to Michelin’s 2026 Florida guide and local reporting published on Aug. 5. Michelin’s official listing identifies Emelina as a one-star restaurant in West Palm Beach and describes it as a Cuban restaurant with counter dining. Local station WFLX reported that 10 Palm Beach County restaurants received Michelin honors this week, with Emelina the only local restaurant to win a star. The award gives Palm Beach County a place on Michelin’s starred map in Florida, where the guide also lists Bib Gourmand and selected restaurants across cities including Miami, Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach. Michelin’s Florida directory currently includes Emelina among its starred restaurants and Palm Beach Meats in West Palm Beach as a Bib Gourmand entry. ### Why is Emelina the restaurant people are focusing on? (guide.michelin.com) Emelina is the only Palm Beach County restaurant now listed with a Michelin Star, according to Michelin’s official guide and the Aug. 5 WFLX report. That makes it distinct from the county’s other Michelin-recognized restaurants, which WFLX said were included in Bib Gourmand or selected categories rather than the starred tier. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin’s inspectors describe Emelina as an intimate restaurant with a small counter facing the open kitchen. The guide says chefs Osmel González and Camila Salazar ask what Cuban cuisine would look like with global influences applied to its base, and says many ingredients are sourced from South Florida. ### What does Michelin actually say about the food? (guide.michelin.com) Michelin’s listing says Emelina serves Cuban cuisine and carries the one-star designation, which Michelin uses for restaurants it considers to offer high-quality cooking. The guide’s inspector notes highlight dishes including local oysters with yucca foam and mushroom powder, and cherry tomatoes with Cuban oregano chimichurri and macadamia milk foam. (guide.michelin.com) The official page also describes Emelina as a counter-dining restaurant in West Palm Beach. That detail matters because Michelin’s Florida guide spans a wide range of formats, from hotel restaurants to tasting counters and neighborhood spots. ### How broad was Palm Beach County’s Michelin showing? WFLX reported that 10 Palm Beach County restaurants received Michelin honors in the latest round. (guide.michelin.com) That total included Emelina’s one star and nine additional entries in Bib Gourmand or Michelin-selected categories, according to the station’s Aug. 5 report. Palm Beach Meats is one of the county restaurants Michelin’s site clearly identifies in another distinction category. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin lists Palm Beach Meats in West Palm Beach as a Bib Gourmand restaurant, its label for places offering what it calls good quality and good value cooking. ### Where does this fit in Michelin’s Florida expansion? (guide.michelin.com) Michelin’s Florida guide now covers restaurants across several parts of the state, with starred, Bib Gourmand and selected designations listed on the guide’s official site. The Florida restaurant directory currently shows about 200 entries across those categories, including Emelina in West Palm Beach. West Palm Beach’s Michelin pages now display Emelina as the city’s starred restaurant alongside other recognized local entries. (guide.michelin.com) Readers can find the updated designation on Michelin’s West Palm Beach restaurant page and on Emelina’s individual listing in the 2026 guide. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2)