Michelin in the Philippines

Michelin’s first guide to the Philippines has moved from promise to publication, with a 2026 edition covering Manila and nearby dining hubs plus Cebu. (michelin.com) Michelin said the first restaurant selection for the Philippines was unveiled on October 30, 2025, at the Manila Marriott Hotel in Newport World Resorts. The 2026 guide covers Manila, its environs, and Cebu, and Michelin later published the full lineup on its guide site. (michelin.com) (guide.michelin.com) The published 2026 selection lists 108 establishments in total: 1 restaurant with two Michelin stars, 8 with one star, 25 Bib Gourmand picks, and 74 Michelin Selected restaurants. Michelin also awarded 1 Green Star and 3 special awards for young chef, service, and cocktails. (michelin.com) The road to that launch started earlier. Michelin announced on February 17, 2025, that its inspectors were beginning work in Manila and Environs and Cebu for a 2026 debut, marking the guide’s first entry into the Philippines. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin said its inspectors were assessing restaurants in Metro Manila cities including Makati, Manila, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Pasay, Quezon City, San Juan, and Taguig, along with Pampanga, Tagaytay, Cavite, and Cebu. That footprint shows the guide was built around both urban dining rooms and nearby regional destinations. (guide.michelin.com) (spot.ph) The Philippine Embassy in Singapore revived the story this week, saying on April 22, 2026, that the guidebook launch was part of Filipino Food Month, or Buwan ng Kalutong Filipino. The embassy called the publication a milestone for the country’s culinary sector and pointed readers to Michelin’s official Philippines guide site for the restaurant list. (philippine-embassy.org.sg) For diners, Michelin’s labels signal different things. Stars are Michelin’s top restaurant ratings, Bib Gourmand marks places the guide considers good value, and Michelin Selected flags restaurants inspectors recommend without awarding stars. (guide.michelin.com) For the region, the Philippines joins Michelin’s growing Southeast Asia map after guide expansions in cities including Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Penang, and Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang. The Philippines edition gives Filipino restaurants a place in the same guide system used across those markets. (guide.michelin.com 1) (guide.michelin.com 2) The immediate next step is no longer anticipation but follow-through: Michelin has already published the first Philippine list, and restaurants in Manila, nearby provinces, and Cebu now have a benchmark that inspectors can revisit in future editions. (guide.michelin.com)