Michelin unveils Manila & Cebu
- The Michelin Guide 2026: Manila & Environs and Cebu pocket guidebooks were launched during Filipino Food Month in Singapore. - The Philippine Embassy called the launch a major milestone for the country's culinary sector. - This international recognition could raise global interest in Manila and Cebu dining scenes. (philippine-embassy.org.sg)
Michelin’s 2026 pocket guidebooks for Manila and Cebu were launched in Singapore on April 22, putting the Philippines’ first Michelin selection back in front of an international audience. (philippine-embassy.org.sg) The event was held during Filipino Food Month, known locally as Buwan ng Kalutong Filipino, at the Philippine Embassy in Singapore. The embassy said the guidebooks cover Manila and its environs as well as Cebu. (philippine-embassy.org.sg) This was not the first release of Michelin’s Philippine restaurant list. Michelin unveiled the first-ever 2026 selection for Manila and Environs & Cebu on October 30, 2025, at the Manila Marriott Hotel in Newport World Resorts. (michelin.com) That debut edition listed 108 establishments: 1 restaurant with Two Michelin Stars, 8 with One Michelin Star, 25 Bib Gourmand entries, and 74 Michelin Selected restaurants. Michelin also gave 1 Green Star and 3 special awards for young chef, service, and cocktails. (michelin.com) Michelin’s first Philippine guide focused on two dining hubs rather than the whole country. Michelin said its inspectors evaluated restaurants in Manila cities including Makati, Pasay, Quezon City, Taguig, and San Juan, plus nearby areas such as Pampanga, Tagaytay, and Cavite, along with Cebu. (spot.ph) The Singapore launch gives the guide a second life as a tourism and trade tool. Singapore is one of Southeast Asia’s busiest travel and dining markets, and the embassy framed the event as part of promoting Philippine food abroad during April’s Filipino Food Month. (philippine-embassy.org.sg) Michelin’s own release cast the 2026 edition as the Philippines’ entry onto the global fine-dining map. International director Gwendal Poullennec said the selection reflected both “metropolitan sophistication” in Manila and “regional soul” in Cebu. (michelin.com) The embassy used similar language this week, calling the guidebook launch “a major milestone” for the country’s culinary sector. For Manila and Cebu restaurants, the immediate effect is not a new ranking but a wider official showcase carrying Michelin’s name into another regional capital. (philippine-embassy.org.sg)
