Michelin adds 4 Quebec stars

Michelin’s Québec guide just got a lot bigger — and a lot more consequential. On May 6, Michelin handed out four new one-star awards, lifting the province to 13 starred restaurants in only the guide’s second year. That matters because the first Québec edition felt like a beachhead — interesting, but still narrow. This year looks more like Michelin deciding the province is worth mapping in full. (michelinmedia.com) ### Which restaurants actually got the new stars? The four newcomers are Hoogan et Beaufort and Sushi Nishinokaze in Montréal, Le Clan in Québec City, and Auberge Saint-Mathieu in Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc. All four received one star, not two or three. Tanière³ in Québec City stayed at two stars, which means it remains the province’s highest-rated restaurant in the guide. (michelinmedia.com) ### Why is Montréal the headline here? Because Montréal picked up two of the four new stars, and that changes the balance a bit. Michelin’s first Québec guide leaned heavily toward Québec City and nearby destinations. Montréal now has five starred restaurants in the province-wide guide, which makes the city look less like an underrepresented outlier (michelinmedia.com). (cbc.ca) ### So how big is the guide now? Bigger than just the star count suggests. Michelin says the full 2026 Québec selection includes 121 restaurants. That total spans starred spots, Bib Gourmand picks, Green Stars, and recommended restaurants. CBC notes the recommended list alone rose to 85 from 67 last year, which is a useful clue — Michelin isn’t just sprinkling stars around, it’s widening the funnel of places it thinks matter. (michelinmedia.com) ### What else changed besides the stars? Three new Green Stars went to Coteau in Québec City, Huit 100 Vingt in Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare, and Les Mal-Aimés in Cookshire-Eaton. Seven new Bib Gourmands were added too, for restaurants Michelin sees as especially strong value. That matters because a Michelin guide becomes more influential when it shapes everyday dining plans, not just anniversary splurges. (michelinmedia.com) ### What kind of food is Michelin rewarding? Turns out there’s a pattern. Michelin highlighted local products, farm-linked cooking, shorter shareable menus, open-fire cooking, and fermentation as defining Québec’s current restaurant scene. You can see that directly in the winners: Hoogan et Beaufort is known for wood-fire cooking, while Auberge Saint(michelinmedia.com)in is rewarding restaurants that feel rooted in place, not just polished. (michelinmedia.com) ### Why does the second year matter more than the first? The first year proves Michelin has arrived. The second year shows what it thinks the region actually is. In 2025, Québec got nine starred restaurants in its debut guide. In 2026, the total rose to 13, with more recognized restaurants overall and a broader geographic spread beyond the biggest ci(michelinmedia.com)t of taste. (cbc.ca) ### Does this settle the Michelin debate in Québec? Not really. Michelin recognition brings prestige, tourism attention, and bragging rights, but it also intensifies the familiar argument about omissions and bias. Any guide this small will feel selective to the point of provocation. The catch is that Michelin’s power comes from exactly that scarcity (cbc.ca)l keep going as the guide expands. (guide.michelin.com) ### Bottom line? Québec didn’t just get four more starred restaurants. It got a clearer Michelin map — one that now treats the province as a serious dining region with depth, range, and enough momentum to keep reshuffling the pecking order next year. (michelinmedia.com)